A Struggle for a Ring — page 246: what you’re looking at

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

wt =e 242 A WIFE DECORATING A_ RIVAL. dale,” continued Captain Moore; ‘‘a kind of half-sad re- serve. He gave me the idea of aman who had a secret in his life. I cannot tell you why. At times I have seen a strange expression come over his face, when he believed himself quite unnoticed.” ‘‘ You interest me greatly,” said Lady Legard. ‘‘Tt may be all nonsense, all fancy,” said the captain, ‘vet it is so. He will not return to his regiment—l heard Lord Waldrove say so.” Then the conversation took another turn, leaving Alice in a maze of doubt and fear. What made him unlike othermen? Was it that the secret of his marriage weighed him down, or was it, could it be that he loved her, and was sad because he saw so many obstacles in the way of declaring his love? The murmur of voices confused her, the scene was like faint realities of a dream, it could not be real. Then, when from the confusion of her senses some faint glimmer of reason returned, she fancied that people seemed to pay an unusual amount of attention to Lady Ethel. Was it her jealous fancy? was she really jealous? She longed for the power to understand herself. The ordeal was ended at last. Lady Waldrove looked at her with a kindly smile. ‘Lady Ethel tells me you have promised to do some- thing for her before dinner; Lady Gertrude will drive out with me. Do you know that my son returns to-night? ' Yes; you read the telegram. Iam very happy, Miss Der- went,” she continued, in stately tones; ‘‘my son is com- ing home, and I expect great things from his coming.” ‘“‘ Miss Derwent,” said Lady Ethel, ‘‘come to my room when you have dressed for dinner. I want you to stay with me.” Lady Ethel thought she was condescending. There was comicbooks.co