Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. 173 ‘<'To be sure, that might be. What do you say, Lady Mary?” asked the countess, turning to her sister-in-law, who was paying her daily visit to the drawing-room, and whose easy-chair had been drawn up to the bay-window, so that she obtained a good view of the woman’s face as she ascended the steps. ‘““T don’t know, indeed, but somehow I fancy she has come to see some of the servants; the housekeeper, prob- ably, for she looked like a person of refinement. And I think she brings with her .bad news, for did none of you see how she stopped to shudder as she reached the steps? and her face looked up to me set and stern.” ‘< Nobody but you would have thought up such a pathetic bit of romance,” said Lord Ronald, smiling upon his mother with that tenderness of expression so becoming to him. ‘‘ But now for the rest of the wise guesses. Come, fair ladies and shrewd gentlemen, make known your decree.” He took out his gold pencil-case and ivory tablet, and wrote down the names, and against each the guess its owner had made. He was reading them over, amid a little uproar of langhter, when a servant entered. << A lady in the reception-room to see her ladyship, ey Mary Falkner.” Another burst of merriment greeted the announcement. ‘Oh, Lady Mary, now you can tell us exactly! Pray do not grant her too long an audience; we shall be so im- patient.” Did she send no name or card?” asked Lady Mary. ‘7 am positive I never saw that face before.” ‘« Not at all, your ladyship, but she bade me say she had followed you from your residence in town, and was very anxious to see you a few moments on business of im- portance.” “<I have lost myself, evidently,” said her ladyship, rising | -com (@) ‘boo “S . waa By a