A Struggle for a Ring — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

ALMOST FORGOTTEN. 177 ‘*You must be content to let us treat you as an invalid, Alice,’”’ she said, ‘‘and rest perfectly quiet.” Alice was only thoughtful; the sound of the swift cur- rent of human life reached her, the sound of the busy world wakened into busy day. She was quite content to lie still and listen—to rest from thought, and purchase oblivion if she could. She never forgot that day—the slow, crawling hours, the lingering sunlight—all bringing with them the slow pain of despair. While Lord Carsdale was brisk and bright, thankful to have done, for a time at least, with a most disagreeable piece of business, thinking a great deal about Lady Ethel, and feeling rather pleased than otherwise that he should see Gibraltar. He bought a most beautiful locket—a mass of most beautiful pearls— and that he sent to Lady Ethel, anonymously. She would never know that he had sent it, yet he should have the great satisfaction of kissing and holding in his hand some- thing that she would wear and like. He never thought of writing to Alice. She had no longer any distinct individuality for him. She was simply part of a disagreeable affair. Indeed the chances were © that had any one suddenly asked him if he had ever . admired any pretty girl at Ladywell he would have an- swered, ‘‘No.” The regatta, the fair, girlish face that had brightened so for him, were almost things of the past; and yet, in spite of all this, women will go on loving and trusting until the © end of the world. comicbooks.: