I Forbid the Banns! — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

ON BEING THOUGHT A SCOUNDREL. 230 Bertha and Julian had just returned after a morning’s trout fishing in the Purlbrook. They lost no time in welcoming their visitors, and Julian took good care that his expressions should not be less cordial than those of Bertha. : | The secretary of the carnisolists had on, as usual, a black suit of that smooth cloth which every villager in the old days touched his hat to.. He looked more like a clergy- man than ever. He was just a trifle too solemn for the part. But the clergyman’s trick of declining to turn his head without turning his whole body he had caught to perfection. With his hat off he looked like a man to be respected— say, a butler. -Mrs. Hardy was smiling in her own way. She would not remove her bonnet when sitting down to lunch. Her husband not only removed his hat but made preparations for removing his cuffs as well, only his host prevented him from taking this extreme step. Even though it might be an important part of the ceremonial of the carnisolists, Julian, thinking of the prejudices of his butler and the new footmen, politely insisted on his retaining his cuffs. ‘Mr. Hardy ultimately allowed himself to be persuaded against his own instincts of thrift in the laundry depart- ment ; but in spite of his compliance Julian Charlton began to suspect that he was not altogether a person who was in the habit of mingling with the best society. Julian’s experi- ence of moderately good society had led him to believe that the removal of linen cuffs preparatory to lunch was not de rigueur. Mr. Hardy seemed to have none of the prejudices of the carnisolists so far as diet was concerned. He partook lib- erally and indiscriminately of every dish that was offered to him—of the animal, vegetable, and lobster-salad king- -doms—of the product of the vineyard and olive-yard alike. (EOMICG YOO KS HEC)