Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

8. OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. ‘Who is this passenger? An escaped prisoner—a refugee from justicer” — ~ *€On the*contrary, an exceedingly quiet and humble and unknown individual. You are perfectly safe, sir. The law cannot touch you in the matter. I engage passage to-night for a person, and you accept my terms. If the person 18 brought hither unconscious of the transaction, that is my responsibility, and I risk the penalty. You see that I ac- )cept it, and | further put it out of your power to compro- ‘Inise me, or to ae injured rene by keeping oe} un-- known to -you.” ‘Then my passenger is an unwilling one?” darned the master of the Sea Foam, a little uneasy still. ‘‘T cannot say whether the voyage will be agreeable or ‘not, because it is precisely this: you see, where I am safe to be frank, | am gladly so. ‘The. person will be entirely un- conscious of the proposed change; will drink some drugged coffee, go to: sleep, and waken on board the Sea Foam, standing well out to sea.” ‘‘Bless my stars! This is exceedingly strange!” ejacu- lated Captain Lo, mopping away again at his forehead. — ‘< [tis an adventure rather out of the common line, I ad- mit,” was the calm ee in those si nin | modulated tones. And the speaker mnbbed his Hands together, whether nervously or contentedly, could scarcely be determined. The movement, however, disturbed the loose sleeve of the cloak, and revealed more than had hitherto been allowed. Captain Lo’s lynx eye caught the glitter of a seal ring, and half mastered the coat of arms carved upon it. ‘T'he stranger noticed his observant eye, glanced down at the slender, delicately white hands, and, biting his lips in vexa- tion, he slipped off the ring hastily, and dropped it into the cloak-pocket. ‘« Tt is the wisest thing for you to look in the opposite -. comicboo