His Other Wife: A Novel — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

178 THE NOTE OF DOOM. =, rope, and pulled it with energy, almost before he detected her intent. A servant appeared on the instant. ‘‘Send Miss Draper here, and a messenger for Doctor Wise.” } She gave the order with imperious and assured) com- mand. In the tumult of his emotions, Croft seemed unequal to any interference with her directions. At no time was he a man of great aptitude under emergencies; he re- quired reflection and time for deliberate action in all im- portant affairs. At present he was distracted’ by conflict- ing demands upon his capacity for dealing with extraor- dinary difficulties. It was necessary that he should gather his faculties to a focus against the exigencies of his situa- tion. He stood passive under Leda’s dictation, Miss Draper .and a servant entered, and the fainting man was laid upon the couch, while the two women busied themselves with reviving him from the swoon. When Doctor Wise arrived Warren was lying in a half- stupor, with increasing fever throbbing through his veins, and his wound bleeding from the abrasion caused by his violent exercise. ‘‘He must be put to bed instantly, and ie utterly - quiet,” said the surgeon, after a careful examination of the ugly, dangerous wound on his breast. - to] ‘‘Could he be taken home in a eS or on 3 litter?” asked Croft. Eomicbooks: co