A Struggle for a Ring — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

228 COMING HOME. marry him—that it was even annoying to her to be so con- tinually followed and haunted by him. He had but one answer for it. ‘‘T cannot help it, Lady Ethel,” he would say. ‘‘I am very sorry indeed to vex you—sorry to disagree with you; but no man can fight against his fate, and mine is to follow you.” He was so persevering she could do nothing with him; whenever he knew that she was going anywhere he man- aged in Some way to get an invitation. Lady Pierpont spoke of him with resigned despair ; she had seen her will- ful, beautiful daughter refuse so many eligible men that she felt sure she would refuse the marquis. ‘«Pray do not speak to me about it,” she would say to those of her lady friends who offered to congratulate her; ‘‘do not mention it. My daughter says she will never -marry, and £ begin to think she means to keep her word. It will not bear speaking of.” . How- he managed it no one quite knew, but it was managed ; he procured an invitation to Roseneath. Lady Ethel’s lovely face darkened at first when she saw him; then she laughed, and Lord Keemes did not quite like the sound of her laughter. _ “© Never mind,” he said to himself; ‘‘there is no diffi- - culty in this world so great but that patience and persever- ance can overcome it. My dainty, lovely darling laughs at me; but the time shall come, I swear, when she shall laugh no more—only love me.” Every one at Roseneath was delighted with the marquis; his handsome Saxon face, the light in his bonnie blue eyes, the frank, free smiles on his beautiful mouth, the gay _Ting of his laughter, the frank, cheery sound of his voice, made friends for him everywhere. People took a great cs comicboo