A Struggle for a Ring — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

124 “GIVE ME LOVE, OR HATE.” her husband; Shakespeare might have been puzzled to ‘find words for such a case. There were times when she was tempted to wish that the marriage had never taken place—that he had left her to bear the consequences of that one happy day; it would have been easier to bear than this being married and forgotten. She thought, and pondered, and puzzled over it. How would it end? He had been very kind; he had settled a hundred per annum on her poor, hard-working father; he had settled a most liberal and handsome income on herself. Then he-had gone away to his:own friends, and, as it appeared, had for- gotten her. How would it end? He was going abroad soon. Would he leave her here? Would summer suns rise and set—would flowers bloom and fade—whilé she lived here, wearing out her heart with sighing for him? She wrote to him, but her letters were stiff and con- strained; she did not dare to express what she felt; her whole being was absorbed in her love for him—of that love she dare not speak, so that her letters did not give her any great amount of comfort. He seldom answered them ; when he did so, he wrote kindly, carelessly, indif- ferently, never speaking of himself, but always of what she wanted. ‘*Y could not bear it always,’ drive me mad.” : While the beautiful young wife wore her heart and her life away, Lord Carsdale was busily occupied—the weeks had flown, as it seemed to him. He had received his commission, he had been appointed captain in the Queen’s Own Royal Rangers, and the Royal Rangers were ordered to Gibraltar in October. ‘* You will see your sister married before you go?” said Lady Waldrove. ‘‘I am much pleased, Vivian.” , she thought; ‘‘it would comicbooks