His Grace — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

274 HIS GRACE. commercia! personage, and, naturally enough, the ten ants, as well as the household servants, were rather short in their manner when I attempted to approach them upon the old friendly terms. I daresay they might have forgiven me if the duke had not married my sister; but that his marriage had something to do with his misfortunes was an idea which had evidently taken firm possession of their minds, though they refrained from giving actual utterance to it. Then, early in the autumn, came the news of Mr. Gascoigne’s nuptials ’ and of his imminent home-coming with his bride, which may have led them to draw distressing and invidious comparisons. | “I did hear, sir,’ Mr. Higgins had the doubtful taste to remark to me, “that his Grace was rather sweet upon the young lady at one time. Well, I wish it was his Grace that was bringing of her home now— that I do!” In default of his Grace, Mrs. Gascoigne was brought home by a husband who, unlike Hurstbourne, was enabled to lavish upon her all the luxuries that money could buy, and, from what I heard, she had no notion of allowing his money to lie idle inhis pocket. Having to ride over to the neighborhood of Lavenham upon a matter of business one day, I encountered her, driv- ing a pair of well-matched cobs, and she pulled up to inquire what news I had of the exiles. “‘T am so sorry for the poor duke,” she was kind enough to say; “I know howhe must hate foreign life, and how frightfully bored he must be. Still, under the circumstances, it is just as well, perhaps, that he should remain out of sight until people have had time to forget what a fool he has made—oh, I beg your pardon! ~Gomichoo cS (E(@)