A Struggle for a Ring — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

A WIFE DECORATING A RIVAL. 241 turned on Lord Carsdale. How they spoke of him! how they loved him one and all! Captain Moore said the most; he had not long returned from Gibraltar, and he had a hundred pleasant anecdotes to relate of the earl’s son. How much he was loved by the officers, how much by the men; no Officer in the whole army had his men under greater control, yet none was so cared for. He told many pleasant stories of the young lord’s courage, his presence of mind, his bravery, his self-control. Lady Waldrove’s proud face softened as she listened; this son was indeed the idol of her heart. Then, Alice, listening with a white face and beating heart, heard Lady Legard ask the captain : ‘‘Ts Lord Carsdale what people call a lady’s man?” “No,” was the reply; ‘‘not exactly; I hardly know how to describe. I do not think that in all his life he has ever indulged in one flirtation; I should say not, for I know no man whose ideas of women are so chivalrous as his. He seems to have the most profound respect: for everything in feminine shape. Even the men of his regi- ment are famous for their chivalrous manner toward wo- men. Still he is by no means a lady’s man.” Lady Legard listened with great interest ; how little she dreamed what those words meant to the fair-haired girl with the pale, passionate face. ““He is not engaged to be married, I suppose?” con- tinued her aclyan iD; ‘‘T should have heard of it here had that been the case.’ ' “No,” replied the captain ; ‘‘and though at different times we have had some beeutiful girls in Gibraltar, I have never heard of his admiring one.” ‘‘That seems strange,” said Lady Legard. ‘¢There is something rather strange about Lord Cars- 6 ’ comicboo CS (E(0) m