His Grace — page 226: what you’re looking at

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

220 HIS GRACE. George or else you will circulate some scandalous story, true or false, about his father ; and although you failed to frighten him by that threat, you think I may do so. I am obliged to you for your considerate suggestion ; but I am not going to take advantage of it; and I will tell you why. I don’t believe you can prove anything ; had you been able to do so, you would have come for- ward with your proofs long before this.” “Do youimagine, Mr. Martyn,” asked Mr. Gascoigne gravely, “that the credit of the family name counts for nothing with me ?”’ “Tt can’t count for much,” I rejoined, “since you propose to sacrifice it unless you are gratified by a sur- render which certainly will not be made. I couldn't ask Hurstbourne to make that surrender even if I believed in your power to throw discredit upon anybody except yourself. But I don’t. Good-morning.” I marched off with my head in the air and with per- fect consciousness of having made a foe. It did not, however, seem likely that Mr. Gascoigne would ever be able to do me much harm, while he would assuredly do Hurstbourne all the harm that he could, whether his conditions were complied with or not. Therefore I did not think that I had been guilty of a diplomatic error by dealing with him in that high and mighty fashion ; nor did I deem it advisable to report a menace to which I was disposed to attach very little impor- tance. Both Hurstbourne and Lady Charles were dining out that evening and had, I believe, other engagements as well; so that I did not go with them to Lady Dev- erell’s ball. It was close upon midnight when I arrived in Upper Grosvenor Street;for I had not hurried Eomicboo <S (E(@)