A Struggle for a Ring — page 379: what you’re looking at

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

A STARTLING ACCUSATION. 375 neither he nor she had the least idea that Lady Gertrude had watched the close of their interview. It was the sound of her brother’s voice that had attracted her attention, and opening the door very gently, she was just in time to see Ailie standing at the door of her brother’s room, and heard their last good-night. | CHAPTER LVI. A STARTLING ACCUSATION, Lord Carsdale could not say for certain whether he slept the better for that little note or not. He found himself once or twice, during the night, wondering what he should have done had Ailie decided otherwise; he often found himself thinking of her, dwelling on the pale, passionate beauty of her face, recalling her passionate words, her great and.wonderful love for himself; recalling every ten- der phrase, and he always finished his reverie by thinking it is only once in a life-time that a man is loved after that fashion; he did not know whether he wished for this sep- aration, as he had once wished for it—with all his heart; he did not know whether he should be overwhelmed with grief if he found out that no such separation could legally be. -But the morning sun was shining in his room; he had to go. There was no more time for thought just now—there was not even time for him to write one word to Ailie. Strange to say, it was of her that he thought the most. Lady Ethel would receive his courteous message of adieux through the earl, but Ailie would not have one (E(0) mm (C JOO S) (EO)