His Grace — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

HIS GRACE. 204 vice and, as usual, gave me to understand that my value in her estimation, whether as a visitor or as an eaves- dropper, amounted exactly to Zero. “‘ If you haven’t anything more to say just at present, I’ll go upstairs and change,” she remarked to her aunt, and so left me to receive Lady Deverell’s apologies, of which I was not defrauded. Lady Deverell was ashamed of herself, and admitted as much with a candor which disarmed attack. “ Peo- ple have no business to hide behind screens, and listen- ers hear no good of themselves,” she continued; “ but f am very sorry that you overheard what I said just now. Nevertheless, it was the truth, you know.” “The truth that Hurstbourne has lost his heart to Nora, but that it would be too absurd to credit him with any intention of marrying her?” I asked. “Oh, well, of course I shouldn’t have used those words in speaking to you; but if you are not aware of the facts, you really ought to have been aware of them.” “Such is my density,” I replied, “that what you call facts have remained and still remain, unacknowl- edged by me. Supposing them to be facts, they make you out a trustworthy sort of chaperon, don’t they?” Lady Deverell sat down and began to defend her- self against accusations which I had not made. “Tt is all very well to abuse me,” said she; “but I have done the best I could, and it happens to be my duty to take care of my niece as well as your sister. I don’t see that I am to blame for having taken a lit- tle advantage of that young man’s infatuation. If Nora had taken a fancy to him, it might have been different ; but she hasn’t.” | / Tcomicboo (E(0) im “S