His Grace — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

146 HIS GRACE. compelled to make things uncomfortable for me. Naturally, I defied him then and there, after which he began hinting that there was some disgraceful mystery connected with my father: which he could disclose if he were driven fo it. It is true that he retracted when I— well, when I pointed out. to him what could happen unless he either spoke out or apologized; but I don’t think I really misunderstood him, though he assured me that I had.” Now I certainly had heard that the late Lord Charles Gascoigne had been an old rip, and it seemed quite on the cards that he might have done something disgraceful in the days of his youth; but there was no particular use in saying that. I therefore only said what I believed to be true: that our late host was not precisely a hero and that he was evidently jealous. People who are suffering from the pangs of jealousy and who are not dowered with a chivalrous nature fre- quently, I observe, threaten more than they can per- form. Mr. Gascoigne’s empty words were of no im- portance, except in so far as they served to throw some additional light upon his individuality. Hurstbourne accepted this explanation; it is his way to accept any explanation which relieves his honest mind of harassing misgivings, he shook his shoulders and chuckled and said: “The idea of that chicken- hearted fellow flattering himself that a girl of Miss St. George’s pluck would look twice at him! He does lay that flattering unction to his soul, though.” “Why,” I asked, “shouldn’t a plucky girl marry a chicken-hearted man ?—always supposing that he is rich enough. I can’t imagine a more courageous act, and, Saving your presence, I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if Gomicboo SiG