I Forbid the Banns! — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE CUTTING OF CAMEOS. 9 ‘“It was with Charlton I was conversing, Miss Travers,” he replied ; ‘“ Captain Waring is an officer of Bayonetteers, and therefore does not converse.”’ ‘““T think he talks more than Mr. Charlton.” “Yes, ¢alks, that is true ; but I said converse.” “You are too subtle for me, Mr. Southcote. But may I not know what was the subject that engrossed your attention ?”’ ‘“Why should you not, Miss Travers?” said Cyril, look- ing straight into the brown eyes of the girl, with a smile that was meant to assure her that he understood her much better than she understood herself. ‘“‘ Why should you not? We were discussing one of the simplest phenomena of life.” “You said a good dinner was a phenomenon of. life the other day,’ remarked Miss Travers when he paused. “Were you discussing what curry we shall have to-day ?” “Oh, something infinitely simpler—merely the phenome- non of falling in love.” “Oh ! you call that a phenomenon ?”’ “For want of a better name. Can you suggest a better ?”’ ““T would not dare to try to improve upon a word of your selecting, Mr. Southcote. But if it is so very simple as you say, what on earth was there to talk about— I beg your pardon—to converse about, in regard to sucha topic ?”’ “ Every woman,” said Cyril, “ has a personal interest in every conversation that goes on in her neighborhood on the subject of falling in love. One should not talk of acci- dents in the presence of a railway director.” “T cannot at this moment see what you mean, but I have a vague idea that you have said something clever. One knows when there is electricity in the air even though One is not dazzled by a flash of lightning.” EOMMICLYOOlKS EC)