His Grace — page 260: what you’re looking at

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

254 HIS GRACE. CHAPTER XX. FEMININE CONSISTENCY. It does not seem impossible that, in the course of the humble narrative which is now nearing its conclusion, I may have conveyed to feminine readers an impression that I am incapable of comprehending or rendering justice to their sex. ‘To that criticism most of them will probably add that they can get on very well with- out my comprehension or my justice. Perhaps, there- fore, it would be impertinent on my part to offer excuses and apologies ; still, if I can’t do justice to others, I am always anxious to do justice to myself, and that is why I seize this opportunity of declaring how fully I recognize and admire the power of women to come out strong in times of emergency. Personally, I think they would be pleasanter to live with if they did not habitually exaggerate the proportions of mole-hills by way of off- set to their occasional courage in levelling mountains ; but that is neither here nor there. I gladly admit that they possess the latter form of courage; and Lady Charles Gascoigne, of all people in the world, gave us a splendid example of it when we informed her that, in consequence of the recent ducal extravagances the ducal ménage would have to be speedily shorn of all its mag- nificence. books com (@) (El)