His Other Wife: A Novel — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

240 “IN DURANCE VILE.” and best-trained gladiators in the professional arena of the State. In his distress Croft forgot or ignored the mortifying revelation which had been made to him concerning Leda's infatuation for Warren. And his own conception of the man’s character, strengfhened by all he had observed in his deportment toward the women of his family, con- vinced him that Leda had only spoken the simple truth when she had exonerated Warren from any complicity in her disgraceful efforts to entrap his honor. On the day succeeding the night of his arrest, Mathew Croft sat before the narrow casement of his cell in the jail. He had just taken some coffee from the coarse meal that had been provided for his breakfast, and had desired the Jailer to bring him writing materials, and by no means to admit any visitor whomsoever to his presence without his consent. The deputy of the prison had placed paper, pen, and ink upon a small table of rude boards near the prisoner’s chair, and retired with the untasted breakfast, leaving Mr. Croft to his meditations on the wisest coarse open to him under the existing circumstances. | Fortunately his legal knowledge, and the astute percep- tiveness that had been one of his chief auxiliaries to the reputation he had won, rendered his situation less appall- ing to him than if ignorance of its possibilities had been ~ added to the mystery in which Rachel’s cautious and half- wild revelations had left him, GComicbooks: (E(@) 3