Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

146 OCTAVIA’S. PRIDE. A and pay my respects to Lady Falkner. The countess tells me she is waiting to see me.” The general, taking ‘‘ discretion as the better part of valor,” decided to take his dinner alone in his room. But Octavia was escorted by the earl himself, and in the dining- room recelyed her introduction to the ‘‘ exceedingly useful and entertaining” young gentleman who was to transact the Australian affairs. Octavia bit her lip, and then smiled mischievously, while. Felix—tfor it was he—turned white with strangely mingling rage and delight. “This is Mr. Thorne, Miss Wainwright. Mr.—why, were you acquainted before?” ““Very well acquainted, indeed, your lordship,” answered Miss Wainwright. ‘‘ You were right in your conjectures. My father will be perfectly delighted with your young gen- tleman. How do you do, Felix?” Felix mechanically lifted his hand and touched figidiy the outstretched fingers, murmured some inarticulate sen- tence, and dropped into his place. Octavia could scarcely explain why she was secretly so angry at his behavior. But:she sat throughout the dinner, listening eagerly to the varied and cultured conversation which ensued. She saw Felix, for the first time, in the light of his really brilliant conversational talents, and could not fail to perceive with what flattering deference the noble host followed the young man’s words. He never once addressed Miss Wainwright, but it would. have been folly for him to deny how her presence exhilarated him, or that half the object of his animated and eloquent description was to exhibit to her the real value put upon him by these people above her own rank as much as she had presumed herself to be beyond her father’s secretary. As they passed from the dining-room she made a gesture which he was compelled to obey. - comicbooks _cO