His Grace — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

HIS GRACE. 219 about Arthur. It would be idle to blink at the fact that he and I are—simply and solely through his choice —in the position of antagonists, and I daresay I may assume that you are on his side in an. antagonism which I am unaware of having done anything to pro- voke. It is just because you are on his side, because you are a friend of his and because you are believed to have influence over him, that Iam anxious to convey a hint to him through you to which he certainly would not listen if it were to come directly from me. I am not, believe me, malicious; I have no desire to injure him ; but I believe that I have it in my power to injure him somewhat seriously, and circumstances may arise which will leave me no option but to exercise that power. To speak quite candidly, I allude to his atten- tions to Miss St. George. For reasons upon which I need not enter, those attentions are as disagreeable to me as they are to the young lady’s aunt; and they really must be discontinued. If they are not, I fear that I shall be driven, much against my will, to have recourse to the measures at which I have hinted.” “T don’t call that speaking quite candidly,” I replied. “One would like to have something more definite than a hint before taking upon oneself to meddle with other people’s affairs.” ‘“¢ Quite so; but it will be obvious to you that I cannot be more explicit without betraying what I trust may remain a family secret. Arthur, I have no doubt, has told you of a conversation which I had with him at Lavenham ; I must leave you to draw your own con- clusions as to the nature of the secret in question.” “T understand, then,’ said I, “that your threat is this: your cousin is to stop flirting with Miss St. com (@) books (E(@)