Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

OCTAVIA’S PRIDE 17 - He groaned again and fell back upon the pillow. Stern, haughty old man, though his heart was trembling in abject terror and horror, he betrayed nothing but his cold, hard tone, when he answered the nurse, who hurried forward anxiously. «©You are worse, sir. There is too much air for you, and you have caught a chill. Let me close the windows.” «© Yes, shut them, and drop the curtains.” He wanted to shut out those solemn, starry eyes looking down from the cloudless skies, but they looked upon him still. He could not throw off the remembrance even aiter the nurse brought back the light, and at his request bright- ened the wick. He tossed from side to side and groaned again. “You had better have an opiate, sir,” ventured the nurse. **T suppose, but not yet, not until my daughter comes. It is surely time for the train to arrive. ‘That idiot ‘Thomas will drive as 1f to a funeral, ll be bound. ‘Tell me the time now, Willis.’ “‘ Half-past eight, sir.” “Tt must be a mistake. The “shal has stopped. You told me it was eight two hours ago.” ‘It is all right, sir. ‘The time seems long to you.” And the nurse turned to the little table and began noise- lessly arranging the vials there. “Tong? Ay, longer than many a day has been,” he muttered, drearily, ‘‘and yet what is left to me will slip off too soon.” ““Where is Felix?” he broke out again a moment after. ‘“At least he might come and talk to me.” ““He went with the carriage to meet Miss Wainwright, sir. You know you were tired when he came this afternoon, and wouldn’t talk with him.” - ** But that is no sign I couldn’t talk with him this even- ing. Besides he began to talk business, and this law suit— cy hy ek Ver, / x ; ‘i & wv — . ‘ : . ae 4 , ‘a ; 4 : ‘? : ; , ’ yf , - zy 1-2 f <2 4 “. i ; pee . : i’ , : ‘S €oO