A Struggle for a Ring — page 322: what you’re looking at

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

318 A WIFE’S STRANGE POSITION. People said she had never looked more lovely; her cos- tume was of a high order of art—it was almost impossible to tell where the roses began and the lace ended. Con- sci. she was looking her best, Lady Ethel felt quite equal to the task she had set herself of making Lord Cars- dale care more for her than ever. “0 A ball at Roseneath was always a brilliant success, the rooms were so superbly large and lofty. What would have ‘been a crowd in other places was only a pleasant number at Roseneath; and this ball, thanks to Lady Wal- drove’s unusual activity, promised to be one of the best given there. ‘The countess had invited Ailie, in a kind of half-indifferent fashion that the girl most bitterly resented ; but she wished to see how her husband and Lady Ethel would act when they were together—whether he would _ talk to her again, with his soul shining in his eyes, or not. ~* we ) The first words she overheard were not very promising. Lord Carsdale was escorting the beautiful heiress to the ball-room ; as they went through the long oor Ailie heard ray Ethel say: «‘T have remembered what you said the other evening, and I have saved all the best waltzes for you.” ‘*You have been kinder to me than I deserve,” said Lord Carsdale. ‘‘ Waltzing with you is a pleasure that I remember of old as one of the greatest of pleasures.” “You have the fashion of speaking of yourself as though you were some ancient patriarch, Lord Carsdale,” said Lady Ethel. ‘‘Do you know that, looking back to the very first day of our acquaintance, it does not extend over six years?” ‘‘T have not reckoned the time in which I have known you by the average months and weeks,” he replied; Comicbooks.: