A Struggle for a Ring — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

MADAME ROUBART’S ADVICE. 195 own expression, kept his-head above water; the falling off of a few pupils had not been a matter of life or death, and John Derwent was very grateful for it—he told Alice so. Frank was doing well at school, the whole family were better off and more at ease. ‘The dancing-master spoke highly of Mr. Nelson, as he called him. He declared that most of the comfort of his life was owing to his generosity, and he was exceedingly grateful for it. Mrs. Derwent added that for the first time in her married life she had peace of mind. She knew that her house-rent and taxes were secure, She professed herself equally grate- ful to the same generous man. ‘*Your marriage was a fortunate thing for us, Alice,” she would say; and Alice, her heart warm with all this praise of her husband, forgot for the time being the dis- tance, the coldness, the reserve that was between them, and wrote him a most rapturous letter of thanks. She repented having done that afterward, when week after week passed and no answer came. Lord Carsdale had read the letter through with a feeling of something like wonder—wonder that any one should think so much of a trifle—wonder that Ailie should write so warmly to him. He had never answered it, simply because he was en- tirely indifferent; and she had been terribly wounded by that neglect. If he had sent a few curt lines, saying, “You need not thank me for what is to me a trifle too insignificant even to remember,” she would have been comforted. As it was, twenty times each day her face would flush and grow hot at the remembrance of each kindly or affectionate word she had used to him. ‘Neither Rose, nor Frank, nor Hettie is married, nor likely to be,” added Mrs. Derwent, with a sigh ; ‘‘they will never do as well as you have done, Alice.” | 900 c} S) - »| E(0) nm ( - roe, Maly