I Forbid the Banns! — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

130 “7 FORBID THE BANNS!” Miriam was struggling with a large trunk that had just been hoisted from the hold. Mr. Vicars was standing where he had been left by Bertha. He had his eyes fixed upon Bertha and Charlton with a curious expression in them for the eyes of a strong man with the heart of a little child to wear. Mrs. Hardy had to speak a second time before he seemed to be aware that she was addressing him. ‘A trunk—where? Oh, I see. Certainly. Im your man,” he cried out in his heartiest and bluffest style; and he swung himself in his good-natured exuberance from the poop deck by a stay, his legs sprawling in that jovial boyish way of his among the heads of the people beneath. Strong men with the simple hearts of little children can do such things without exciting remark. “ Bertha,” said Charlton quickly, ‘Il was wrong; you were right. If you can trust me, come to me. You are my wife in the sight of Heaven. We can afford to laugh at the world. I cannot live without you. It is laid on me to protect you forever—to hold you away from any danger that the world knows ; I see it now.” His face was very pale and his hands were trembling. Her face was flushed, but her voice was not tremulous as she said : ) | ‘“T knew you would come to see with my eyes, dearest. I knew that your heart would not be afraid to speak what it knows to be the truth.”’ “Who is that man?” asked Charlton almost before she had done speaking. He indicated Vicars, who was behav- ing to the passengers, whose heavy luggage was being hoisted on deck, with that good-humored rudeness which comes so naturally to honest big fellows with the hearts of little children. “Eric Vicars,” said she. ‘Oh, I thought I had told you all about him.” Gomichookssco m ==)