I Forbid the Banns! — page 328: what you’re looking at

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

318 “7 FORBID THE BANNS!” are First Lords of the Admiralty or something greatly - inferior.”’ In the midshipman’s eyes, every post in the government was a long way inferior in rank to that of the First Lord of the Admiralty. | He was mistaken respecting the movements of the Min- ister of Annexation. Sir Ecroyd had plainly not accom- panied Bertha to herhome. He returned to where Charlie was standing, and his face was as impassive as ever. The lad did not change ‘his position as the minister came up. He was not the First Lord—he was not even that poor thing, a civil lord. “Have you any idea of the cause of Mrs. Charlton’s indisposition ?”’ asked Sir Ecroyd. ‘“ She told me that you were an old friend of hers—one of her best friends.”’ Charlie had been prepared to treat Sir Ecroyd with chill- ing formality, The knowledge of boys and their ways and moods had, however, been acquired by Sir Ecroyd early in life, and he was well aware of what was passing through the mind of the excellent specimen before him. If he could not manage to make a boy tractable how could he hope to trick the opposition? He knew that Charlie’s face would brighten when he spoke his words, just as the man who presses the button of an electric bell knows that a horrid alarm will be produced at the other end of the wire. Charlie’s face brightened. ‘“‘T am her friend, sir,” he replied. ‘¢ She said so—her best friend,” ‘“‘T hope I may deserve to be called so, Sir Ecroyd.” “T do not doubt that you will. Have you any idea of what happened to put her about ?”’ “JT can’t say that I know for certain. But I can give some sort of a guess. Some fellows are damn scoundrels, Sir Ecroyd.”’ CORNIECLOOOKS (2(6) m