Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

212 OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. and cowardly, and guilty woman who condemned him to such misery!” The last words were hardly audible. The earl’s consternation was thoroughly pitiable. He paced the room with swift steps, his unnerved arms drop- ping helplessly by his side. He paused once to put a glass of water to her white tips. and when she seemed a little revived, he said, hoarsely: ‘¢ Mary, it was my wickedness that brought upon you all this sorrow and trouble. JI have hitherto called it the wild folly of a dissipated young man, but I see the sin now in its hideous proportions. I will not blame you. I cannot blame you, knowing so well how circumstances forced you into the unhappy position. Thank Heaven, Falkner is — dead, and this Morley has gone too. Do you mean that this wretch who has left us can bring proofs of this ugly story?” ‘‘He can. You see that no price is too exorbitant for us to pay. Doctor Morley, noble, generous soul! saved those papers, and left provision for them to be forwarded safely and securely to me. ‘This man, it seems, somehow found out and stole the papers from that woman’s charge. aEAD you must get them, at any price, for Ronald’s sake.” ‘‘ Holy saints! poor Ronald! he must never suspect this. You are right. I will have those papers, if I dog that man’s steps and throttle him to get possession of them.” ‘You must give him the money. ‘Take my jewels and sell them, if necessary.” “Trust me to use all possible dispatch and caution. I am to meet him again this week. ‘Try to take rest now, my poor Mary, and dismiss your anxiety. You should have trusted this to me before.” “T was true to my nature—still cowardly,” she said, mournfully. <‘I shall do my best to rest, for I am thor- ’ comicboo (S.cO