His Grace — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

76 HIS GRACE. one is a young duke—he speedily found favor in the eyes of such members of the assemblage as he had not been previously acquainted with, and if he was not a par- ticularly brilliant performer on skates, he was at all events a very plucky and good-humored one. Nora and I, having been born and bred inacold country, were tolerably proficient in the art of cutting figures, and it was to Nora’s tuition that he was pleased to submit himself. She managed to make him gothrough ~ some remarkable evolutions; she chaffed him without mercy; he did not appear to mind being chaffed (for indeed there never lived a more unaffected or unpre- tending creature than he), and, seeing that they were getting on so well together, I thought I would leave them and join Lady Charles, who, enveloped in furs, was stamping up and down the bank to keep herself warm. Lady Charles began at once to talk about Nora, of whom she spoke in language which I suppose I may be excused for calling appreciative. After all, I don’t know why the fact that Nora is my sister should debar me from recognizing and proclaiming her fascinations —especially as I bear no sort of personal resemblance to her. ‘She is a perfectly charming girl,’’ Lady Charles de- clared—“ pretty without being self-conscious, and clever without always struggling to say smart things, as most of them do. It shall be no fault of mine if she isn’t provided with an excellent husband by this time next year. You really must confide her to me when we go up to London next spring. I daresay you won’t care to come to town yourself ; besides, you have your avo- Eomichboo <S (ECO) m