The Bride Elect: or, The Doom of the Double Roses — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

138 % THE BRIDE ELECT. oure the rocks for spite. aud: awa, Robin lad; and see how the dose works.” ‘“What have you done, father?” demanded the young man, with a trembling voice, ‘‘-what made you meddle with the lassie to drive her to this distraction? What’s come _ oer Kilmeny?” ‘©Wait, Robin, wait. It maun aye beastorm before there’s acalm. She’ll be a brave, bonnie lady to Strathmore after this—see, my lady’s conquered at last.” The figure on the precipice ceased the unequal strife with her horse. She soothed him with coaxing hand, and flung away her jeweled riding-whip, and when he stood motion- less, and docile as a lamb, she plucked the ill-fated missive from her belt, held it aloft, and with clutched hand raised, -and her eyes upon heaven’s highest dome, seemed to register a VOW. Then the letter was torn into a thousand pieces, and the wild wind bore them whirling among the circling sea-birds, and my Lady Kilmeny turned her horse, and walked softly back to her kinsmen. She held a hand out to each of them, and, with quiet words, thus she spoke: ‘“T have cast off the old life, and Heaven has my vow. Take me, uncle and cousin, and devote me to your house. ony Strathmore shall be the maid to avert your ‘ double oom.’ 33 - CHAPTER XIII. THE GEM DROPPED FROM THE CIRCLE. Alexander Buccleugh was very ill—so desperately ill that he lay in the quietest bed-chamber of Lady-Bank for two days, without consciousness enough to look up at Florice nets over him, and anxiously watching him night and ay. As the captain had said, if anything could rouse Florice, the greater suffering of Alexander could rouse her; she hung on his breath, and counted the feeble flutterings of his pulse with intensest anxiety. __ It seemed as if in the great shock which had riven heart from heart, these two poor, bleeding souls clung to each other with fondest fidelity, and each tried to fan: the sink- ing flame as the torch burned low. (e(0) comichbooks