I Forbid the Banns! — page 200: what you’re looking at

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

190 “7 FORBID THE BANNS!” and taper. But they were encircled by no ring! She gave a little start and flushed. ‘‘Pray Heaven that it was not noticed,’’ he whispered. ‘“‘If Mrs. Barwell has eyes at all she will have seen it. We shall soon know: she will give a month’s notice to-morrow, if not this evening.’’ ‘She would not live in the house with a wife who does not carry about with her the outward and visible sign of the Church’s bond of slavery?’’ | ‘“‘It ‘would be a reflection upon her character—she lays the accent on the second syllable—to suggest that she would do so,’’ said he. ‘‘Come up with me and I will provide you with the—what do you call it—the token of slavery?’’ He was afraid that she would decline. It might not be in accordance with her principles to wear a ring. She was so severely strict when it came to any question of conven- tionality in regard to marriage. Only for a moment after he had spoken did she look at her fingers; then she gave a little laugh, as if she had come to the conclusion in her own mind that it was no treachery to her principles to humor him in so trifling a matter. They went upstairs together, and out of a safe concealed behind a panel in the wall he brought a jewel case. It con- tained a number of loose trinkets in gold and silver, nearly all of Oriental manufacture. A dozen rings lay before her, several without gems. ‘““My mother’s jewels are kept at my bankers for fear of accidents,’’ said he. ‘‘These are trifles collected in the course of my travels. Are they all too large for you?’’ “This is the only one that fits,’’ she replied, holding up her left hand with a broad circle of yellow gold on the third finger—she seemed to know the right finger on which to put the emblem. ‘It is a Persian ring,’’ said he. ‘‘It is engraved with a motto from the Koran on the inner part. It refers to the (ONMIELIOOLKS (€(0)