A Struggle for a Ring — page 236: what you’re looking at

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

232 COMING HOME. thought to herself what a strange way some people had of jesting. | It seemed, after all, some kind of relief to talk about him, even to this girl, who could never have seen him, because she had been here so shorta time. Lady Ethel’s pride rebelled against the idea, yet the wish to utter his name was stronger than her pride. ‘‘Lord Carsdale is not like his sisters,” she continued. ‘‘T do not like that portrait in Lady Waldrove’s room; it is too much like them.” What could Alice do except look up at her with a startled glance. It seemed to her unutterably wrong and cruel that this girl should speak of. her husband so famil- larly. After all, he did not love—he had left the country for five years forgetting to say ‘‘good-by” to her; but he was her husband, for better or worse—they were doomed to spend their lives together. She made no answer to Lady Ethel, simply because she did not know what to say. The fair patrician went on: ‘‘Lord Carsdale is said to be the most popular man in the army. I wonderif it be true? He is not what peo- ple call a lady’s man—he is not a flirt.” ‘‘T should think not,” cried Alice, in hot indignation. . Lady Ethel laughed again. ‘* How droll you are! Why should he not flirt? Most men in his position would have won many hearts before rises.) ‘* Noblesse oblige,” said Alice. ‘‘You call him a noble man. . How could such an ignoble occupation as playing with women’s hearts amuse him? odlesse oblige, Lady Ethel.” ‘“No doubt it is as you say; but it proves howe aiteront he is to other men.’ Ss.