His Grace — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

190 HIS GRACE. been present and at which she appeared to have met quite a galaxy of celebrities. “T had a long chat with his Royal Highness,” the poor old thing told me, with irrepressible glee, “and he was as simple and natural as possible—just like any ordinary person. He said he couldn’t think how it was that he had never met me before. His Grace is a great deal in that set now, you know.” I had not the heart to distress her by saying that his Grace’s participation in the diversions of that set was likely to be a brief one. I allowed her to prattle on, and did not contradict her when she declared that a Duke of Hurstbourne possessed almost a prescriptive right to some post connected with the Royal household. “At present,” she remarked, “ all the appointments that he could accept are filled up, and the Tories are naturally reluctant to bestow any honor upon the head of one of the historic Whig houses; but I think they will find, when a vacancy does occur, that his claims are too strong to be resisted.”’ The head of the historic Whig house presently emerged from his retreat in the back drawing-room to inform us that Miss Martyn said she must be off, and that he proposed to see her home. Miss Martyn, however, declined his proffered escort, and, as it ap- peared that Lady Deverell’s maid was waiting for her in the hall, he had to admit that she stood in need of no additional protection. “I shall see you again before long, I hope,” said he, as he shook hands with Nora at the foot of the stairs ; “meanwhile I’ll endeavor to lay your good advice to heart. You won’t go very far wrong, though, if you bestow an occasional thought upon mine.” cS Eomichoo (E(@)