I Forbid the Banns! — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

128 ““T FORBID THE BANNS!” expression that was upon Charlton’s face. It frightened her. “There is plenty of time for us to have our chat,” said she to her frank friend, Mr. Vicars. ‘‘ I must first present you to Mr. Charlton. This is my old friend, Mr. Eric Vicars, Mr. Charlton.” Only for one second did an expression of suspicion pass over the open countenance of Mr. Vicars as he looked at Charlton. Then his hand went out witha flash in front of him, and as he grasped Charlton’s eagerly and wrung it as if it had been the bough of an apple tree from which he was anxious to shake the fruit, his old straightforward look came back, and his eyes shone with warmth as he cried : ‘Any friend of Bertha’s is a friend of mine, sir; that I can say with my hand on my heart.” “You are very good to say so,” said Charlton, opening out his fingers, which had been disagreeably compressed by the enthusiastic pressure of Mr. Vicars. “And this is my uncle Matthew, Mr. Charlton,” said Bertha. ‘‘ You have heard my aunt speak of her husband, I am sure.” Charlton was sure that he never had. He had formed the impression that Mrs. Hardy was a widow. He, how- ever, shook hands with Mr. Hardy. “Not a colonial? I thought not, sir,” said Mr. Hardy. “T thought I could detect the absence of the Australian pronunciation in your speech. We are a bit behind the colonials in pronunciation, sir. Even in the best circles at home we can only make the word ‘no’ a monosyllable. The advanced Australians make two syllables out of it quite easily. In some directions I have heard them make a try for three, but with only indifferent success. Advance Australia! ‘They’ll do it, if you give them time,” While Julian Charlton was standing in front of Mr. Hardy he was quite aware of the fact that Mr. Vicars was OMMIELOOOL<S (€(0)