24 GARRYOWEN 



the governess was expected to arrive, Mr French 

 was talking to his cousin, Mr Giveen, who, with his 

 hat by his side, was seated on the sofa glancing 

 over a newspaper. 



The breakfast things were still on the table ; the 

 window was open to let in the glorious autumn 

 day, and a blue haze of cigar smoke hung in the 

 air, created by the cigar of Mr French. 



Mr Giveen did not smoke; his head would not 

 stand it. Neither did he drink, and for the same 

 reason. 



He looked quite a young man when he had his 

 hat on, but he was not; his head was absolutely 

 bald. 



He was dressed in well-worn grey tweed, and his 

 collar was of the Gladstone type. Cruikshank's 

 pictm-e of Mr Dick in David Copperfield might have 

 been inspired by Mr Giveen. 



This gentleman, who carried about with him a 

 faint atmosphere of madness, was not in the least 

 mad in a great many ways ; in some other ways he 

 was — ^well, pecuhar. 



He inhabited a bungalow half-way between 

 Drumgool House and Drumboyne, and he had a 

 small income, the exact extent of which he kept 

 hidden. He had no profession, occupation or 

 trade ; no family — French was his nearest relation, 

 and continually wishing himself further away — 

 no troubles, no cares. He neither read, smoked, 

 drank, played bilhards, cards, or games of any 

 description; all these methods of amusement were 



