I Forbid the Banns! — page 341: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE APPROACH OF DAWN. 331 it out, and threw his enemy into a pond about three feet in depth. We entered the greenhouse just in time to see the unfortunate fellow working his way up one of the banks as far from Charlie as possible. Why are you so excited? Your nerves are really not the thing, Bertha. “No, no, [ am not nervous, only—did Charlie—did any- one say what was the origin of the quarrel?” asked Bertha, breathing hard. ‘It was most amusing,” said Julian. ‘‘ Charlie shouted across the pond to the fellow: ‘ Here is Mr. Charlton, who wants to know if you fell in by accident’; and the fellow said that it was an accident. You never saw anything so comical as the appearance of the bedraggled wretch as he sneaked out through the people who were standing about the palm house. ‘Talk of a drowned rat——’”’ ‘And Charlie did not say one word of how the quarrel originated ?”’ “Not a word. It was when I taxed him with having thrown the man into the pond that he told me you had gone home—yes, he told me not to forget to tell you what had happened, and to mention that the fellow had said that he had fallen into the pond by accident. You should have gone to bed, Bertha, the moment you came in. We have to go out again to-morrow night, you must remember.” ‘“T never want to go out anywhere again,” she cried. There was a moan in every word. “Absurd!” said he. ‘ What is the matter?” “Oh, take me away from here, Julian—anywhere—any- where—only away from here. I think I shall die or go mad if I remain here any longer.” She had thrown herself down on a sofa and buried her face on one of the arms. He watched her for some moments. Clearly her nerves had been overstrung by whatever had occurred. What was it that had occurred ? - GOmichbooksnco