A Struggle for a Ring — page 271: what you’re looking at

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

“MY LOVE IS MY TORTURE.” 267 Ailie; you have vexed me more than I was ever vexed in my life before. You have placed me in a condition of such embarrassment that I am quite at a loss how te, extri- cate myself. Of course, among all your folly, you have had the sense to keep our miserable secret.” She beat her hands together in dumb despair; then she cried aloud: os ‘Why should I suffer so? What have I done that I should suffer so cruelly? Is Heaven punishing me for one day’s holiday? Better that I had died!” The wild passion of her words passed all unheeded by him. ‘*'You do not answer me, Ailie,” he said. © ‘‘ Have you ' kept our secret ?” ‘You may be quite sure that I have done so,” she said. ‘*T would rather have died than have told it.” ‘«That is well. I> wish you had been equally prudent in everything. 1 am very grieved, Ailie; it is a great blunder—a cruel blunder. You must go away again at once,” ** Go !” she said, and even in the moonlight he saw how ghastly pale her face had grown. ‘‘Go! Lord Carsdale; do you really wish, do you really mean it?” ‘Certainly ; you cannot dream of staying here; it would be sheer madness; think of the risk even that we run to- night. It would be the very height of folly—madness. You must go at cnce.” ‘You do not care then for me to be near, so that you can see me sometimes.” ‘‘Great Heaven! Ailie, you are certainly mad—near me, here! A thousand times, no. Why should I risk so much to see you? Any time that I have any desire for Gomicboo CS 1 =») = "