The Bride Elect: or, The Doom of the Double Roses — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

rw 150 THE BRIDE ELECT. swelling heart, and Alexander stretched himself on the white chintz sofa in Mrs. Reid’s cool, dark parlor, and closed his aching eyes, once more drifting alone with his grief on the sullen waters of his changed life-stream. And then the sweet September days crept on, and the unhappy man crept out of his dreamy retreat to wander with trembling limbs over the golden sands and to sit in a sunny nook on the western sea line between Dysart and Wemyss—a sunny nook in a cleft of the hoary rock. Here, on beds of brackens, day by day, lay Alexander, till a sturdy step, scrambling over briny rock and ripland tarn, would warn him of the approach of the captain, who had come to sit down by him, with cheery face and hearty voice, and comfort him. Gradually, as Alexander gained strength, he extended his walks. One day he went down toward Kirkcaldy to meet the captain, whom he expected by the noon boat, and having traversed the distance (four miles) rather too hastily, and finding himself some thirty minutes too soon, he turned aside from the beach, which way he had gone, in preference to the turnpike, and entering Lord Koslin’s grounds was fain to lay himself down on a grassy bank by the gravelly walk, overhung by a spreading yew. The air was very sweet; Alexander’s head ached exceed- ingly; his head was heavy with the noon sun and wind, and he fell asleep with his book for a pillow. ~ And as he slumbered, deep and dreamless, two ladies tripped daintily down the level walk. They paused at the foot of the spreading yew, where lay the unconscious sleeper, and with arrested eyes they noted the motionless figure. ‘** Asleep?” whispered one, pointing to his pale face, half concealed by his arm. ‘The other bent over him with sweet concern, to listen to his faint breathing. ‘<'T'ruly he seems to be too motionless to be only asleep, poor gentleman!” replied she, quickly. ‘‘I wish the gentlemen would come away from their prosy discussion and speak to this person.” In uttering this her voice unconsciously rose, and the next instant Alexander started from his slumber, raised himself on his elbow, and looked up at his disturber. seem, And, oh, is heayen good to him at last! Oh, breaking Gomichooks (Eo)