I Forbid the Banns! — page 358: what you’re looking at

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

348 * 7? FORBID THE BANNS!” the comedian if you stop him every now and again to insist on his explaining his jokes? Julian considered himself lucky when Lord Ashenthorpe took him by the arm and led him away to intrust him, as an old friend, with the sacred duty of entertaining the wife of the chief of his department. “T am in luck,” said Cyril to Marian. ‘“ Sir Ecroyd Fairleigh met me on the stairs just now—he was coming up with Charlton’s wife——and in ten words offered me a capital ‘post in the administration of the newly acquired Calipash Islands. I told him our relations, and he shook his head. ‘Try the Calipash Islands for a year at any rate before you think of marriage,’ said he. That was all. What shall I say to him ?”’ “T give you Sir Ecroyd’s advice,” she replied. ‘Try the Calipashes for a year, and let it be understood in the mean- time that we are not fettered by any engagement.” “Oh, no, not that,’”’ said he, ‘“ But I insist on it,’’ she cried. “I begin to think that you are a poor thing.” “And I am only beginning to think that you are the most generous woman in the world,” said he. “To tell you the truth, I got a letter to-day from my father. It is very rough and contains some passages regarding the aspects of marriage as associated with starvation, which are too indeli- cate even for a father who is noted for his indelicacy.”’ ‘Had you not better go to Sir Ecroyd and tell him that you accept the post ?”’ said Marian. ‘“‘T have already accepted it,’ Reed he. “I knew that I could rely on your good sense.’ “Did you?” said she with more than a touch of scorn, for no girl likes to be accused of good sense. ‘“ Did you? Then that only makes me the more certain that there should be no engagement betweenus. I dare say you have to thank Mrs. Charlton for having pleaded for you, so you would be Gomichooksico