A Struggle for a Ring — page 350: what you’re looking at

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

346 ADMIRATION IS NOT LOVE. . could not endure to inflict it on others; he could not bear to see it. Of late he had understood more and more how dearly and deeply Ailie loved him, how entirely her whole life was wrapped in his; he began to understand what the terrible pain would be to her. On the other hand was the woman he loved, Lady Ethel—her life and her happiness to be considered. $y He went to the western terrace with something of the feeling of a man who goes to his doom. The night was dark and silent, with a sweet dewy quiet and repose about it. ‘There was no moon, and few stars; a fragrant dark- ness lay over the silent earth. He found Ailiethere. He did not see her at first, but when he walked to the stone ballustrade and looked through the darkness to the flowers below, she came up to him very quietly. ‘“Lord Carsdale,” she said, ‘‘ you wanted me, and I am here. ” He stood quite silent for one minute, almost unable to stir, so great was his emotion. Then he turned round. Even in the darkness her beautiful, passionate face shone out clear as a star; her golden hair and white hands seemed to draw all the light there was to themselves. He looked for one minute at the fair, pure face, then he thought to himself it would be better by far if they could both die there together—he before he told his story, she before she heard it. ‘‘Shall we cross the ground, Ailie, and go into the park?” he asked. ‘‘ Yes,” she replied. ‘‘I will go anywhere that you like.” Then they walked down the broad flight of steps that led from the terrace to the ground. As they entered the park they turned, as though by mutual consent, to look at the house. The greater part of the massive, picturesque Eomicboo S) Cc 0)