His Grace — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

HIS GRACE. | 121 “ Well, I mean, for one thing, that I don’t see the fun of fox-hunting without a fox, and for another thing, that I would rather not be preached at again by Lady Deverell if I could help it. Thirdly and lastly, I should perfer to stay at home. There’s no use in arguing with a person who says she would prefer to stay at home.” “T also will stay at home,” observed Lady Charles, with a laugh anda yawn. “If Mr. Gascoigne wishes for our company, let him have the good manners to ask for it. And then we’ll refuse.” Hurstbourne grumbled a little, he could do no less. He said that, even if there were no foxes at Lavenham, there would be foxes somewhere in the neighborhood and that, supposing the worst came to the worst, it was better to be out in the open air than to sit over the fire all day, doing nothing, he should have thought. But he evidently was not particularly keen about Nora’s company, and it is superfluous to add that that sad fact was as obvious to her as it was to me. Much to my relief she did not display her true feelings more undis- guisedly than she had already done ; though I dare say she might have been painfully explicit without causing that foolish young man to suspect their existence. The end of it was that I was forced, somewhat against my will, to go with him and see him through. Haurst- bourne is one of those good, simple creatures who can’t enjoy anything alone and can’t understand the failure of other people to enjoy what affords them satisfaction. He must needs always have a friend at his elbow to whom he can impart his joys, his sorrows, his desires and the rest of his ephemeral emotions, and it seemed, for the time being, to be my destiny’to fill a part which Eomichoo cS (e(@) im