I Forbid the Banns! — page 321: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE SMILE OF MISS TRAVERS. 311 marry. No matter what larks we have had together, you all get so proper inside a month, as if a marriage and a funeral meant just the same thing. It’s only for the first month or so that you are sad, however; I notice that all you young things become lively once more ina year or two. You then either take up with an extremely young or an extremely old man—mostly the latter—the old boys are such jolly old asses.” ‘‘ How wise you are, Charlie, and how observant.”’ ‘Oh, I’ve kept my eyes open, I can tell you. The fun- niest sight in the world is an old boy that marries a bright young thing. He is under the impression that marrying her brings him down to exactly her age. Poor old chaps! I have often pitied them, knowing that it means a push on of twenty years with them instead of a drawback of forty. Oh, I have had my eyes open. Never mind! you are the best girl I have ever met, and worth a score of Marian Travers. I don’t say that because she took a sovereign off me.”’ : ‘“ How did she take a sovereign off you?” “ You see, she made up her mind at the Cape to hook Charlton, and we had a few bets as to whether or not she would succeed before reaching England: I backed her to do it, and Waring took me up. I handed him over the coin when we passed Dover. But I give you my word that if you had not come aboard the thing was amoral. It was indeed. Before we reached St. Helena I would have had to offer five to one on the girl.” ‘“T hope you do not talk like this to everyone, Charlie. I don’t consider it quite respectful to a girl to make herthe subject of a bet. You did not bet on me, I hope.” ‘“T would lay every penny I have on you; but I never did. You were always far above me—a saint, or something of that sort—only a saint with a lot of fun in her,. And to think that I just came here to-night by chance. You see, Eomichboo S (€(0)