Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

124 OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. knowledge of other people. At all events, he who was usually a cold, haughty, rather selfish man, was now deeply moved. He went on catechising like a physician: ‘‘Do you have any appetite, Mary?” “A little. Pray don’t trouble yourself.. Sir James has asked all those questions, and made nothing out of it.” ** And how do you sleep?” persisted he. A scarcely perceptible shudder ran through: her frame; the truthful eyes dropped. ““T see!” exclaimed he, almost angrily. ‘‘ You do not sleep at all.” “Oh, yes; I slept last night. I spoke to Sir James, and he gave me some opiates.” ‘“T wonder what is the matter?” said the earl, musingly. ‘“It is most often mental trouble which brings such symp- toms; but there is nothing to trouble you. Your Ronald is a pattern son. J wish to Heaven my heir was likely to be one-half so steady and trustful. I would, indeed, I could look back myself on as innocent a youth as his. JI am rather vexed with you, Mary. It seems to me, if you chose you might help this, and be well.” Si hathine in what he had said touched her, for she caught her breath sharply, and bit her lips to keep them from quivering, and beneath the .downcast lids the slow tears were gathering. The earl drew his chair to her side, and took one of the } fair hands into his, spreading it out on his palm, half play- fully, half caressingly. His voice, however, was grave and earnest: me ‘‘Now, Mary, if there is anything on your mind, let me know what it is. I dare say it is some morbid fancy, whose sickly shadow can be immediately scattered by a wholesome ray of light. I’ve puzzled myself to find a cause, but I cannot. It isn’t anything Ronald has done? He hasn’t been nonsensical and fallen in love below his rank, has he?” comicbooks.co