I Forbid the Banns! — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE POWER OF A NEW SENSATION. 129 holding Bertha’s hand in one of his own and patting it with the other, at the same time moving quietly up the deck, making a little fuss now and again, as if particularly anxious to get out of the way of the other passengers, who were greeting their friends from the shore ; and once again that novel sensation returned to him. If anyone had told him that it was jealousy he would have laughed. He simply felt that if a sailor wete to drop a sharp-pointed marline spike—as sailors sometimes do— from the greatest altitude possible to be attained on the mainmast of the steamer, and if that marline spike were to penetrate the skull of Mr. Vicars, he would not be annoyed. This feeling could hardly be interpreted into one of regard for Mr. Vicars ; but, at the same time, if Charlton had been told that it was the product of jealousy, he would have laughed. He was not laughing now. Mr. Vicars was—in that bluff, hearty, good-natured, frank, colonial style that seems the natural vocal expression of a stalwart, brown-faced, brown-bearded man with soft blue eyes and the heart of a little child. Eric Vicars had this sort of laugh. He had also the brown face, the stalwart frame, and the soft blue eyes. He had probably also the heart of a little child. Charlton would have liked to cut it out to make sure. Mr. Vicars was still edging away, laughing in joyous thunderclaps, and giving proprietary pats to the girl’s hand, when Bertha’s eyes caught Charlton’s. She was by his side ina moment. Was it possible that she understood what that expression upon his face meant, though he himself did not know what was the passion that produced it ?. “QO Eric, do help Miriam with that Saratoga,” cried Mrs. Hardy, addressing Mr. Vicars, and pointing to where (CONNIE IOOLKS (a(6)