A Struggle for a Ring — page 369: what you’re looking at

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

“THAT SEAL} MY FATE!" 365, than hers had decided ‘‘ Yes”—had agreed that men could Step in and, for certain reasons, dissolve this tie. Whether her marriage was one for which such dissolution were pos- sible or not, did not matter to her; she had but to decide whether or no she was willing to consent to it. Then, when the morning sun was shining full and warm in the blue heavens, she rose from her seat; her face was pale, and she shuddered like one seized with’cold. She went to her little writing-table, and taking a piece of paper, she wrote rapidly for some minutes. ‘That is my answer,” she said to herself; ‘‘that seals my fate.” is She looked at it for some minutes in silence, then kissed it, placed it in an envelope ready to give to Lord Carsdale. It was over then and done; there was no further inde- ciston, no further struggle. She lay down and fell into the deep sleep of exhaustion; she slept until Lady Waldrove’s maid rapped at-the door and said the countess was waiting for her. Alice roused herself; she hastened to change her evening-dress, and remove, as far as she could, all trace of fatigue; then she went to Lady Waldrove’s room. The old routine of duties awaited her; she had to read page after page of fashionable correspondence, to mark what letters required answering, and those that were not worthy of it. She went through her work mechanically, not with her usual cheerful brightness. Once Lady Wal- drove noticed her white face and heavy eyes, and asked if she were well. Alice said she was well, but tired; and the countess thought, in her own mind, that salaried depend- ents had no right to be-tired. Alice was thinking how she could see Lord Carsdale to give him the note; asa rule, she met him three or four times every day. She seldom ‘Gomi C3 cS (e(e) oof)