Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

420 OCTAVIA’S PRIDE ‘One woman’s influence has such power,” murmured Maurice, meditatively. ‘‘It is fortunate for me that I am unscathed as yet by the invincible arrow.” “You will never know the depths into which high, strong spirits can sink, or the heights to dep: they rise,’ sald Felix, coldly. S «© T will never bribe tlhe woman I love,” thought Mth vice, but he did not speak the thought. Felix took the paper which held the account of the Lively Jane’s disaster, and put it in his pocket. Then he put on his hat. “I must go down and see about it, and learn how soon the ship is expected in port. I must wait for that.” * ‘Ts it to be accepted as an incontrovertible fact that the captain’s boat with the passenger is lost?” queried Maurice. ‘“Why may not equal good fortune have sent another ship in their track?” “They ought to know if such a thing was likely. I must talk with the survivors before I make my decision. It does not seem possible that Mathew Merle is dead.” Felix shuddered as he said it; he best knew why. And then he went away, and hurrying along the street - was nearly run over at a crossing by a gay pair of horses attached to a handsome carriage. He would not have looked up then more than was neces- sary to get out of the way, had not a clear, mellow voice said, hastily: “Oh, Robert, take care. You will injure Mr. Thorne.” At these words and that voice Felix flung back his head and looked into the carriage. Octavia Wainwright sat there among the velvet cushions like another Cleopatra, as imperial in her magnificent beauty. The man’s lips were whitened, but he held his features in firm control. comicbooks.co 1 !