His Grace — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

132 HIS GRACE. to listen to than an accurate description of a run in which one has been precluded from participating : and if my perfunctory “ ohs” and “ ahs ” did not convince him of that elementary truth, he was made aware of it at length in a more unequivocal manner by the lady, who said : | “Yes; we quite understand that you have had capital fun. I suppose it never occurred to you that a stranger who didn’t happen to be as well mounted as you were might fail to see the joke of being abandoned to her own devices in a country of which she knew no more than she does of Central Africa.” .He then apologized so profusely and earnestly that, by the time that we had reached Lavenham and he had assisted Miss St. George to dismount, his lack of courtesy had been graciously forgiven. “Only, if you want to show that you are really re- pentant,” said she,” you will send for what clothes you want and stay the night here. I don’t doubt for one moment that you would much rather go home: but you admit that you deserve some punishment, and a form of penance which confers some slight benefit upon others ought to be especially welcome to you. Words can’t convey any notion of the dulness of the evenings that I have been spending of late with my aunt ao Mr. Gascoigne.” It is not impossible that, despite the fascinations of Miss St. George, Hurstbourne would have preferred to go home. He wassomewhat in aweof his mother, and I think also he was not anxious to accept more hospi- tality than he could help from his cousin. But his _ scruples were vanquished when Mr. Gascoigne came out to meet us, and when Miss St. George said coolly : Gomichboo “S (E(0) m