I Forbid the Banns! — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

160 “7 FORBID THE BANNS!” the Wild Asses do Quench their Thirst’—and I have made up my mind that I shall buy it and send it out to Sydney as a gift. It is far better even than your ‘Journey to Eschol.’ Do you not think so?’’ ‘‘T never think about my own works, Miss Lancaster,’’ said he. ‘‘It is quite bad enough to have to paint them.’’ “You will sell it to me, though? Surely you will not refuse me?”’ ‘“‘T really have not the heart,’’ said he. ‘‘You plead for that privilege in a way that it is impossible to resist. I must send a message to the secretary to say that it is sold. It would be awkward if it were to be sold three or four times over.’ . ‘Tt would,’’ said Charlton. ‘‘So far as I can gather that calamity has never befallen any of your previous works. It is better to sell three of them once over than one of them three times over. Isn't that so?’’ ‘“Miss Lancaster, I appreciate your judgment the more, now that I know it has not been influenced by Charlton,’’ said the associate. ‘‘I hope you are really in earnest about the picture. I havea wifeand twochildren: they want bread.’’ ‘“Of course I am in earnest,’’ said Bertha. ‘“‘I only hope that you are not raising my expectations of getting the picture, only to dash them to the ground. You will let me have it?’’ “And Miss Lancaster will give you five shillings in hand to lay out in loaves, which you can carry home ina red cotton handkerchief to keep starvation from the studio door until Monday,’’ said Charlton. Before another half hour had passed it was known through- out the galleries that ‘‘Where the Wild Asses do Quench their Thirst’’ had been sold to the beautiful girl, whose pres- ence at the private view had almost eclipsed in interest that of the lady who had entered the peerage through the door of the divorce court. Gomichookssco