His Other Wife: A Novel — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

I1IO GORDON WARREN'S PUPIL. ‘‘How absurd to think he could feel the. slightest interest in a crude, immature thing like that!” said Leda, contemptuously, returning to her book. ‘‘T don’t see why, I’m sure. The child isa rare bit of femininity, and bright withal. It is true Warren is old beyond his years, and richly cultured for a self-made man, but it is very common for men of distinguished talent to prefer child-like women. Then, as he is poor, Faith's prospects may stimulate his interest in her personal charms. ” Leda made no answer, but read on in silence, for Mr. Croft dropped the subject and left the room. There is nothing more harassing to one’s soul than to have another person frame with speech a fear or a doubt that one has been trying to argue away from one’s mind, It was thus with Leda, who experienced a feeling of fierce resentment toward Mr. Croft for having uttered the very idea that had just set her own brain in a flame of jealous apprehension. _ Croft had only stated a simple fact when he ascribed Gordon Warren's constant presence at Lucerne to Leda’s insistence. | It is true she had the grace to include some others of their visitors in her invitations, but she mahaged to have Warren accept them. oftener than any one else, and War- ren’s professional association with the master of Lucerne made his intimacy at the house a matter of course, Eomicbooks.¢o