A Struggle for a Ring — page 331: what you’re looking at

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

A WIFE'S HOPE. 327 as she went on. ‘‘Do you like me more or less than you did then?” There was a moment of terrible silence, during which it seemed to her she could hear the beating of her own heart. Then in a low voice, he answered : ‘‘For Heaven’s sake do not ask me such a question! I cannot answer it.” ‘‘Why?” she asked, looking at him with clear, proud eves. ‘I cannot, and it tortures me. Perhaps, at some time later on; but not now—not now.” There was silence again for some minutes, during which she beat back her emotion with a strong hand. She said to herself that everything in life was at stake for her now. ‘‘T have rested,” she said, in a calm voice, in which he detected no trace of agitation. ‘‘Shall we go back again? They are playing the ‘Blue Danube,’ and it is my favorite waltz; we shall be in time for it.” He tried to imitate her self-command, her self-posses- . sion, but it was impossible ; his face in those few minutes seemed to have grown white and haggard. ‘‘ Lady Ethel,” he said, ‘‘ will you tell me why, auing these five years, you have not married? Will you tell me?” ‘“No,” she replied, ‘‘that is my secret; it concerns no one. Let us go; the ‘Blue Danube’ is calling us.” But it is none the less true that though she looked the same as usual, though she talked to him and walked with an air of unconcern by his side, yet she never saw where she was going, or heard one of his replies—there was a mist before her eyes, a rush as of many waters in her ears, but she never betrayed herself by even one word or look. ‘You will not tell me, Lady Ethel?” he said, as they entered the ball-room. Ss (E(O) an (C JOO