His Grace — page 262: what you’re looking at

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

256 3 HIS GRACE. she would seek me out, and hoped against hope that she wouldn’t. What, indeed, could I say to her, and what possible comfort was it in my power to offer her? I did my best, and she seemed relieved to hear that, in my opinion, there was little or no likelihood of the history of her late husband’s misdemeanors being made public property; but of course I could not tell her that I thought that defunct scamp justified in having signed another man’s name, and, upon my honor, I be- lieve that was what she wanted me to say. It was so terrible, she moaned, after she had cast herself down upon a chair and had allowed her tears to run unrestrainedly down her poor old painted cheeks, that Arthur should be driven to despise his father! Well, it was terrible, no doubt; only I did not see how Arthur was to help it, and I remarked that he had at least done what in him lay to protect his father’s memory. “Oh, yes,” she sobbed; “he has acted nobly and generously, and like his father’s son! ’’—a comic and pathetic tribute of applause to our joint exploit. “ And I am very grateful to you,” she added, “for having helped him to silence that cold-blooded villain. You have shown yourself a true friend to Arthur, Mr. Martyn ; I shall never forget it.” “Thank you,” I answered ; “but we are not out of the wood yet, and I am by no means sure that we haven’t done a stupid day’s work between us. Our chief hope of escaping the penalty due to our offence is that your son apparently no longer wishes to promote Miss St. George to the highest rank im the peerage. Did he tell you that ? ” “Yes,” she answered; “he told me that and—and other things besides. I was very glad—and very sorry, Gomichooks.G