A Struggle for a Ring — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

— 310 THE HUSBAND'S PROMISE. to show you that there is an easier alternative than death, if we are driven to strong measures. ” She bowed-her head again, and again she touched his hand with her lips. _ ‘“You are my husband,” she said, ‘‘my lord and mas- ter—the arbiter of my fate. I would die to serve you; death would come from your hands sweeter than life from another; but that which you hint—it would be worse than death. While I live no other woman's heart shall be your home. Oh, my love, be pitiful to me! Such words kill me!” All her self-command, her pride, her self-control failed. She wept bitter, passionate tears. ‘* My love,” she sobbed, ‘‘be kinder to me; let me die, but do not offer me life without you. I cannot help it that I love you. Jam your wife, amd it seems right that I should love you, no matter why you married me, or how. See, I am not exacting. I do not ask much. Only a kind word sometimes to keep me from starvation and despair. You will not refuse me that?. Do not look un- kindly at me. Do not grow impatient. And oh, my love! my love! do not look so kindly in another woman's face when Iam near. I can bear anything but that.” The passion of her words touched him a little. She had exhausted herself bv the power of passion and unrest; now she leaned back against the old gnarled trunk of the tree and closed her eyes. He looked at the beautiful face, so fair, so pure. He said to himself that she was more beautiful even than Lady Ethel, but in such a different way. And then there came to him a half kind of wish that he had learned to love her—that he had never seen the lovely, brilliant woman who had taken possession of his whole heart, even against his will. He would almost have been m com €boo =)