Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

® should be so near, and I have lost him. ; . > a Cae ~ Sti JOM Se eacds -., Yo rt , OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. 167 . you. She could not come herself, because she was afraid to be seen by the person who is following you. Them be her words, master. She will take another train for London. And she said you was to lose no time.” «<7 will come—oh, yes, I will come,” exciaimed the lad, his whole face blanching, and he almost ran tothe coach. _ Maurice had heard the whole, and, like the lad, doubted nothing of the truth of the message. He followed to take the last look of a face which somehow had taken a strong hold upon his fancy. ‘he door was closed, and the coach whirled away, driven at a clattering pace. ‘Turning, Maurice confronted Jane West. «Where is Will? What has become of Will?” de- manded she, a swift Keron spreading across her steady coun- tenance. << Good heavens, madam, did you not send for him? He has gone in thecoach. ‘The driver said you sent for him.” She flung up her hands in a passionate gesture. “<The poor child was right. Mathew Merle has found him out. What shall I do? What shall I do?” ““Mathew Merle!” ejaculated Maurice, the blood leaping suddenly through his veins with an electric thrill. ‘* Do you mean that the man in the cloak was Mathew Merle?” «The man on board the ship—the only one poor Will dreaded—was named Mathew Merle,” answered she. ‘‘ Do you know him?” ‘<’'Tell me what he was like.” ‘““A strange, uncanny face, dark, withered, wrinkled, with wild eyes, black as the blackest thing you can imagine, and wicked eae and long white locks, SS gtiaaers to the silverest gray.” ‘“< By heavens, it was the man himself !”’ exclaimed Mau- rice, striking his hands together angrily ‘To think he Ab if I had seen A AN an com chooks com iM ASE) MERC ES tee tae Mk eee x f wae oe aR