I90 GARRYOWEN 



In the Shelbourne, when the young man had 

 spoken, he had spoken in one of those outbursts of 

 confidence which men rarely give way to. To 

 re-open the question in cold blood was appaUingly 

 hard. Not only had he got to know the girl better 

 in the last few months, but he had also got an 

 entirely different view of French. The good, 

 easy-going French had turned for Mr Dashwood 

 from another man who was a friend into a friend 

 who was a sort of fatherly relation. The difference 

 in years between them showed up stronger and 

 stronger as acquaintanceship strengthened, and 

 French had taken on an avuncular manner; the 

 benevolent and paternal in his nature had un- 

 consciously developed; he was constantly giving 

 Bobby good advice, warning him of the evils of 

 getting into debt, holding himself up as an awful 

 example, etc. French, in the last ten weeks, had 

 shown no symptoms of special feehng with regard 

 to the lady. Was he, too, playing the game, or 

 had he forgotten all about his intentions towards 

 her? or was his mind taken up so completely with 

 the horse and his money troubles that he had no 

 time at the moment to think of anything else? 



" Isn't it dehghtful? " said Miss Grimshaw. 



" Which? " asked Bobby, coming back from 

 perplexed meditations to reahty. 



"This — the air, the country. Look! there's 

 a primrose! " 



They were taking the downhill path from The 

 Martens. A pale yellow primrose growing in a 



