Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 209: what you’re looking at

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

ere ae vs ‘OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. 199 . CHAPTER XXI. ‘COME TO A BETTER REFUGE.” . wi ee et Lady Mary’s sudden illness made less stir in the gay circle’ ~ = gathered at Chichester Rookery than that of any other _ a member could have done. She had mingled so little with as them, had been so still and quiet upon her brief visits to a the drawing-room, that she was scarcely missed. She did not withdraw any one else either, as would have been the © a case had it been General Wainwright. She herself volun- oe tarily shortened Lord Ronald’s visits to her sick-room. a She was nervously anxious, indeed, that there should be a no interruption of the festivities, and no shadow cast upon a their gayety. She was not very ill, she said to the countess, a with a wistful smile, only a little worn out and. debilitated. 2. The doctor corroborated the statement, but the earl always ae came away with a grave face from her chamber. Perhaps : _ he alone saw the mask removed, and knew all that she was an * suffering. She had been too ill, immediately after, for any a one to question her concerning the unknown visitor whose a call had so excited the idle curiosity of the guests; and the e earl himself had settled the matter by telling them the & woman came with a message from an old friend in India, a but that her ladyship had been taken ill too soon to hear ae out her communication. No one, therefore, thought of “a connecting the two events. | 7 The earl had somehow lost a little of his own cheerful- BY ness and serenity, and if any one had noticed him particu- ji larly they would have discovered his nervous watch of all 7 : arrivals. / ue a He came out from his room when the mail arrived, and se contrary to his usual habit, opened the bag himself, and ‘, a Eomicbooks.com