Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

: : ut is At Viet, Ps ; 118 OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. He clutched with one hand at the chair, and str etched out the other for the paper. ‘“‘ By heavens! that is news indeed. ‘The passenger was Mathew Merle himself.” ‘“How do you know?” demanded Maurice, sharing the excitement which set his father shaking like a leaf. ‘““T know; that isenough. Good heavens! what fatality!’ said elix, his small gray eyes gleaming like steel. ‘‘ Now I must go beyond South America; I must go to Australia itself. I will dig up a witness,” he exclaimed, with fierce passion, ‘‘if | am obliged to go to the church-yard for one! I will bring back the proof of that marriage!” ‘And I will look up the survivors of that ship,” said Maurice, less vehemently, but quite as resolutely. ‘I will go to the lawyers with the proof that the man took passage for himself. The family honor shall not be lightly assailed.” ones ‘“ You had better leave the ship affair to me,” said Felix, rather sharply, ‘‘and the whole affair indeed. ‘There is no danger of my neglecting it. The success of the mission involves more than honor, or life itself. Jf I do not find what I ask to establish our suit, | would rather die than not.” ? When he spoke he poured ont a glass of water, and drank it with feverish eagerness. ‘Look out for your health, Felix, if that is a specimen of your inward thirst,” said Maurice, gravely. ‘* This affair is wearing upon you.” ‘‘Wearing upon me!” repeated Felix, bitterly. ‘I should think so, J am and shall be consumed by an inward fire until it is settled.” | ‘‘It is not for the money, I am sure,” observed Maurice, looking at him curiously. Felix turned away his face impatiently. but not before his brother saw the sullen flush creeping into his face. comicbooks.co aeae- ) matee’ _ Sa ‘o