Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

ve ay ) 4 < OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. 235 ‘This is unpardonably stupid in Lord Ronald. If he ‘had half the intuitive perception of Felix, he would have seen that this would disturb and vex me.” «<A feverish pulse, certainly,” said the famous physician, ‘and I detect symptoms of nervous and sleepless nights. The young lady would certainly be much ‘improved by rest and quiet.” ‘Rest and quiet, then, she must have,” exclaimed the adoring lover. ‘‘ You will not rebel, 1 am sure, dearest Octavia, remembering that the precious trust of looking after you devolves upon me, since your father is himself an invalid. You-must relinquish these excursions and fetes, and the drawing-room nonsense of evenings; but you shall not be left to grow melancholy. I shall devote my whole time to you. I will take you to ride; I will read to you. You shall have a boudoir fitted up especially for your seclusion, and I shall ward away all intruders. No one, but your father and myself, shall be allowed to enter. Ah! what more can one desire? It will be an elysinm.” Outwardly Octavia smiled, but within there fell a great horror. To be shut out from the excitement which alone kept her spirits from sinking into such a dead gloom of foreboding and dread; to be compelled to find all her entertainment in the society of her noble lover, whose presence had already grown tiresome, almost intolerable, from which she was thankful to escape—it was a sorry prospect for a spirit already fretted and chafed. Again the thought rose, and was Littotly received: “Felix understands me better. He. knows there is no elysium for me, with Lord Ronald for my sole com- panion.” And a deeper stab came behind: “This is only the approach of the realization of my pride ComIcboo aes Carne ene rey eee Ao: rts | SN Vato eR Bap Get aati phare ix! koa: tos.ou ge cS €o