A Struggle for a Ring — page 278: what you’re looking at

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

274 AILIE’S PROMISE. ing in his own; he looked uneasily at her.» What was she going to ask him? ‘‘Let me hear what it is, Ailie. We must be prudent, you know.” Her beautiful lips curled slightly, and he thought to : himself, how scornful she could be if she chosé/’ ‘‘T will never forget that prudence is your favorite virtue, Lord Carsdale,” she said. ‘“You may save me all sarcasm, Ailie; 1 do not deserve it. Tell me what the favor is.” It was hard to look up in that cold face and say what she wished to say; but it must be done—she would not flinch. “‘T will tell you,” she said. ‘‘ Let me stay here; do ‘not send me away.” ‘«Tt is impossible,” he replied, curtly. ‘‘ Do not think of such a thing.” She laid her soft, white hand in his, and it was not in human nature to resist the appeal of that soft, caressing touch. ‘‘Tt is not impossible, Lord Carsdale,” she said. ‘‘I might have remained here for long weeks without your knowing me. I will be so careful; I will never speak to you, never look at you, never utter yourname. I will be prudence itself No one shall ever guess that I have seen you before; but let me stay. Oh, my love, my love, let me stay !” : ‘‘Why do you wish itso much? Why do you desire it so much?” ‘““Why?” she asked. ‘‘ Because I shall be near you; even though I may never see you or utter your name, I shall be near you. I shall breathe the same air you~ breathe, I shall look on the same faces, listen to the same (ee) m ei iS comicboo ~. cS