He made the usual vain clutches at unreal supports, and fainted into Rossiter's arms.
The latter carried him with little effort into the cool library and laid him down on a couch.

Mrs.Rossiter followed, full of exclamations, vain questions, and suggestions of inapplicable or unsuitable remedies.

Rossiter paid little heed to her, and proceeded to remove David's collar and tie and open his shirt front in order to place a hand over the heart.

Suddenly he looked up and round on his wife, and said with a peremptoriness which admitted of no questioning: "Go and see that one of the spare bedrooms is got ready, a fire lit, and so on.

Get this done _quickly_, and meantime leave him to me.