A Struggle for a Ring — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

: 320 A WIFE’S STRANGE POSITION. ‘‘T like to see people all so beautiful and so happy,” said Ailie, simply. And the words seemed to touch Lord Carsdale. But 4... cone had already looked in wonder that he should think it necessary to waste civilities on her mother’s companion. He knew that to draw down‘ remark upon Ailie would be, of all things, the most cruel and the most fatal. He left them; but the thouzht that he had spoken kindly to her stirred his young wife’s heart with a keen sense of pleasure. I do not hold him guiltless; I do not describe him as a hero, or a man without reproach; but his strange position must plead his excuse. In the days of his youthful imprudence he had, from a swift, sudden impulse of ‘honor, married this girl; he had married her to shield her from blame, and it was a most Quixotic action; but when he came to reflect upon it more coolly, the consequences of that marriage seemed to him more than he could bear. He could not endure to inflict the pain of it on his parents; he did not like the loss of social position. In the highest sense of the word he was nota hero, but a man who shrank from the consequences of an imprudent action. He had not yet hardly looked the difficulty in the face, or asked himself how it must end. So Ailie stood watching lovely Lady Ethel as she floated away to the sound of the sweet, sad music—a radiant vision of white lace and roses. The beautiful heiress was unutterably happy, and her face was something to remem- ber. Then Ailie lost sight of them; half an hour after- ward one of the footmen came to her, and said that Lady Ethel Pierpont would be very glad to see her in the little ante-room. ) — comicbook