A Struggle for a Ring — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

284 AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION. embarrassed bow; she grew crimson and turned away. Lady Waldrove gave a half kind of sigh at their stupidity. Why need people in such thoroughly distinct and different classes be embarrassed with each other? 7 ‘*Do try, my dear, if you can have it repaired?” said the countess, languidly. ‘‘It is the first time I have known Lord Carsdale awkward.” He bent down to kiss his mother’s hand, longing to get away; it was so awkward being in the same room with Ailie, yet unable to speak to her; it was a most stupidly false position for her to have placed him in. She must have read his thoughts, or guessed them from the darken- ing of his face, for she turned abruptly away to resume her work. ‘*VYou shall have the most elegant fan in London, mother. I will go to town for the express purpose of choosing one for you,” he said; but she looked at him in her plaintive, languid fashion, ‘Tt is not so much the fan, my dear Vivian. What ~ troubles me is that you should be awkward. A gentleman should be able to hold a rose-leaf without crushing it. I have such a great dread of an awkward man.” He laughed ; his mother’s pathos always amused him; then he rose from his seat—it was unendurable, this kind of thing. “You are not surely dreaming of going, Vivian?” said — the countess, sharply. ‘‘I thought you would sit with me this morning and tell me about—about Gibraltar, if you have no other news. You do not know how I have bribed you to stay.” ‘“‘T need no bribing to stay with you, mother,” he replied, quickly. } Lady Waldrove laughed. Wale ay | | ~~ -comicbooks