A Struggle for a Ring — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

316 DRESSING A RIVAL. child that God would give to her her husband’s love; her last thought that evening was of the one bright, beautiful moment when she had stood looking up into her hus- band’s face and did not read displeasure there. A grand event was coming off at Roseneath ; the count- ess had decided on giving a ball, to which.she intended to invite the e/zve of the county. ‘<It was only due to Lady Ethel,” the countess said, ‘that they should have some festivities. ” Lord Carsdale laughed at the bare mention of it. ‘‘T thought you would not be happy long without something of the kind, mother. A ball—let it be by all means.” So it was arranged; and again, as five years before, an idea seemed to have entered Lady Waldrove’s mind, that, in all probability, a ball would bring matters to a crisis, and Lord Carsdale would, in all probability, make the beautiful heiress an offer that night. Why she should think so-——what reason she had for the idea was not even known to herself. ‘The event caused some little commo- tion even in that magnificent mansion where everything was in such exquisite order. | Ailie had some sharp struggles with herself before she could bring herself to discuss with Lady Ethel what toilet would suit her best, for Lady Ethel had made a little plot of her own. It was just five years since she had stood with him on the shore of that sweet southern sea, and he had ~ = toldgher he should never see the sea without thinking of her, and that he called her—his dream by thesea. On the ____ball night she would remind him of it, and she would ask - him whether he liked her more or less than he did then. _ She said to herself that she would throw the whole cast of y her life on this one night. She would speak to him of the ae 4 ! com (é ,OOKS €O