I Forbid the Banns! — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

60 “7 FORBID\THE BANNS!” “T place myself unreservedly in your hands. Is this the Seat?” “Tf you please, sir.”’ It may possibly have caused some pleasing emotion to” Mr. Charlton to discover, as he did with a little gesture of surprise, so soon as he had seated himself, that the passen- ger on his right was Miss Lancaster. ‘“ That trick cost him just a sovereign,” murmured Cap- tain Waring, who had paused in the midst of his crayfish to watch the transaction. He was wrong. It was only half a sovereign that the adroit Mr. Charlton had placed in the reluctant hand of the chief steward early in the morning, with a hint that if it could be made quite consistent with the etiquette of the saloon—a branch of knowledge of which the steward was master—to allow him to sit next to the young lady whom he had brought aboard the previous evening, he should not feel greatly morti- fied. : The chief steward said he would see what could be done in the matter, and the result of his consideration was made plain when Miss Travers had seated herself. The chair next to her had hitherto been occupied by Charlton ; but now the chief steward bowed Mrs. Hardy into it, and then bowed Miss Lancaster into the next. The new arri- vals having been accommodated it only remained for the steward to beg, in that apologetic tone which he had assumed, that Mr. Charlton would have the kindness to take the chair furthest down the table. This kindness Mr. Charlton had at his command; and the general impression which prevailed—for some moments—among the passengers on the opposite side of the table was that Mr. Charlton was quite too easily imposed upon by the officials of the saloon. Captain Waring flattered himself that he knew better. (CORNIELIOOKS (e(6)