His Other Wife: A Novel — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

118 SPINNING A WEB. A week later a party of guests were invited to dine at Lucerne, in honor of the arrival of one of Mrs. Croft's rel- atives—Mr. Julian Vernois—a very distinguished-looking but rather d/ase man of thirty-five, who enjoyed a some- what equivocal reputation in the gay circles of the Cres- cent City, of which he was a native. The social position of this wealthy and high-born creole was the only unques- tionable feature connected with his history. To this gentleman’s escort Faith Hilary was assigned by the hostess when dinner was announced. Leda appropriated the arm of her husband's partner. “I wonder that you are willing to expose your lovely young ward to the attractions of so dangerous a flirt as bd Mr. Vernois,” said the lady who occupied the seat next Warren; on Mrs. Croft’s right hand at table. Leda raised her superb shoulders in accompaniment to the sarcastic smile that played on her face, as she replied: “You cannot imagine, Mrs. Dalton, that Julian Ver- nois would engage in a flirtation with an insipid girl like that—a mere child! Remember, he has served his ap- prenticeship in Paris and at Baden.” ‘“‘Oh, very true; but these lady-killers are omnivorous creatures—‘all’s fish that comes to their net !’” ‘“There you are mistaken, my dear friend. One must be somewhat accomplished in the art of flirtation. to en- gage the interest of such men as Julian.” ‘In that case, madam, I would say that Mr. Vernois need not lack ‘foeman worthy of his steel’ in your vicinity,” (E(@) comicbooks.