MISS GKIMSHAW'S 5 POINTS 145 



ingenuous lover, in the form of Mr Dashwood, 

 determining to play the game and take no ad- 

 vantage of French. To complete the matter, here 

 was Miss Grimshaw, who had been apprised of 

 the coming of Mr Dashwood as a guest by wire, 

 completing the preparations for the reception of 

 the two gentlemen and with, in her heart, an 

 equally kindly feehng for each. 



Doolan had caught a large lobster the day 

 before, " blown up on the strand," and this, coral- 

 red and curled on a dish, flanked a round of cold 

 spiced beef on the supper-table ; a bright fire was 

 burning in the grate, the hght of the lamps shone, 

 reflected by the ruby of port and claret in the 

 decanters on the sideboard; the potatoes, boiled 

 in their jackets, were being kept hot in the oven, 

 and everything was in readiness for the expected 

 travellers, who were late. 



As Miss Grimshaw sat by the fire she could hear 

 the faint boom of the sea. To know desolation 

 and the blessing of a visit you must live in the 

 extreme west of Ireland, which, I take it, is the 

 extreme outside edge of European civilisation; 

 and after three days of rain, three days of reading 

 the day before yesterday's Freeman's Journal 

 and Mrs Brown's 'Oliday Outings, Miss Grimshaw 

 was in the frame of mind to receive a visitor, more 

 especially when that visitor took the form of Bobby 

 Dashwood. 



Bobby and his irresponsibihties had found a 

 place in her heart. Not the place that women 



