A Struggle for a Ring — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

“KEEP MY NAME AND RANK A SECRET.” 63 saw what his imprudence had entailed upon her, all. the chivalry of his nature was aroused, and he married het to save her from sorrow, and himself from reproach. He did not think about love at all—honor was his god, and he had carried honor to excess ; he was so pleased with him- self for it, that in the glow of happiness. produced by his generosity, he wanted to shewer benefits not only on his beautiful young wife, but upon all her friends. In their conversation, they never spoke of love; literature, art, music, the passing events of the day, the future that lay before them, were the subjects discussed. Ailie worshiped him, she would have poured out her soul like water beneath his feet; but she never said to him that she loved him ; the time, she thought, had not arrived for that. In the long years to come she pictured to herself that she would steal to his side, put her arms round his neck and kiss him, while she told him that he was her love and she worshiped him; but not yet—ah, me! not yet. They were good comrades at present, and there was nothing more than good comradeship between them ; but in those years to come—those lovely, sunny years that looked ‘so bright to her now—it would all be different ; he would know by that time that, no matter why he had married her, she loved him as no other woman ever would, or could; and he would seek all his happiness in her love. But that was a picture for the future, not the present. All she had to do now was try to make herself more and more like him, to fit herself for the position she had to - occupy, and wait in patience. ‘¢Some women,” she said to herself, ‘‘ have waited a life-time—so poets say—for the love of a man, and have died without winning it. I may be patient for a few years.” a ‘ é 7. ra €~« rn » — eo? - * << » . . tek. , 4, Sek * > b Gomicboo S) (€(0)