His Grace — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

HIS GRACE. 79 give up attempting to be jolly together any longer, as a lot of solemn old “ cockalorums,” would be arriving before dinner-time. These Honorable and Right Honorable gentlemen appeared in due course, primed with the speeches whereby they hoped to arouse the sluggish consciences of wavering electors, and I am bound to say that their conversation was extremely tedious. I am no politi- cian: so that I can speak with true impartiality of those politicians with whom I have been brought into contact, and if I am wrong in my impression that a theoretical Liberal is the most wearisome and uncon- vincing of created beings, I am willing to admit and apologize for my error: but if anybody ever persuades me'to humiliate myself in that way, Iam quite sure that it will not be Hurstbourne, whose gallant efforts to swallow his yawns during the harangues to which we were treated before his guests retired for the night were piteous to behold. “Tt’s all very fine to be a magnate of the first water,” he said to me confidentially, while we were smok- ing a last cigar together in peace: “but there are drawbacks, you know—most confounded drawbacks! These talking beggars whom it is one’s duty to listen to respectfully are one of them; but, between you and me, the people who think they would like to be duch- esses are another. I’m not such a very desirable duke, as dukes go; but I can tell you that, if I hadn't my mother to protect me, I should find myself engaged to somebody or other before I knew where I was.” “ Your mother,” I replied “will undoubtedly engage you to somebody before you know where you are; you ¢c¢om T = \ EHDoOO cS