I Forbid the Banns! — page 323: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XLIII. ON SOME FORMS OF IMPUDENCE. HAT the eldest son of Mr. and Mme. Abed’ Nego was conducting to Bertha was a rather undersized gentleman, wearing as a stud in the center of his shirt the largestdiamond Bertha had ever seen, and upon his feet the smallest shoes she had ever seen. He had an immense nose, that suggested the beak of a tropical nut-eating bird, and eyes that suggested two of the nuts—black ones—which such a bird would attack with deliberation. , “Mrs. Charlton,” said young Mr. Abed Nego, “ will you allow me to present to you my friend, Mr. Betstein? Mr. Betstein—Mrs. Charlton.” “It is a great bleasure to be to beet you, Bissus Charl- tod,’ said Mr. Betstein. “I have frequetly beed dear you at these sort of affairs, but I dever had the bleasure of beig bresented to you before.” ‘“T am sure I have seen you frequently, Mr. Betstein,” said Bertha. ‘‘One meets so many persons * “Of course that is quite true,” said Mr. Betstein. ‘‘ Ad I dow that I’b acobbodplace sort of fellow—like wod of the crowd, you dow.” * Here Mr. Betstein gave a little snuffle, and smiled at his gloves, which fitted admirably. ‘ Do't you thik you have had edough of that chap with the tub- blers, Bissus Charltod ?”’ he continued. ‘ That sort of thig isn’t by idea of the use tubblers should be put to.”’ Bertha said she thought the tumbler music very interest- ing indeed. She remained in the hope that some kindly friend of hers would arrive to rescue her from the intoler- able brilliancy of Mr. Betstein’s diamond stud and raven 313 CORNIECLIOOKS (E(0)