His Other Wife: A Novel — page 311: what you’re looking at

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

LEDA’S COUP D’ETAT. 393 his weak fingers from the eager clasp of Leda’s hands, and induce her to rise from her abject posture beside him. Although he by no means divined the construction which she intended ultimately to place upon his acts and words, he dimly foresaw that he would be sorely tried be- fore all was done. He was at present too enfeebled in brain and body to attempt to cope with the situation further than to quiet Ledas agitation, and, if possible, release himself from the discussion of her affairs until he should have time to re- flect upon the unnatural and most distressing complica- ticn which she had just revealed to him. Already his head throbbed with a painful sense of op- pression, and his nerves became tremulous, a faintness overcame him, and he said: ‘*Give me a draught of the tonic, please,” pointing to where a decanter and glass stood upon the table. She poured out a potion of the medicated wine, which he drank, and then said to her, simply: ‘You must pardon me if I beg that you will leave me to myself for the present. If I am to help you, I must collect my ideas, and, to do this, 1 must be utterly at rest,” 3 She once more leaned down and touched his hand with her lips, then silently left him. She had availed herself of his physical weakness to wring from it what she deemed a valuable concession, and she:feared to tresspass further on his debility. Eomicbooks: (E(0) =|