192 GARRYOWEN 



house, The Roost. They were the first people to 

 call on us — sort of spies sent out by the others to 

 see how the land lay. Do you know, I've never 

 thanked you for something." 



" No? What's that? " 



" Do you remember your forethought in making 

 me a niece to Mr French? Well, I never felt the 

 benefit of your benevolent intention so much as 

 the day when the Creeps called on us and when 

 they crept into the drawing-room — three girls 

 like white snails, followed by an old gentleman 

 Hke a white cockatoo. It was so pleasant to think 

 they thought I was on a social and mental equality 

 with them, and so pleasant to think they were 

 wrong! " 



"Wrong!" cried Dash wood, flying out. "I 

 should think they were wrong! Not fit to black 

 your boots! " 



" Perhaps that's what I meant, from my point 

 of view," said Miss Grimshaw, modestly, " and 

 perhaps it wasn't. Anyhow, the situation was 

 not without humour. Our relationship with the 

 Crowsnest people has been a long comedy, of a 

 sort. You know all our affairs, but you don't 

 know the ins and outs and how the wild Irish on 

 the hillside—" 



" Yes? " 



Miss Grimshaw laughed. " Do you remember 

 that httle dinner-party Mr French — my uncle, I 

 mean — ^gave in January to Colonel Bingham and 

 the Smith- Jacksons? " 



