I Forbid the Banns! — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE FIRST CLOUD. 277 “Forgive you, Bertha? Oh, my love, my love, it is I who need your forgiveness. How could I ever say such cruel words to you? How could I ever lead you to believe that I doubted you? Do not think it, dearest. Do not believe that I could ever doubt you.” She moved away at the words with a little shudder, and repeated them as if she had not caught their import, “ You to doubt me—you to doubt me?” ‘‘ Never, Bertha—never!"’ he cried. ‘“ I do not doubt your truth now, my beloved !”’ “Not now—zow ?”’ she repeated. ‘ Never—never until the end of time!”’ he said, catch- ing her hand. ‘Say that the cloud is past, Bertha—say that it is past !”’ “Yes, itis past,” she said gently, almost sadly. He clasped her hand and kissed her. She responded neither to the clasp nor the kiss. Was it possible that her words “‘z¢ zs past”’ did not refer to the cloud ? (e(o)[nnyiice JOC gs) (E(0)