A Struggle for a Ring — page 265: what you’re looking at

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

AN AMAZED HUSBAND. 261 She went into the silent, fragrant darkness; the path between the chestnuts was wide aid green, the grass was soft and thick. She walked so softly over it, that no sound disturbed the silence of the night. Then she saw him; he was sitting in the moonlight, his head leaning back against the rough trunk of a tree; his face, she could see, even in that faint light, pale with emotion. He was thinking so deeply, that he never even heard the sound of her foot- steps. She heard him say: ‘What a madman I was—great Heaven! how mad!” She wondered of what he was thinking, of what he was speaking, in those words. Then her heart beat fast with sudden fear. What was she to say to him? What would he say to her? He would be angry—perhaps vexed, annoyed. She had a quick, strong impulse to turn back again—to leave Roseneath on the morrow, and never to-see him again, ‘Then the love that ruled her life mastered her; she must hear him speak to her—she must look in his face—she must know how much he cared about her, even if she had to die for it. The moon came just at that moment from behind a cloud, throwing a lovely silver light all around. She went up to him, and quietly called his‘name. — ‘‘TLord Carsdale,” she said. There came no answer. He had not even heard. She did not know that the faint sound of her own voice had died away upon her lips— there was a rush of wind through the great clustered boughs. ‘‘Lord Carsdale,” she cried again; then she saw him turn suddenly, as though uncertain whence the sound came. ‘‘ Lord Carsdale,” she repeated, for the third time; — then, with a low cry, he rose to his feet and stood before her. The moon has shone on many scenes, on none so cruel as this. He looked down on her. (e(ov any el eveye) (S.i