His Grace — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

HIS GRACE. 67 ing exhibited in such a plight; “it’s all Arthur’s fault. He has taken it into his head that, if we can’t persuade you to do as we wish to-night, you will be off the first thing in the morning, and he thinks I can persuade you, though he can’t.” She came and laid her hand on my shoulder, adding, ‘* Now, my dear, good man, you mustn’t be so stupid and obstinate about it: what do you know about girls and their requirements? At any rate, you do know what our requirements are, and you may take my word for it that your sister will be happier as well as more welcome under our roof than she would be with that sanctimonious old Lady Deverell. She shall be free to do exactly as you and she please; but if you like to let me chaperon her I will, and I really ama perfectly respectable woman, though I know I don’t look like one at the present moment.” She was so kind, so natural and so obviously sincere, (she did not even remember to call Hurstbourne his Grace), that I ended by yielding to her solicitations. I don’t know whether I was right or wrong; I often thought afterwards that I had been very wrong indeed ; but, hypocritical as it may sound to say so, I did hon- estly believe at the time that I should be doing these good people aservice by remaining with them, while it is needless toadd that the service which they proposed to render to Nora was, in my view, an almost incalcu- lable one. cS (EC) m Gomicboo