Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

«4? tee, w’ ¥ ‘ ‘ é tO SAE PO | : wh ot a “al r ‘ “" » atl Os. ee (dee ast Ma bY, OCTAVIA’S PRIDE 43 the evils which threatened. Make your own circumstances now; choose your path freely. Your disappearance from London will be a mystery which even Mathew Merle’s craft cannot fathom. If you choose, your past and your identity can be wiped out so completely, those enemies cannot track you out ; for though it will be obviously necessary for you.to avoid England and shun India, the world is wide, and holds many pleasant scenes and happy lands. This is written by one upon whose face you have never looked, whose identity you will never know, who is not so much of a hypocrite as to pretend to be doing this out of friendship to you, but to foil the wicked plans of Mathew Merle.”’ 3 “Another mystery,” sighed the youth. ‘Another of the inexplicable tangles that coil around me. Another cur- rent bearing me on, a powerless agent drifting whither its impetus bears me.” The graceful head dropped again to the clasping hands, and the eyes were full of melancholy. It was raised again presently, a hopeful gleam brighten- ing over the face. ““ Well, I must accept the situation. ‘hat much is positive. And why not, as the good captain suggests, be happy over it?) The unknown writer is right; it is possible for me to make my own future now. If I have escaped from my guardian’s knowledge, when this voyage is ended, and I stray into some pleasant home, why may I not find inde- pendence and happiness both? Just now I seem hardly to have energy and spirit to face anything. But it will be different in a little time. And it might be happiness to have escaped from them. I remember well how I broke forth that evening in my gréat distress after my guardian’s visit. How I wished myself anywhere—in a lonely desert, on a trackless ocean. ‘This is far better. If I can read a face correctly, this Captain Leyard is a kind and gentle- manly man. He can help me. He will be kind to me. Indeed—indeed, I will seek to be happy!” ‘These reflections were interrupted by the entrance of the renee en raat CTT SOC Ome RR GM arg Ti sy py ere w lnk Tm) SRN Ra MOS R CaN tegiek Pir ialgue RE MERE SOUR APSR Shales A ied a Pen AAMbRheR the” Goria Wares alo rane OED K Lees UR ten eB iar 4 bin hte: | : ' hy ify» . 7 : | ~ aye ‘ Pia.) } 7 } 4 . ? . , ; ; comicbooks