I Forbid the Banns! — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

200 ‘‘“7] FORBID THE BANNS!” army of governesses and professors—first-rate people for playing good hearty, practical jokes upon—she had steadily degenerated, until she had now reached that low level upon which lace and such like fal-lals were found useful as topics of conversation. As for the man who could talk of lace seriously, he was, Mr. Vicars thought, beneath contempt. He should be treated as one treats a child or aclergyman. One does not take children or clergymen seriously; and it would be ridic- ulous to do more than smile at Mr. Charlton in that pitying way which is inseparable from patronage. But though Eric Vicars made up his mind to smile in his most aggravatingly good-natured way upon Mr. Charlton’s remarks upon haberdashery, yet he did not doso. There was a cold, irresponsive look in Mr. Charlton’s eyes that made smiling extremely difficult. Eric even found that warmth of language and that heartiness of manner which were his leading characteristics wanting as he filled his pipe opposite Mr. Charlton in the biiliard room. (E©) EONNIELIOO KS