Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 274: what you’re looking at

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

264 _ OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. the evil, and the noble ambition is still left me to deserve Octavia’s love, and give best fruition to her pride.” The general let his hands linger long upon the bowed heads. “ Heaven bless you! Oh, this is such a blissful ending to my fears! But poor Lord Ronald !” | ‘‘ He loved me, I think, sincerely,” said Octavia. ‘* Per- haps it is best he is spared this, for it would have come. | tore off his ring, even before I knew I should be saved.” ‘*Oh, he is spared even more than this. You are right; it is far better he has gone quickly from the knowledge of these direful changes.” ‘It is for his poor mother I grieve,” said Felix. ‘“Come and see them. Let us finish the story now,” said the general, and as he led them, he told what had happened in their absence. Felix and Octavia stretched out their hands in eager gladness. ae | ‘<The true heir is found. Now we may rest in peace.” hey found the countess weeping and wailing over the inanimate body of the handsome young nephew, gone by such untimely means to his early death. ‘Oh, that dreadful omen, Mary! I said you were wrong to follow him to the last,” she said. Her sister-in-law stood with her thin hands stroking the glossy curls which lay so stirless above the marble forehead, no tears in the clear, deep eyes. ““ My boy, my beautiful boy,” she murmured, as she bent down to kiss the cold lips.‘ Heayen has taken you safely from out this storm, which might have been too cruel and hard for such young shoulders. I bow submissively—I bless its decree. I shall come soon, my Ronald, and I have learned to trust to. Heaven’s mercy and pitiful love.” . | And much to the amazement of her high-born acquaint- comicboo cS co