His Other Wife: A Novel — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

SPINNING A WEB. 123 st ‘Pardon me, Mrs Croft, if I decline to remain here with you. I have no right to do so.” She knew him too well to resist his protest against the imprudence she had so calmly suggested. She smiled a little as she said, slipping her hand through his arm: ‘‘T had forgotten that the dear old days were gone, and their privileges with them, Yes, you are right, we must go in.” There was something at once sad and humble in her manner of taking his reproof, and her mention of ‘‘the dear old days” made his heart beat loud. Her hand was resting somewhat heavily upon his left arm, and she seemed to be aware of the accelerated pulsations that sent the man’s rich, red blood torrentwise through his healthy veins, for she, too, became tremulous, and caught her breath nervously as if to keep back a sigh. Neither of them spoke again until they stood upon the low veranda, with the light from the lamp in the vestibule showing on them. Then Leda stopped, and, raising her eyes timidly to his, said; ‘‘Let me speak now; I think my heart will burst if I keep it locked any longer. See, the library is quite empty; let us stop in there for a few moments.” There was so much of suffering and of entreaty in her look and voice that he could pot bear to deny, though he shrank from compliance with the request. He said, anxiously: ‘‘What gqod can come of explanations or confessions now? Silence is best.” Eomicbooks.¢o =|