His Grace — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

94 HIS GRACE. ass. I suspected nothing: it did not occur to me to attribute Hurstbourne’s determination to stay on for a while at the Castle to any other cause than the con- tinuance of the hard weather, which, as he truly said, prevented its being worth any man’s while to under- take a journey to Leicestershire: I did not even smell a rat when a thaw came and when he telegraphed for three of his hunters to be despatched from Melton. The fact is that I was very busy and not a little bothered with accounts: I could .not often accompany these young people when they begged me to ride or skate with them: and, as they seemed to get on quite comfortably without me, I devoted my attention to my work and did not always remember to inquire how they had been spending their many hours af leisure. Lady Charles slept a good deal. She was one of those lazy, good-humored persons who are usually contented so long as those about them are contented, and although an uneventful mode of exist- ence may not have been greatly to her taste, she did not complain of it. Most likely she thought that it would not last long and that she would soon be removed into circles where the fascinations of hair- dye and pearl-powder are properly appreciated. I believe the first thing that gave me a vague sensa- tion of uneasiness—and even then it was but a vague sensation—was Hurstbourne’s saying abruptly to me, one evening, that I really ought to insist upon my sister’s engagement being broken off. “It’s utterly monstrous, you know,” said he, “ It can’t be allowed to go on; and the sooner that old bloke is told so the better, in my opinion.” I replied that it scarcely came within the range of my com (9) boo “S (E(0) m i)