A Struggle for a Ring — page 366: what you’re looking at

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

362 “THAT SEALS MY FATE!” she had been to find scmething, or to give some messages for the countess. Yet though she had said this to herself, it was some shock to her to meet Lady Gertrude face to face, Lady Gertrude looking very angry and annoyed. ‘¢ Miss Derwent,” cried the earl’s daughter, ‘‘it is past midnight, Why are you up?” ‘‘T have been busy,” faltered Alice. ‘‘ Busy at this hour of the night! Pray, may I ask on whose business have you been engaged? If Lady Wal- drove has kept you until this hour, she has done it uncon- sciously, I am sure.” ‘‘TIt is not Lady Waldrove,” said the terrified girl; ‘‘it is myself—I have been doing something for myself.” Lady Gertrude looked slightly contemptuous. ‘‘Tf that be really the case,’’ she said, ‘‘it is no matter of mine; butI should advise you to keep earlier hours. It does not look quite the correct thing for a young girl to be wandering round a house like this after midnight. Good-night, Miss Derwent. ’ | ‘‘Good-night, Lady Gertrude,” was the answer. ‘‘I _ will remember what you have said.” CHAPTER LIV. ‘““THAT SEALS MY FATE!” ‘‘ That girl is in some kind of mischief,” thought Lady Gertrude. ‘‘That is a guilty face, if ever I saw one. Surely she cannot have a lover in the house?” | Lady Gertrude thought of all the eligible men. Captain ‘= Moore was the most general lover among them; but he > Eomicbooks.co