His Grace — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

12 HITS GRACE. brains of other people, you are driven to place your biceps at their service. Itstands to reason that a poor, unprotected pigmy must have irresistible claims upon you, and that, you may depend upon it, is what made you resolve to be my friend and champion.”’ All that is very great nonsense. I do not quote it in order to make the reader think me modest and un- selfish, but only to convey some idea of the simplicity of Hurstbourne’s character. It does not occur to him that he possesses any individual attraction—and in truth the attraction which he unquestionably does pos- sess would be a little difficult to define—if anyone tries to be a friend to him, he at once assumes that that per- son must be abnormally noble and generous. Perhaps that is one reason why he continues to the present day to love and admire his mother, who However, if I have to say anything disparaging about her, I will say it later on. At the time of which I speak I naturally took it for granted that the Duke of Hurstbourne must henceforth move ina sphere as remote from my own as that of any duke must of necessity be; yet dukes and beggars do come across oneanother in the street, and it was in the street that I found myself face to face with my for- mer fag a few days later. The street was muddy, too, after a recent shower, and he came running across it in his patent-leather boots to shake hands with me; which seems to show that some people may be dukes without realizing that it behooves them to beckon their friends through the mud when they wish to speak to them. “Well, old chap,” said he, “ how has the world been treating you this last ever so long?” Gomichoo m