A Struggle for a Ring — page 327: what you’re looking at

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

A WIFE’S STRANGE POSITION. 323 Carsdale,” she replied, simply; ‘‘but indeed it does not fatigue me. Iam quite pleased to do it.” ‘‘Can I do nothing to help?” he asked, impatiently ; and Lady Ethel believed that his impatience was caused by his desire to take her back into the ball-room. Ailie thought the same. | ‘TY will not be long,” she said. ‘‘I will be as quick as possible.” Lord Carsdale had seen his young wife in attendance on his mother, and it had not caused him the least feeling of annoyance, but his sense of honor and justice was touched now. ‘«This is the last leaf,” said Ailie, with a smile; ‘‘and, Lady Ethel, I think this arrangement even prettier than the Giier. They both felt some little surprise at suddenly seeing Lord Carsdale quit the room. He returned in a few min- utes, bringing with him an ice-cream. ‘‘Pray take this, Miss Derwent,” he said; ‘‘you must be tired.” Ailie was too much surprised even to answer; then the tender heart beat high with joy, and the sweet eyes grew dim with a rush of happy tears. ‘Now, Lady Ethel,” he said, ‘‘ we shall be in time for our waltz yet.” The beautiful heiress murmured some words of thanks to Ailie; but the girl did not hear her. She was lost ina maze of happy thoughts; it seemed so wonderful to ‘her that her husband should have been so solicitous for her—that he should have cared whether she was tired or not—that he should have troubled himself to bring her refreshments; it was so wonderful she could not forget it. She stood there with a happy brooding smile on her face; EOMIcboOO CS (ele)