98 GARRYOWEN 



couch? " cried Nor ah, shaken out of her respect 

 for her master by the sight of Effie on her legs. 



" Doing off the couch? Away with you down 

 and send up Mrs Driscoll. You and your couch! 

 You've been murdering the child between you for 

 the last three years with your couches and your 

 coddhng. Off with you! " 



" Don't be harsh to them," said Effie's saviour, 

 as Norah departed in search of the housekeeper. 

 " They did it for the best." 



HaK an hour later Mrs Driscoll, with her pet 

 illusion still perfectly unshattered, returned to her 

 kitchen to conduct the preparations for dinner, 

 whilst Effie, freed for ever from her bonds, sat on a 

 stool before the nursery fire reading Mrs BrowrCs 

 Adventures in Paris. 



Miss Grimshaw, coming down a httle later, 

 found three letters that had just come by post 

 awaiting her. One was from Mr Dashwood. 



It was a short and rather gloomy letter. He 

 had asked permission to write to her, and she had 

 been looking forward to a letter from him, for she 

 liked him, and his recollection formed a picture 

 in her mind pleasant enough to contemplate; but 

 this short and rather gloomy screed was so unlike 

 him that she at once guessed something wrong 

 in his affairs. 



Woman-like, she was not over-pleased that he 

 should permit his private worries to take the edge 

 off his pen when he was writing to her, and she 

 determined to leave the letter unanswered. 



