I Forbid the Banns! — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE ART OF LYING. I4I it may be nothing, after all. I had the floor done once a week, and the curtains shook every fortnight ; for let the moths get in and you may make up your mind to keep them in.” “Tt is a pleasant room, Mrs. Barwell; it only needs one thing to make it the pleasantest in the world.”’ ‘The flowers, sir ; ah, I knew you’d say that; only, you see, you came so adden like on us at last, and sou said you would not leave the dining room this evening.’ “TI wasn’t thinking of flowers—at least not exactly. The fact is—well, I suppose a man must get married some time, Mrs. Barwell.” “ You don’t say so, Master Julian!” cried the house- keeper, lapsing in her excitement into an obsolete mode of address. ‘*Tobe sure—to be sure! Didn’t they all say that it would be queer if you didn’t find some young woman in foreign parts that would take your fancy? ~And so you've been and found her. I hope the color is all right, Master Julian,’ she added gravely. “The color ?”’ said he. ‘T don’t think I could respect a mistress that was either black or yellow, God forgive me!” said Mrs. Barwell, ‘Not but what I’ve seen foreigners as far away as Boolong that was a moderate wholesome color—for foreigners, of course ; but most of them have a lampblack complexion, and the rest look as if they were uncommon slow in getting rid of a bad attack of the jaundice. A duck’s foot isn’t a pleasant object for a gentleman to have before his eyes for aconstancy. You’ve set your hopes of happiness on some- thing softer than saffron in color, Master Julian ?” “She is a good English girl, Mrs. Barwell,” said he. ‘Thank God for that—thank God for that!” cried the housekeeper piously. “ Yes, she is a good English girl—that 1 is, Australian.” Mrs. Barwell’s face fell. Gomichookssco