I Forbid the Banns! — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

ON A DECK CHAIR. 55 “Certainly you were not, Captain Waring—not very,” she replied without hesitation. “Thank you,” said he politely. ‘‘ It was my own impres- sion that I wasn’t so sober as to cause people to make remarks about it ; at the same time I felt that I wasn’t uninterestingly drunk. Then will you tellme howI came to miss seeing that ?” and he pointed over his shoulder in the direction of the group of three which had so surprised Miss Travers—a group of four it might more appropriately be termed, for the boot of the elder lady, which forced itself into prominence, might claim to be regarded as a distinct entity, not susceptible of being absorbed into its own sur- roundings. “Do not blame yourself, Captain Waring,” said Marian. “ T assure you that our new passengers came aboard with- out my having the slightest knowledge of the fact. I never was so surprised as when I came on deck just now and saw them sitting there.” ‘“ But think what it was to me, Miss Travers, when I saw them come out of that door a quarter of an hour ago, fol- lowed by one of the boys with the deck chair, which the mother—she looks motherly—so ably fills. It has the build of a weight-carrier, that chair. I was staggered, I can tell you—-I felt that it would have been no surprise to me if I had found myself remonstrating with one of the life- boats for following me about the deck. I felt that I must be breaking up quicker than ordinary, especially as Charl- ton hastened to meet them and greet them as if he had known them all his life—the young one in particular. Yes, I felt that I was only separated by a thin line from the black cat stage—I give you my word I felt that I would be seeing the black cat next.” “T dare say Mr. Charlton met them in the course of his travels,” said Marian; “and when he found them at St. Helena he renewed their acquaintance.” (2) COMGENIOOMK<S