I Forbid the Banns! — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER X. ON THE HUMAN SOUL. OT until everyone had been seated for some time at the tables in the saloon of the Carnarvon Castle, and the Dutch clergyman, who was among thé passengers, had said grace in French—not because that language is gener- ally regarded as the mother tongue of theology, but because his English was ridiculous, and because the majority of the Englishmen whom he had met regarded Cape Dutch as the mother tongue of Beelzebub, and only adapted to such the- ological expressions as are essential to a malediction—not until the curried oysters had almost all been appropriated, did Mr. Charlton descend and hasten up to the side of the table at which he was accustomed to sit. If he had beena designing man, Cyril Southcote thought, he would certainly have been on the spot in order to make provision for obtaining a seat next the very pretty girl who had been sitting in his deck chair. “T’m afraid I must ask you to sit a little further down the table, Mr. Charlton,” said the chief steward, following him up the saloon. “Eh, what do you say, Robinson?” said he. ‘A change in seats? Qh, yes, to be sure. Well, where are you going to put me, Robinson ?” ‘‘ Here, sir,’ said the steward, twisting round one of the chairs for Charlton’s accommodation. “If you had been here sooner, sir, I would have asked you if you minded the change.” ‘“ All right, Robinson ; don’t make a fuss,”’ said Charlton. 59 CONNIELIOOKS (6@ m