A Struggle for a Ring — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

264 AN AMAZED HUSBAND. -«*My love for you—I have no other; my love, which is great, wide, deep, boundless as the sea—that is resistless, relentless as a tempest—yet is as sweet and glorious asa flower, and as gentle as the dew; my love, that is my life— you hear ?—my life !” : He looked at her in utter amaze. ‘Do you mean that you love me so, Ailie?” he asked, wonderingly. ““Yes, you, my Aiebane * my king among men, my hero, who married me rather than let one shadow lie on my name. Whom else should I love but you?” Then the fire and passion died from her again; she shrank back from him. ‘<T forget,” she said, gently; ‘‘you know nothing about it, and you do not love me.” _ He roused himself as one who hasan unpleasant dream. ‘*To tell you the real truth, Ailie,” he said, ‘‘it is five years since, and—I am afraid you will think me careless, but I had— it ie better to tell you the truth—I had almost forgotten you.” She shrank back with a little cry, as though he had wounded her past bearing. ‘‘You had forgotten me?” she said, gently. ‘‘I know it—I saw it at once, your eyes fell on my face, and there was not one gleam of recognition in them.” “Then,” he cried, ‘‘I have never seen you until this moment; and that reminds me—did you come here to seek me?” ‘No, not exactly; I came here in the vain Wie TEN, well, never mind why 1 came; Lam here. Did not Lady Waldrove introduce you to her companion to-day? Lam _her companion ; she calls me Miss Derwent.” He recoiled a few steps, and she saw the red flush of de ~ comicbooks