His Grace — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

60 HLS GRACE. Well, I was tolerably sure that he would have some- thing to say to me; so that I was not surprised when, at the expiration of half an hour or thereabouts, he came pacing across the grass in order to say it. Nor, as far as that goes, was I greatly surprised at the somewhat aggrieved tone in which his remarks were delivered. He had not anticipated, (so I forced him to admit in plain terms, after a lengthy and circuitous preamble,) that my sister would be left with so meagre a dowry. He himself was not a rich man; he had his children to consider ; and—in short, he must confess that his dear friend Mrs. Martyn’s testament appeared to have been framed without due regard to the circum- stances of the case. “I am sorry for that,’’ answered I briskly; ‘ but of course you won’t expect me to agree with you. As for your engagement to my sister, which I tell you frankly that I don’t consider by any means a good bargain for her, you have only to say the word and it shall be off.” He threw up his great hands and closed his eyes in shocked deprecation of my brutality. Not by him, he solemnly affirmed, should a promise, once given, ever be revoked ; I little knew him if I imagined that he was one who coveted riches or who would be willing to sacrifice the happiness of others to his own comfort. Nevertheless, he could not but feel that, if he had a sister situated as my sister was “Yes, Iam quite sure you would,” I interrupted, anticipating the generous course which he would adopt in suchan event; “but you see, Mr. Burgess, I have no pretension to resemble you in any way, and I am nota bit inclined to pauperize myself in order that my sister may become the stepmother of your children. I only Gomicboo =) cS CeCe)