Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

ye ke OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. ne were anything but a ant boy, it will be time nase i forme ~* to offer my sympathy.” . ‘¢He is coming here to-day.. I think he has left his sit- uation.” | ‘¢What was his situation, father? He was there at the trial with a lady, for I saw him help her into a carriage, and afterward I was told the lady was Miss Wainwright, but it seems too preposterous to believe.” Mr. Middleton; senior, in due remembrance of the “‘quixotic” notions, kept discreet silence. Presently he turned again to the pile of fresh newspapers, and Maurice sat down to his writing. An hour or two afterward, the elder son, coming into the room, found them thus. Felix looked worn and haggard. ‘I‘here were dark circles under his eyes; his lips were pale and twitched nervously. He had the appearance of a man just out from a serious illness; and even Maurice was touched, with compassion, though he had tact enough to avoid betraying it. ‘“‘Good-day to you, Felix,” he said, cheerily. ‘‘ How goes the world with your” ‘“None the better for discussing its movements,” Felix, rather shortly, and he turned to his father. “Vm going away from this, sir; I’m going to South America.” ve said “To South America?” ejaculated Middleton, senior, in - utter amazement. ‘‘ What for, Felix?” ‘To hunt up Mathew Merle,” was the hollow-toned re- sponse. ‘Well, that is odd. Here has Mauri¢e been telling me the same thing!” Felix whirled around to his half-brother. «<You—you!” said he. ‘* What have you to do with it?” ‘‘T have something to do with clearing wp the name I bear from such dishonorable aspersions, Mathew Merle comicbooks.co