A Struggle for a Ring — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

AILIE’S WELCOME. 203 was faint with perfume and the daffodil light was dying in the sky—when the sweet singing birds had hushed their music, and the blossoms fell lightly on the grass. countess had grown impatient for her arrival. them.” The To her it seemed a simple marvel that she should be compelled to exert herself—that she should have to read and answer letters, to write notes of invitation, to think of the thousand and one details that her children had been accustomed to think of for her: She had lived so long in the very height of luxurious idleness that all exertion was distasteful to her. ‘Then, as she pathetically remarked to her husband, when Gertrude was away, there was no one to attend to , the ‘‘dear dogs—no one to take an affectionate interest in Then Lady Waldrove was a great admirer of fiction. She did not care to waste the light of her own eyes in reading ; she preferred that some one should read_to her. Her maid’s voice was coarse—she could only fall asleep to the music of a refined, sweet voice. Altogether, between one misery and another, my Lady Waldrove longed for the . ee 5 arrival of her companion. Dinner was over, and the countess had gone out on the western terrace to enjoy the last rays of the setting sun. My lady affected, at times, a wonderful love of nature; the two fat-little spaniels, with a considerable amount of One of exertion, contrived to walk on each side of her. the footmen approached her with considerable diffidence. ‘‘ Miss Derwent has arrived.” ‘‘ Arrived!” said the countess, rousing from her usual languor. ‘‘Ask her to come to me here at once. Heaven!” she said; ‘‘I shall have no more letters to write now. The real hard work of life would have destroyed — ” me, Thank (E(0) Eboo (€ 0)