A Struggle for a Ring — page 292: what you’re looking at

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

cbs Bohs: A CRUSHED FLOWER. are all in the humor for fancies this morning. What could © have given you such an impression, Lady Ethel?” ‘‘T cannot tell; your reply has only deepened it,” she _ answered; and for once in his life Lord Caysdale was ready | to almost curse the perversity of fate. Then the countess returned. He saw the wounded ex- pression on the beautiful face that he loved so dearly, but he could say nothing. What was there to say? ‘‘You have not been quarreling during my absence, I hope,’ said Lady Waldrove, looking from one to the other. ‘‘You may be quite sure that we have not,” said Lady Ethel; but in some vague way the little meeting that years ago had always been so pleasant, was now a confused, em- barrassed hour from which Lord Carsdale longed to escape. He was the first to go, and, when the door closed behind him, the countess looked mournfully at Lady Ethel. ‘‘ He is s> sadly changed, my dear. What can it be?” and Lady Ethel had no answer to make. Later on that same day it pleased the countess to go through the conservatories; some superb white hyacinths were just in the perfection of bloom. Lord Carsdale had joined his mother, and admired the white flowers very much. He did not speak to or look at Ailie—every hour he found the position in which she had placed him more and more distasteful. She walked by Lady Waldrove, who stood now in raptures over the hyacinths. - “How tall, and white, and stately they are!” she said. ‘Do you know, Vivian, of whom those flowers remind me ?” - ‘“No,” he replied ; but Ailie saw a pleased, startled con- sciousness in his face. : «They remind me of Lady Ethel,” said the countess; --. #5 ~ €omicbooks com