A Struggle for a Ring — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

“WHAT SHALL WE DO?” 29 ‘‘What are you thinking about, Alice?” he asked, seeing her white compressed lips. ‘‘T am thinking,” she said, with that same = strange light in her eyes, ‘‘that I can only die.” ‘*Die!” he repeated; ‘‘my dear Alice, you need not fear. See, we are almost flying along—we could not go more quickly; we shall be there in time, do not fear.” But fate was against them. The horse grew tired; the driver began to apologize. ‘*T thought he could not keep up that spaed ” he said. ‘* You see, sir, being the regatta day, the horses, like the men, have been busy all day. I should say, this one has been to the station twenty times and more.” It was with a great effort that the horse stumbled along, while the darkness of night fell over the land, and the girl’s heart almost ceased to beat with fear. It was quite dark at Jast—there was no light save that of the stars, no sound save the rustling of the swaying boughs, and the heavy, labored action of the tired horse. ‘‘ Alice, are you crying?” asked Lord Carsdale. She tried to steady her voice before she answered him. “No,” she replied; ‘‘it would be of no use.” He tried to laugh, but it was the saddest sound—a Jauzh without any music in it. ‘¢ You are a philosopher,” he replied. ‘What time is it, Lord Carsdale?” asked Alice. He had resolutely refrained from looking at his watch himself, but when she asked the question he was com- pelled to doso. To his horror it was long after nine; he dare not tell her. | ‘T shall see better when we come to Ladywell,” he said, evasively; ‘‘it is dark now.” More and more slowly; the last vestige of light had GEomicbooks