His Grace — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

IIA HIS GRACE. Gascoigne, who, while maintaining a perfectly polite and urbane demeanor, contrived by various more or less adroit insinuations to goad us into a condition bordering upon fury. Yet, as will have been surmised from my statement that these charming persons were left to be entertained by three of our number, there were excuses for Mr. Gascoigne. It could not have been pleasant to him to see Hurstbourne lead Miss St. George off to the con- servatories immediately after luncheon; he could not, I am sure, have liked the young lady’s persistent deaf- ness to his hints that he, too, would be glad to inspect the exotics; and by taking his revenge upon unoffend- ing persons he was perhaps only doing what it is human and natural to do. I can’t say that I liked him well enough to be sorry for him; but I endeavored to make allowances and I abstained from inviting him to explain himself when he gave us to understand that his cousin had become mixed up with a disreputable gang of racing men. “Racing,” said he, “is a national pastime which tends, no doubt, to improve the breed of horses through- out the country. It is quite right that it should be supported; only, I should never advise any man to engage in it unless he could afford to do so en grand seygneur.” ‘“ His Grace,” observed Lady Charles, “ would always do that.” Thereupon, Mr. Gascoigne laughed a little and in- quired whether his Grace was a millionaire. “ Only millionaires,’ he was good enough to inform us, “ can race without betting, and only people who don’t mind losing their money can bet without involving themselves Gomicboo Y x (e(@) cS