A Struggle for a Ring — page 358: what you’re looking at

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

354 “J CANNOT SIN FOR YOU!" sobs pierced his heart with pain sharper than that of a two- edged sword. ‘‘Do not touch me!” she cried, as in the darkness he laid his hand on her; ‘‘do not touch me, or I shall die !” The most terrible hour of his life was the hour he spent in listening to the passionate weeping of the woman who loved him, and whose heart he was breaking. The terrible sobs died away at last, and his own eyes were dim with tears. He felt almost like a murderer, as he stood there, not daring to touch her; but as her weeping grew fainter, and the passionate sobs died away, he went to her. He raised her from the ground, and this time she did not resist. ‘«Ailie,” he said, gently, ‘‘I am so very grieved. I had hoped you would not feel it so keenly.” ‘*T can listen to you now again,’ she said. ‘‘ You were asking me—what was it? Say it once more?” She stood before him, her hands clasped, her white face raised to his, and he thought to himself that he had never seen such a perfect picture of desolate sorrow. It required some courage to repeat the words which had brought her to this. ‘‘T want your consent, Ailie, to the legal dissolution of our marriage,” he said. | ‘Can it be obtained?” she asked. ‘‘Is such a thing - not only possible, but feasible ?” | ‘“‘T do not know; I cannot tell. It may, or it may not be. I have made no inquiry at present.” ‘<’Then why do you mention it to me?” she asked. ‘* Because I will not take any steps in the matter until I know what your opinion is. I have told you the whole truth ; now the decision rests with you, and you alone.” GEomicboo (eo) m