A Struggle for a Ring — page 363: what you’re looking at

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

A SEPARATION DISCUSSED. 359 destiny ; and tell me, Lord Carsdale, if I cannot say ‘yes,’ what then ?” ‘What then, Ailie? Why, I see nothing for it but to go abroad again. You know that if my mother only guessed at our marriage, she would never speak to me again; come what might, I should be compelled to go abroad, and remain there until I had no parents to make me miserable.” | ‘And Lady Ethel!” she said, gently, ‘‘ what would be- come of her?” | ‘How can I tell? I can only hope, that in the years to come, she would marry and be happy.” ‘‘Then, if 1 consent, and if it can be legally arranged, what then, Lord Carsdale ?” His manner brightened visibly ; his voice grew clear and brisk. ‘In that case, I should busy myself over you first; I should make you happy as you could be, with every lux- ury and indulgence that money could purchase for you.” She laughed the saddest and the dreariest laugh that ever came from human lips. ‘‘And after that?” she said. ‘¢ Afterward I suppose that I should marry Lady Ethel, and make my parents perfectly and completely happy.” Yet, as he spoke, his heart almost yearned to her—he would have given anything to have comforted her; the sight and the knowledge of her pain were growing unen- durable to him. | ‘‘T see,” she said, gently—‘‘now I understand it all clearly. Patient Griselda would not have hesitated one moment—she would have said at once, ‘you are free ;’ but lL have not reached that point of heroism yet—I would fain keep you if I could; I would fain win your love if I “Se | E(@) m (@ oY) @)