The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 316: what you’re looking at

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

CHRISTINA AND THE AYAH 299 was uttering. She would have flown from the room, but the strong reason already specified compelled her to remain there. Never was her situation so painful, and she could have thrown herself upon the seat to give vent to her feelings in tears, only that she dreaded lest Zoe should suddenly make her appearance. Ah! but a thought struck her. “My lord,” she hastily said, *“‘ Zoe was to be absent but for a minute, and twenty have elapsed since she left the room. She may be iJl, and I go to succour her.’’ “Stay!” cried Octavian, “‘stay!’’ and he seized her hand. ‘Not another second! Unhand me, my lord!”’ Christina, proudly. The next instant the door closed behind the agitated girl; but scarcely had she thus passed out upon the landing, when she caught the sounds of rapid footsteps ascending the flight leading to the upper story, — footsteps so light that they were only just audible. A sickening sensation seized upon Christina. What if Zoe had been lstening? Rapid as the lightning casts its blaze upon the entire canopy of heaven did the damsel review her own conduct during the wildly agitating scene with Octavian Meredith, and she saw that she had not given utterance to a single word that she could now wish unspoken. On the contrary, every syllable that had issued from her own lips was precisely such as she would have uttered if able at the time deliberately to ponder what she was about to say. With this consciousness of perfect recitude of behaviour, her presence of mind was completely regained, her strength of purpose was recovered, and she ascended to Zoe’s chamber. She found Lady Octavian Meredith seated in an easy chair, with a languid and enfeebled appearance, but other- wise with an air of serene composure. ‘It must have been a servant whose footsteps I heard,”’ was the thought which rapidly traversed Christina’s cee ‘for if Zoe had been listening, she could not possibly thus dissemble.”’ | “Pardon me, my dearest friend,’ said Lady Octavian, in that sweetly soft plaintive voice which for some time past had been habitual to her, “‘ pardon me for having thus long left you to yourself, but I was seized with such a sense of exhaustion that I was compelled to sit down and rest. Here, cried COnnicoooks (C(O)