I Forbid the Banns! — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

ON A SHOW. 1GI There was quite a flutter among some of the most antique of the academicians at the intelligence. She might have had the entire body presented to her had she been so minded. As it was, .he had quite a number of the best known men in England presented to her; for it was surprising how many old friends of Charlton’s turned up in the course of a short time—most of them painters. The interest they displayed in the progress of art in the colonies—Sydney especially-— could not have been otherwise than extremely gratifying to Miss Lancaster. The three evening papers which contained society para- graphs announced the purchase of ‘‘Where the Wild Asses do Quench their Thirst.’”’ The first stated that it had been bought by Miss La Cas- tra, the daughter of a well-known American millionaire of Spanish extraction. The second mentioned that the widow of a Lancashire merchant had bought the work of the rising associate. The third said it was an open secret that the picture had been sold to Miss Sydney for presentation to the fine art museum which was in course of formation at Lancaster. Miss Sydney, it added, was the only daughter of one of the most highly respected merchants in the town which was about to benefit by her munificence. Every day during the next week Charlton called at the house at Chelsea, and carried Bertha away with him. He never entered the house, nor did he inquire what were the views of Mrs. Hardy on the subject of the propriety of Bertha’s daily disappearance with himself. He was not greatly concerned to learn what were the views of Mrs. Hardy on any subject. He was equally indifferent in respect of Mr. Vicars’ opinion; and Bertha did not think it necessary to tell him that Mr. Vicars had, on the second day after her arrival in England, laid his childlike, but unusually large heart at her feet, and that, on being informed that she could (EONMICLOYO|KS (EC)