I Forbid the Banns! — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

246 “7 FORBID THE BANNS!” tinctly unscrupulous—in fact, it had never been known that they were attractive until they had proved themselves to be unscrupulous. Was it possible that he should feel uneasy watching Bertha surrounded by men determined to make themselves charming to her; or, what would be more fatal still, men who would be charming to her without exercis- ing any determination in the matter? He had a few moments of unquiet thought. Then he gave an exclamation of impatience. He fancied that he had worked out the problem which he had set himself, and that the conclusion to which he had come—namely, that Mr. Hardy was an old fool—was a sat- isfactory one. He was under the impression that Bertha’s aunt had had a chat with her on the subject upon which Mr. Hardy had chosen to converse in the billiard room; but he did not put any inquiry to Bertha regarding the import of her interview alone with her aunt, and Bertha did not volunteer to tell him anything. He had never seen her look more charming than on the afternoon of Lord Ashenthorpe’s garden party. Ashe helped her up to the seat beside him on the high mail phaeton in which they were about to drive the six miles to Ashmead, he could not help feeling that Mr. Hardy had certainly shown himself to be a fool in suggesting that he, Charlton, would ever give Bertha cause for feeling all at ease, even when she might chance to see him by the side of the most attractive woman in society. What was the most attractive woman compared to Bertha? 3 And so he sent his pair of horses prancing down the avenue. . Lord Ashenthorpe was an under secretary for some depart- ment, and he had only run down to his place in Bracken- shire for a few days during the Whitsun holidays—the Church festival occurred early this year. He was the eldest COMIC LOOKS, EC)