Sentence:  Garth was prepared to be helpful in what he referred to with fastidious distaste as this unfortunate Johnston affair , which would <WSD>not</WSD> , he said more than once , have ever come about if Mrs. Meeker had only seen fit to consult Mr. Hohlbein or him about it . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  negation of a word or group of words