His Other Wife: A Novel — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIDOW’S CONFESSION. 21 now presented. Warren could scarcely believe that this diaphanous being, that reminded him of the ‘“‘lamp of naphtha in an alabaster vase,” could be the parent of that other organism so richly and almost superfluously endowed with strength and vigor. Mrs. Morgan seemed sensibly touched by the reverent and almost tender solicitude with which Warren regarded her during the paroxysm of weakness, from which she was now sufficiently recovered to say: “Do not look so troubled; it is over now.” He thought it would scon be over forever and aye, and his heart shrank so much from the task he had come to perform, that he resolved to leave it unattended to. But Mrs. Morgan defeated his considerate determination by adding : ‘‘T presume that you come to me from Mr. Croft with the papers I agreed to sign to-day?” ‘‘Ves, madam, the papers are here; but, in your present condition, you have every right to postpone a mere busi- ness formality which can stand for a few days. ‘Thank you, Mr. Warren, for the thoughtful suggestion ; but I shall never be better able to make an exertion than now—and what could delay avail me? I suppose you are thoroughly acquainted with the unhappy condition of my affairs?” - ‘‘T learned only this morning by a hasty review of these statements that your estates are to pass to a stranger, dear madam, and much I grieve that it is so.” Eomicbooks:Eco