A Struggle for a Ring — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

THE SPELL WORKS. 13% ing secretly pleased, for he would not have been humaly not to have felt some pleasure in his own splendid » physique just then. ‘‘] have my own idea of what is handsome,” she replied, ‘‘and it seldom agrees with the ideas of others.” ‘*A duke must always be handsome, because he is a duke, I suppose,” he said. ‘“That does not follow. The handsomest man I have ever seen was a private soldier in the Royal Dragoons—a tall, fair Saxon.” There was a gleam of malice in the emphasis she placed on the word ‘‘fair.” He glanced at her quickly. ‘*You admire fair people,” he said. ‘‘ My mother has a firm conviction that fair complexions and weak minds go together. ” ‘‘T have seen some little weakness even in dark people,” said Lady Ethel. ‘‘Tell me, Lord Carsdale, who is the gentleman talking to your other sister, Lady Gertrude ?” ‘¢That is Lord Rawdon. Do you admire him?” he added, quickly. ; Lady Ethel gave him an amused glance. She had quickly fathomed his jealousy, and delighted in it. ‘‘Lord Rawdon seems to admire your sister, which is more to the purpose, ” she answered, lightly. Lady Ethel was very much inclined to like Lord Cars- dale; he was handsome, bright, and intelligent; besides which there was something in his face that piqued her— that “made her think about him. ‘She could not tell exactly what it was—a reserve—it was the face of one, she fancied, who had a secret to keep. Then what nonsense it was to think of such a thing. What secret could he have? He was young—not more than twenty-one, she had heard Lady Linda say. Altogether, Lady Ethel liked (E(0) Mm (C JOO KS (E(0) mn