I Forbid the Banns! — page 312: what you’re looking at

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

302 “TT FORBID THE BANNS!” ‘What who said?” asked Julian after a pause. “What Sir Ecroyd said. I told him all that we believe on the subject of marriage and its sanctity without the need for shackles.”’ “My God! you told Sir Ecroyd that ?” “Yes, and he was greatly interested in it all. Only, as I told you just now, he said that the strength of such a com- pact as ours is largely dependent uponthe man. I say that I feel the truth of this every day.” “You have been confiding in Sir Ecroyd, indeed,” remarked Julian, with a voice and face devoid of expression, but with a heart burning with the fierceness of a seven times heated furnace. ‘YT cannot say that I had any intention of doing so when I left home for the Berwicks yesterday ; but somehow I found myself telling him all that I hoped for inthis matter. I had gone with him to Wok at a certain orchid in the green- house, and I suppose he led the conversation into that par- ticular channel. He is very clever.’ “Yes, I think so much must be admitted,” said Julian. ‘He led you first into a track that brought you into the orchid-house, and when there he led you into a conversa- tional track that brought you up to the point at which you confided in him. Yes, I think you have come to the right conclusion in this matter. Sir Ecroyd is a clever man.” “You are speaking in a curious tone, Julian,” said she. “JT like Sir Ecroyd better than any man [ have yet met in England. I told you so long.ago. Why should I have hesitated to tell him what Iam not ashamed of—that you and J[——” ‘Oh, why should you—why should you hesitate for a moment ?”’ he cried, with bitterness in every word. ‘ Why should you not confide all that is in your heart to this model cabinet minister—this sympathetic Controller of Annexations! A clever man—a very clever man! [J Gomichookssco