A Struggle for a Ring — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

182 MADAME ROUBART’S PUPIL. not conversant with the rules of English society. JI am aware that you will probably require references; being quite unknown, I have none to give that I can offer you. Jam residing with my parents at Rudeswell. I can offer you two hundred per annum, paid in ad- vance. Will you kindly let me hear from you at your earliest con- venience. ‘¢‘T am, madame, yours obediently, ** ALICE DERWENT.”’ Mrs. Howard read the letter carefully. she said, thoughtfully; ‘‘ well 3 ‘‘It is a good letter,’ written, well expressed, and I am sure is written by a- sincere person. ” ‘Yes; but what class of person?” said madame, im- patiently. ‘‘In short, should you think it safe for me to receive the writer of it?” Mrs. Howard looked thoughtfully at the paper. ‘‘T think so,” she replied; ‘‘I should say quite safe, If there were anything wrong, she would hardly have written here. She is, perhaps, the daughter of some pro- vincial squire or banker, who has been to a continental school and finds herself at a loss in English society. By all means take her, madame.” ‘Madame Roubart smiled, half sadly, as it was her lan- guid fashion to do. _‘*T shall take your advice, Mrs. Howard,” she said. And the result was a letter saying that Madame Roubart would be willing to receive her. They waited with some little anxiety for the arrival of the new pupil; they were relieved when she appeared. A fair, beautiful young girl, with a sweet, half-sad face, tender eyes, and sensitive lips— ‘a wild-flower kind of beauty,” Mrs. Howard de¢lared. There was a long /e/e-a-/e/e between madame and Alice on the first night of her arrival. Madame sent for her to « <j com - ; ‘ comicboo o Ane