His Other Wife: A Novel — page 309: what you’re looking at

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

LEDA’S COUP D’'ETAT. 301 thetic loveliness—-sti]l regal and incomparable, but rather that of a dethroned and suffering queen than the proud, insolent, invincible Circe that he had found her at the first. Her whole person, as well as her attitude, seemed to offer a prayer for his forbearance and pity. However she may have sinned, there could be no question as to her having suffered fierce agonies. Every line of her face and form showed this. To see her kneeling there so humbly, and: remember how lately she had reigned queen of the world that ever bows its neck to wealth and beauty, wasa thing to touch a brave, manly soul like Gordon Warren’s. He said, very gently, but firmly : ‘‘Rise, I, pray you, madam. I am not able to move, else I had long since raised you from so unbecoming a posture.” ‘*No; I must and will kneel to you until you have heard and granted, or else denied my prayer.” She had raised her eyes to him now, and they were filled with unshed tears, that gave to her face an indescribable expression of woe; then she hurried her words in a low, piteous way, and unfolded to him very briefly, but point- edly, all that had transpired, from the moment of Rachel's appearance at Lucerne, a week after her marriage, until the present moment. She artfully made herself the mar- tyred one in the dark romance, reminding Warren that it was his desertion that had driven her to accept Croft's offer of marriage, with all the dreadful consequences that now overwhelmed her. | Eomicbooks. (E(0) 3