A Struggle for a Ring — page 361: what you’re looking at

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

A SEPARATION DISCUSSED. 357 ‘« There is little need to ask that question, Ailie,” he re- plied, gravely. ‘‘But I do ask it, and I want you to answer me, Lord Carsdale. I want you to speak the words that I may hear them for myself; in which case would you be happier?” ‘‘’There can be but one answer to that, Ailie; I love Lady Ethel, and I should be more happy with her.” She turned away with a long, deep sigh, forming a kind of desperate resolve to make the last appeal to him that she could—a desperate feeling such as comes at times over a man condemned to death. ‘* Lord Carsdale,” she said, ‘‘could you ever love me? I have strong claims on your love. Iam your wife, and by virtue of that name alone, I should stand first in all the world to you—can you never love me? Iam not so beau- tiful as Lady Ethel, but I am not displeasing in the sight of men. I have no money, no rank, no influence, but I have love ; I can love you as no one else in the wide world ever could. You are life of my life, heart of my heart, soul of my soul. I would serve you as woman never served man yet. Oh, my love! can you never love me?” ‘“My dear Ailie,” he said, sadly, ‘‘love does not de- pend on ourselves; we cannot love and unlove at will. If I asked you to-morrow to love some one else, could you do it?’ ‘*No; but then Iam your wife,” she said, with mourn- ful dignity. . ‘‘ Even that will not call love into existence. Oh, Ailie! I wish you cared less for me; but for that it would all be so easy. I cannot think why it is that you love me so.” ‘©Then you are very short-sighted, Lord Carsdale,” she replied, quickly. ‘‘ That you have not learned to love me — I can easily understand ; there are women in the world ten _ (E(0) mn ( () ibooks.co