I Forbid the Banns! — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

ON FRENCH PORCELAIN. 293 ‘“Who does not?” said Charlton. ‘ People come from Boston to see it.” ‘“ Why Boston ?” said Bertha. ‘“ Because nothing else in the world worth seeing exists outside Boston,” he replied. Shortly afterward Lord Ashenthorpe and Sir Ecroyd left the Court ; and the latter gave expression to his belief that Mr. Charlton was a good deal cleverer than anyone meet- ing him casually might be led to suppose. “And his—the—lady ?”’ inquired his host. ‘Better than clever,” said Sir Ecroyd ; “sympathetic.” “Any woman who succeeds in making a man believe that she is good rather than clever,” said Lord Ashenthorpe, lasping into the French tongue, for a man was sitting with folded arms, but open ears, on the back seat, “is clever rather than good.”’ ‘“And any man who thinks that he can epigram a woman’s character away to the one who loves her is simple rather than clever,” said Sir Ecroyd. In the drawing room at the Court there was also a duologue. “The clouds are passed,’ cried Bertha. ‘“ That sunshiny visit has sent all the clouds flying. What a difference there is between a man like Sir Ecroyd——-or even like Lord Ashenthorpe—and those silly young fools who annoyed me just now! How silly I was to be annoyed!” ‘“Tf some people were not silly there would be no need for cabinet ministers,” said Julian. “That is the best excuse I have ever yet heard for silli- ness,” laughed Bertha. “T thought it rather an excuse for your cabinet minis- ter,’ said Julian. He felt that if the choice had been offered to him he would prefer to have seen her pleased at the visit of the silly youths, and annoyed at the visit of the cabinet minis- CONNIELIOO KS peo)