His Grace — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

218 HIS GRACE. he requires the jleuret de combat, he doesn’t excite admiration when the buttons are on the foils. My eyes were upon Paul Gascoigne’s face, and for one instant I saw him look very nasty indeed ; but he knew how to control himself, and it was in his custom- ary tone of composed affability that he said: ‘“ You are going to Lady Deverell’s ball to-night, I sup- pose?” “Yes, I am,” replied Hurstbourne curtly. “ Are you?” “T hope so. I may be detained rather late in the House; but I shall try to put in an appearance during the course of the evening. Lady Deverell and Miss St. George kindly made sucha point of my being there that I mustn’t break faith with them.” Hurstbourne hailed a passing hansom and jumped into it. Unlike his cousin, he had little or no self-con- trol, and I think he often ran away, as it were, from his temper, fearing lest it might lead him into doing or say- ing something that he might afterwards regret. *¢ Are you coming home, Martyn?” he called out. “Not just yet,” I answered; “I have one or two things to do first.” I really had one or two things to do; but it was not so much on that account that I allowed him to drive away alone as because I knew. by a sort of intuition that Mr. Gascoigne wanted to speak to me. So strong was that impression on my part that, as soon as I was left upon the pavement with the recently elected M.P., I said somewhat abruptly: “ Well, what is it?” He smiled and remarked: “ You are really very quick, Mr. Martyn; yes; it is quite true thatI am glad to have this opportunity of saying a few words to you Gomichboo <S (E(0)