I30 GAREYOWEN 



" I beg your pardon," said Mr Dashwood. 



" Oh, you needn't beg my pardon. I'm just 

 telling you what's in my mind. I'm so moithered 

 with one thing and another I've no heart for any- 

 thing at present but just this horse I told you 

 about, you remember — Garryowen. And I'm not 

 a man to stand between two young people if their 

 minds are set on each other. But the question is, 

 Are they? You care for her, but does she care for 

 you? So take an open field and no favour. Don't 

 go sticking at Mrs Sheelan's, seeing her maybe 

 only once in a week, but come right to Drumgool. 

 No proposing, mind you, or any of that rubbish. 

 I'm giving you your chance fair and square, and 

 I'm telling you fair and square it's in my mind that 

 I may ask her myself. So there you are. Take 

 the offer or leave it." 



Mr Dashwood paused for a moment before this 

 astonishing proposition which upset all his precon- 

 ceived ideas of love-affairs ; then the straightness 

 and strangeness and sense of it went to his heart. 

 Surely never had a man a more generous rival 

 than this ; and the sporting nature and the humour 

 of it completed the business and he held out his 

 hand. 



" Right," said he. " Another man would have 

 acted differently. Yes, I'll come. And I'll play 

 the game ; get to know her better, and then, why, 

 if she cares for me, it's the fortune of war." 



" That's it," said French; " and now I want to 

 tell you about the horse." 



