Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

: A ’ eh 6 Oe ET ie tn 4 inline ha Rage aaa - ie sf My lake ae re vr ; t . fat iS “ad . 7 *! Si vay " ’ { iy Ie i ith ‘ + ie WEL AY) bind! 0 SA tae | , 246 OCTAVIA’'S PRIDE. «‘ But the ill luck is not for the watcher,” persisted the ‘sister-in-law. ‘‘It is for those who are taking leave. Oh, I am so sorry about it.” “Nonsense!” said the earl, imnppaetawel seeing the swift look of apprehension crossing the general’s face, ‘‘ we shall have them all back day after to-morrow to laugh at such absurdity.” -He put his arm around his sister, and playfully led her into the house, back to her own private apartments. “'The countess is going with the general for an airing,” he whispered. ‘‘ All these young busybodies are out of our way. We will have this odious matter settled at once, Mary. ‘3 wrote for that man to come down to-day with the papers.” She gave his hand a grateful pressure. ‘Lo have those papers in her hand, and to see Ronald safely married—ah, what a rest the very thought was! It seemed to her that | when the numb pain should leave her heart, the tight pressure be removed from her brain, when these happened— that somehow all the perplexity and crookedness, even the wrong-doing, would be made right presently. A sort of ecstatic calmness, that was yet full of solemn awe, fell upon her. As though from out the shadowy mysteries of the unseen world a voice had spoken, and bade her to be com- forted and fear nothing—a voice whose language was un- familiar, and yet whose tones were well remembered and beloved—she marveled herself at the quiet and serenity with which she waited an hour, two hours beyond the ap- pointed time, while the earl was tearing furiously to and fro, muttering his fierce anathemas against the delinquent, and declaring a dozen times that the man had cheated them and was playing them false. Two hours and a half beyond the appointed hour Mathew Merle made his appearance, and the earl, who hurried him up to his sister’s sitting-room, knew by his looks that some comicbooks.com — Diy" : 5 chan ribs. “4 as Ny 3 | ;