And she told me--she told me--" Master of himself though he was, Mr.Taynton had one moment of physical giddiness, so complete and sudden was the revulsion and reaction that took place in his brain.

A moment before he had known, he thought, for certain that his own utter ruin was imminent.

Now he knew that it was not that, and though he had made one wrong conjecture as to what the unpleasant business was, he did not think that his second guess was far astray.
"Take your time, Morris," he said.

"And, my dear boy, try to calm yourself.

You say I should not be calm in your circumstances.