His Grace — page 254: what you’re looking at

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

248 HIS GRACE. land. It really isn’t worth our while to call each other names.” “T have done nothing felonious and nothing wrong,” the old lady returned ; “still less have I done anything selfish. It was for my niece’s sake, not for my own, that I felt bound to take that letter out of the desk in which I have kept it locked up for more years than you have lived in the world.” “ Ah, I wasn’t thinking about the letter; I was thinking about your treatment of a girl to whom you were supposed to be acting in the capacity of a mother. It was very pretty and very unselfish on your part to offer hospitality and protection to Miss Martyn, wasn’t it? You knew—or, at all events, you thought you knew— © that I had not the smallest intention of asking her to be my wife; but that was no reason why there shouldn’t be a flirtation between us, or why the flirtation shouldn’t - have results which would exactly suit your book. I am not going to tell you how I discovered your amiable little design ; but I have discovered it, as you see, and upon my word, I don’t see what business you have to mount the high horse when you talk tome. If I ama despicable being, it strikes me very forcibly that you are another.” Lady Deverell was visibly disconcerted. I don’t know whether she would have met his assertion with a flat contradiction if she had not been hampered by the memory of a certain conversation which I had over- heard; but I daresay she would not, for she had an un- usual share of masculine attributes. What she did deny, in a few words, was that she had ever trifled with my sister’s happiness. “Miss Martyn,” said she, bluntly and somewhat in: Eomichoo “S (E(0) mM