A Struggle for a Ring — page 355: what you’re looking at

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

“f CANNOT SIN FOR YOU!” 351 whip. My one sole idea was to save you from any unpleasant consequences; then ‘4 She looked up at him with grave anxiety deepening on her beautiful face. ‘‘ Then?” she said, quietly. ‘‘I am afraid to hear the rest, Lord Carsdale.” ‘‘Tt is not pleasant, but it must be told,’ he said. ‘‘I married you, Ailie, and you know that we have never been husband and wife—we have only been good friends; there has been no mention of love, no attempt at deception ; you were saved from the consequences of my imprudence, and that was all.” ‘* Yes,” she replied, sadly, ‘‘ that was all.” ‘‘Then, Ailie, I had time to reflect, and I saw at once that I had done a terrible deed—one which, if known, would cut me off forever from those I loved at home. I argued in this way with myself—that for them to know of it would cause them bitter anger, bitter regrets, almost de- spair, and would part me from parents whom I love, as you know. You have heard my mother’s ideas on the subject.” ‘‘Ves,” said Ailie, sadly, ‘‘I know them well.” ‘‘Then, I thought, I did not love you, you did not love ~ me, and it would never matter to either of us that we sel- dom saw each other. I fancied that if I made you quite comfortable, so far as the things of this world were con- cerned, you would not trouble much about me, nor I about you.” ’ ‘But in this you were mistaken,” said Ailie. ‘‘I neither wanted money, nor any other comfort; it was sim- ply that I loved you.” ‘‘T did not know it—I never thought of it; I never thought of love in’ connection with either of us,” he (E(0) mm C ,00 (E(0)