His Other Wife: A Novel — page 269: what you’re looking at

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

MORAL LEPROSY. 261 “Mr. Fields took his leave again, and repaired to his law office, where he frequently worked until late into the night. At eleven o’clock, when he was about to put out his lamp upon the baize-covered table of the office, there sounded a light, uncertain rap on the street door. It was a strange hour for a visitor or client to call. — Opening the door with some curiosity, he was met at the threshold by the tall, slender figure of a woman, robed and closely vailed in black. CHAPTER XXVIII. “e _ MORAL LEPROSY. At an early hour on the morning that succeeded to the events of the last chapter, the prisoner, Mathew Croft, was disturbed in his late slumbers to receive a sealed letter from Mr. Fields. With some eagerness, Mr. Croft opened the envelope, hoping to find some item of intelligence bearing on his affairs. What he did find was as follows: ‘May 14th, 18—. s¢Srr:—It has become my painful duty to decline further connec- tion with your case. This determination is unalterable. It is need- less for me to add that the confidences which transpired during our interviews of yesterday are protected by the sacred seal of our pro- fession, and that they shall be guarded as my own honor. | ‘7 remain, JOHN D. FIELDs. ‘©To Mathew Croft, Esq.”’ cS: (E(0) GComichoo