A Struggle for a Ring — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

42 | SAVING A WOMAN?S HONOR. could have found a fairer bride. Perhaps he thought so when he saw her, for a tender smile made his face hand- somer than ever when he greeted her. ‘‘] have the license,” he said. ‘*‘ We have’no time to lose; there can be no marriages after twelve at noon.” ‘Ts it—true?” she said, looking up at him with sweet, wondering eyes. ‘Ts what true, Alice? I do not understand.” ‘‘Ts it true that we are to be:-married—you and [? Is it really true?” ‘“This looks strangely like it,” he replied, smiling, ‘as he showed her the license. ‘‘ Victoria, greeting—” he said; ‘‘who shall say nay? I am sorry, Alice,” he con- tinued, ‘‘that we have not time to get you a pretty dress to be married in. We must have the wedding-dress after the wedding. See, there is one thing that I did not forget.” He showed her a small brown morocco case; she had not the least idea what it contained. ‘<Open it,” said Lord Carsdale. She did so, and there saw a ring of plain, thick gold. ‘*A wedding-ring!” cried Alice. ‘*Certainly,” he replied. ‘‘ You could not be married without a ring, could you?” She was looking at it with wonder and amaze, with awe, not unmixed with fear. As she looked, the tears filled her eyes. | : ‘‘T cannot believe that is for me,” she said; ‘‘not really for me!” , ‘‘No one else will ever wear it, Alice,” he replied, _ touched with her emotion. | It was very pleasant_to him, this power of playing on . the strings of a human heart, this power of creating tears co — Eomicboo