A Struggle for a Ring — page 235: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

NST ary COMING HOME: 23r he not married her for honor’s sake? Was it likely that with his keen sense of honor he would so far forget his marriage as to linger by the side of this beautiful woman? Ah, no! a thousand times no. She stilled the terrible pain, and turned round again. Then it flashed across her that Lady Ethel was talking to her, with a great look of wonder in her eyes, ‘« Had you any reason, Miss Derwent,” asked Lady | Ethel, in her coldest. voice—‘‘had you any reason for inquiring if I knew Lord Carsdale?” ‘““No; but I thought your remark showed that you knew Bis face,” There was a broad look of wonder in Lady Ethel’s eyes. ‘* You cannot have seen his face, Miss Derwent; he has been away five years.” In one moment Alice saw her danger and escaped it. ‘‘T have only been here a few weeks,” she replied ; ‘‘but I spend most of my time in Lady Waldrove’s room, and the portrait of—of Lord Carsdale hangs there.” | Lady Ethel laughed. ‘¢Do not look at it too often,” she said; ‘‘it isa dan- gerous picture, Miss Derwent. Lord Carsdale, as I re- member him, was a very handsome man.” As she remembered him. Alice looked up quickly. What right had she—had any one—to remember him? He was hers—no other’s. It hurt her with inexpressible pain that this beautiful woman should speak of him as 9? though she had some share in him. Their concern for him, the danger of even allowing the truth to be told, filled her mind again. She tried to smile, but it was the most painful smile that a girl’s lips ever wore. ‘T will not look at it,” she replied; and Lady Ethel (E(o) Eom Cc JOO S