A Struggle for a Ring — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

234 “HE IS MY HUSBAND." CHAPTER XXXIV. ‘Cok IS MY HUSBAND. For some few minutes Alice stood quite motionless, holding the telegram as though it had been some living thing; her eyes filled with vague dread and fear; her thoughts were far from that perfumed chamber. He was coming, her husband, the dark-haired, handsome, noble man, who had sacrificed so much for honor; he was com- ing home, and he would find her there. ‘‘ Miss Derwent,” she heard an impatient voice crying, ‘you do not seem to hear one word that I say. Will you see if it be possible to find Lady Gertrude? Iam quite well again; the very thought of my son’s return has made me well. Do try to find Lady Gertrude; she must know - at once. ” Never had Alice seen the haughty, languid countess so | excited ; she had forgotten her headache, her fatigue; this son of hers was the one form whom she loved above all others on earth; the bare idea of his 1eturn was more than sufficient to arouse her to her full energies. Then it seemed to Alice there was a confused kind of silence; through it she saw nothing; a mist swam before her eyes; then again, sounding as though it came from a great dis- tance, came the voice of Lady Waldrove. What was she saying? ‘‘Could you oblige me, my dear Miss Derwent, by ceasing to look in that vacant way, and trying to find Lady Gertrude for me?” She never knew how she left the room, hat she said, comic ,00KS.