I Forbid the Banns! — page 400: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER LIII. ON SOME GRAINS OF COMFORT. T was half-past ten o’clock when Julian Charlton returned to London. He drove at once to the house in Chelsea, and found both Mr. and Mrs. Hardy in the stuffy sitting room. He told them how he had arrived just half an hour too late to be able to board the Pango Pango, and asked them for their advice under the circumstances. A couple of months before he would have laughed at the idea of asking the advice of such persons. He had always regarded Mrs. Hardy as the most commonplace woman whom he had ever met, and he had looked on her husband as a ridiculous kind of person. Now, however, he felt that he had reason to revise his Opinions regarding the lady as well as her husband. Mrs. Hardy had shown herself, in respect of the letter, to be prompt, in spite of her deeply founded prejudice against rapidity of action—leaving stone steps out of the question altogether. Mr. Hardy had not merely shown himself to be a true prophet, he had spoken words of wisdom and words of hope in the hearing of Julian a few days before. Julian was glad to be able to go to them and take counsel with them as to what he should now do, having failed to reach the Australian liner before she had left Utterport. The advice which they gave him Julian believed to be wise ; it coincided with his own views; and he left Chelsea feeling more impressed than ever with the soundness of the wisdom of the secretary to the carnisolists. They agreed with him that what he should do was to telegraph to the first port where the Pango Pango should 390 Gomichbook (E)