Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

12 A MONSTROUS PROPOSITION. companion, in a tone that should have warned him not te give expression to his thought. “Perhaps your little one has come into the world un- protected by the tie of wedlock, and therefore you desire to conceal from every one the evidence of——” She checked the words upon his lips with an imperious gesture. A. vivid crimson rushed to her brow, suffused her neck, and scemed to extend to the very tips of her fingers; then the color as quickly receded, leaving her patrician face ghastly pale. She threw up her proud head with a movement of ex-. quisite grace; an angry fire ieaped into her dusky eyes; an expression of scorn curled her beautiful lips. “How dare you say sucha thing to me ?” she demanded, in a passionate tone that had a thrill of pain init as weil. ‘*But for your former kindness to me, I would never par- don you! ! You have a suspicion that Iam nota married woman. “T could think of no other excuse for what you pro- posed regarding your child,” replied the physician, meet- ing her flashing glance calmly, and with a note of con- temptin his voice, although he haif regr etted having spoken as he had. He believed even now that she was acting a part. She saw it, and again her face flamed scarlet. Then she drew from the third finger of her left hand a superb solitaire diamond ring, and passed it to him. “Examine that if you please,” she commanded, briefiy and ieily. He took it, and upon its inner surface found engraved in tiny characters, “C. to EH. Sept. 10th, 185—. Omnia ~ Vincit Amor.” It had evidently been given to her in September of the previous year “An. engagement ring, "he Reniane na as he passed it back to her with an air that plainly said : “That proves nothing to your advantage.” Madame bowed and then quietly but proudly drew from the same finger a massive circlet of gold which she also handed to him. A dusky red surged to the physician’s brow as he re- ceived it and realized what he had done. He felt as if he had offered the fair woman an unpardonable insult. This ring was marked C. S. to #. #., Paris, March 15th, 185—.” cComicloooks.€