A Struggle for a Ring — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

~ 292 A TRYING POSITION, CHAPTER XLIW. -. 44 A TRYING POSITION. ‘Miss Derwent,” said Lady Waldrove, ‘‘I have been searching everywhere for ‘Dawley’s Poems.’ You know the book—crimson and gold ; you must have seen it?” ‘Ves, I have seen it,” replied Ailie; ‘‘it is on the library table.” ‘‘Will you find it for me? Mr. Dawley is coming to dine with us to-morrow, and as he sent me a copy of. his poems, I must know something about them before he comes. It would be quite as well if you copied out a few lines here and there, that I could ‘use as quotations—it would look attentive, and I could easily bring them in. Go © now, will you.” And Ailie hastened to obey the countess; she went to the library, and the first thing that she saw was Lady Ethel, seated in one of the large leathern arm-chairs, which had been placed near the open window, and by her side sat Lord Carsdale. Ailie had opened the door.and entered the room before they saw or heard her; then Lady Ethel looked -up with a careless smile, wondering why Lord Carsdale should start as though suddenly detected in something wrong. ‘“Good-morning, Miss Derwent,” she said, indifferently, then forgot her. Lord Carsdale bowed. He looked half in wonder at this fair, graceful woman with the tragically beautiful face. and sad, sweet eyes; this was his wife—she at present bore his name. She was Lady Carsdale. He half rose from comicbooks (e{@)