I Forbid the Banns! — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

ON FRENCH PORCELAIN. 289 wall; but he could see the horses’ heads, and the crest on the harness. “It is the Ashenthorpes’ phaeton,” said he. ‘ Lady Ashenthorpe has kept the promise which her husband made; she has come to pay you a visit.” In a few seconds the footman announced Lord Ashen- thorpe and Sir Ecroyd Fairleigh. The two men entered, and the door was closed. Lady Ashenthorpe had not come. | It only took Lord Ashenthorpe a few minutes to explain, in precisely the same tone he adopted when replying on behalf of the Treasury to a question put by a querulous Opposition—a question demanding ina reply the exercise of tact, courage, and a conscientious abandonment of con- scientiousness—why Lady Ashenthorpe had not come. “My poor wife—a victim to hay fever,’ said Lord Ashenthorpe. “It is really very melancholy, Charlton. We came down here for a few days’ complete rest—for a whiff of the meadow across the footlights, so to speak—for, my dear Charlton, we are more or less play-actors.” “ We are indeed,’ acquiesced Charlton. ‘Politicians are not exempted,” said Lord Ashenthorpe. ‘‘Oh, no, no, that is impossible,’ said Julian. ‘* Pardon my interruption : you were at ‘whiff of the meadow.’ ”’ “Ah, of course. Yes, I say it is very hard. ‘The whiff of the meadow that should do us all the good in the world knocks my wife up for days. She is very sorry that she found it impossible to accompany me to-day, but we agreed that it would be madness for her to make the attempt. And the dinner party—I was hoping that she might nerve herself for the little party that I had been promising my- self; but it would be too melancholy—a dinner party without a hostess.” “Tt would indeed,’ acquiesced Charlton. “But you said you would be in town for the remainder EM MMICGLYOO!| KS, (EC)