Roxy Hastings — page 215: what you’re looking at

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

206 ROXY HASTINGS. It was long before Mrs. Holden came—a tall, spare lady, apparently under fifty, with the remains of beauty in an oval and very white face, but slightly wrinkled and bor- dered with little feeble black and gray curls. She bowed to Miss Blythe, who had risen as she entered, and who said with some embarrassment : “This is Mrs. Holden, I presume ?” | “Ves—be seated, if you please. My daughter did not bring me your name, and—” “T did not give it to her,” said Mary, in alow voice. “I am a stranger to you, and have called to speak to you on a subject of great interest.” ‘ Mary’s voice already faltered, and she had turned quite pale, which, however, the darkness of the room prevented from being very manifest. “Of interest to you—or to me?” the other asked, very quickly. “To you, madam. I knew your daughter, Lucy—” “And you know some particulars of her death?” said the mother, rising and approaching her visitor, and speaking very rapidly. ‘Tell me—tell me all that you know of my darling. Whydo you not speak? For pity’s sake—for Heaven’s sake, tell me all and quickly.” ‘““No, I can tell you no particulars of her death.” “But, but you saw her, perhaps, after she left home, and before that dreadful occurrence. You have some mes- sage from her—some word of forgiveness for me—for me —one of her murderers.” The frantic woman rather screamed than spoke these words, falling upon her knees before Mary’s chair, and clasping the frightened girl’s hands. “You must be calm, my dear madam,” said Miss Blythe, raising her and compelling her to be seated, “if you would hear what I have to say.” “T will—I will,” replied the wretched woman, trembling like a leaf in the wind. ‘IT want to ask you, then, if you are altogether certain that your daughter is dead 2?” “Certain. Ah, yes. Do you not know that her body was found—and—” ‘““But—but I mean to ask, was it fully identified? Was there no possibility of a mistake?” ~ 7 e * We tried to hope so,” was the reply of a voice so mourn- ful that it might have come from the tomb of the unknown girl they had given sepulture to. “But the identification was complete.” cS (ele) Comicboo