His Grace — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

HIS GRACE. 59 ‘I couldn’t possibly do such a thing, Phil,” was the decisive answer which she returned to a certain pro- posal of mine. “Setting aside any personal scruples that I might feel about robbing you, it would be down- right dishonest to treat our poor, dear old’ mother’s will as if it didn’t exist. She knew very well what she was doing when she made it, and she was certainly right. With the little that she had to dispose of, forty or fifty pounds a year was the utmost that she could be expected to leave to a married daughter.” “Only you are not a married daughter,” I ob- served. “Well, I shall be before long; there is nothing to prevent me from fulfilling my engagement now.” I did not think it desirable to dispute that assertion at the moment: but I pointed out that the wedding could hardly take place next week or even next month. “And what is to become of you in the meantime?” I inquired. That was not a very easy question to answer, nor could Nora’s declaration, that she would manage some- how and that I wasn’t to bother myself, be regarded as disposing of it. However, Mr. Burgess, when he turned up soon after luncheon with a little pile of devotional works under his arm, prepared with a solution of the difficulty which he was so kind as to submit to our ap- proval. Having heard his elephantine tread upon the gravel, and having caught a glimpse of him before he rang the door-bell, I retired hurriedly into the garden tosmoke. He was entitled to claim the privilege of a private interview with his fancée, and if he had any- thing to say to me, I presume she would let him know where to find me. Eomichboo cS (Eo) m