Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

. anh » a's 7 hi fe aK ve | <n eer VO >; . 3 eis, a ee. (ANY fe Tas ven tee . ne “4 tt a as a &' aa Pare =~ s j . “ ’ aa Wear CY Ao pelos A phy + AR, : i s," ‘ baie ra, uP). fod | oe 4 rea ye rent, ¢ Ay as "be Ay ALA pre. A) sales he ~ 7 , Y ‘ ie LG i , " * J a : s & oat ~ e 2k i te y 82 OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. proof of the said Augustus Middleton’s legal marriage, averring that it was utterly and thoroughly denied by them, and that the whole case hinged upon this matter. The counsel for the plaintiff replied that it was their purpose to bring forward a witness whose testimony would have established the validity of the marriage beyond any questioning. ‘They had been waiting impatiently for his appearance. It was possible he was now in the court-room among the spectators, although his failure to meet the early appointment gave them serious alarm. The name was called, clearly and distinctly. very one in the great room heard it. Mathew Merle, of Calcutta. Utter stillness and a long hush, broken only by the movement of people looking all: around to discover any signs of the missing witness, followed, but there was no response. Mathew Merle, of Calcutta, was not there. Octavia Wainwright showed her first sign of excitement. A little red spot gathered on the lily of her cheek. She turned her stately head and glanced at Felix with a mean- ing smile. He was clenching his-hands merely to conceal how his limbs were trembling. | ~ Wait a moment, my proud lady,” was his inward cry. Looking very grave and annoyed, the counsel for the plaintiff went on to say that under this unexpected turn of affairs, his next best movement was to’ introduce a witness who had heard the said Mathew Merle declare that there was no chance for doubting the claim of the Middle- tons over the present incumbents for the Wainwright prop- erty; who had twice listened to Merle’s solemn assertion that he himself was. present at the marriage of Augustus Middleton, nee Wainwright. Accordingly James Ferguson was brought to the stand; “* comicbool ee A BR OAR TI a ee nee ee, yh] ; p St ae ae Re NA hd ek RET bet : ; a at Pr : ve ' bd HE od ie Biyis by lee gia re FR et tae ae Lae a be jes se