His Grace — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

124 HIS GRACE. quently assured) an unprecedented event. We actually found a fox in Lavenham Woods. ‘There were, I be- lieve, certain people who affirmed but no matter! The gossip of the hunting-field is only a shade less contemptible than that of the drawing-room, and, what- ever may have been the antecedents of Mr. Gascoigne’s unique fox, he proved a game one and gave us a rat- tling spin of forty minutes. It is to be regretted that the gentleman who had thus done his duty by the hunt so nobly and satisfactorily should, through some un- fortunate mishap or other, have been thrown out at the very beginning of the run. I saw nothing of Mr. Gas- coigne after we got away, but, on the other hand, I saw a good deal of Miss St. George, who rode with skill and judgment, and fairly earned the brush which was awarded her. As much could not be said for Hurst- bourne. It is, or was, Hurstbourne’s habit to ride upon a system calculated to make the blood of all be- holders run cold. Nobody that I ever heard of thinks of disputing his courage. He has a good seat and tol- erably good hands; but I firmly believe that if, at that time (he has reasons for behaving less insanely nowa- days), he had seen a seven-foot stone wall in front of him, he would have put his horse at it without troubling himself for one moment to consider whether he was attempting an absolute impossibility or not. In that part of the world stone walls are neither numerous nor lofty ; but we had to negotiate some rather awkward fences, and over one of these he managed, in his own words to “come a most superior crowner.” Both he and his horse escaped with a shaking. He was soon in the saddle again, and he galloped up in time to witness the finish with a countenance illumined by smiles and Gomicboo “S (E(0) m