2o8 GARRYOWEN 



to do nothing underhand. Well, I have carried 

 out my word. / have played the game. By no 

 word or sign have I tried to take advantage of my 

 position till Saturday, when my feelings overcame 

 me and I made a fool of myself. The agony of 

 the thing is, I can't explain to her my position. 

 It's very hard, when a man has tried to act fair and 

 square, to be landed in a beastly boghole hke this. 



" I only can explain when I ask her to be my 

 wife, which, I tell you frankly, I am going to do, 

 but not yet. I know how your plans and affairs 

 are in a muddle till this race is over, and I propose 

 to do nothing till then. Then, and only then, 

 I will write to her, and I will tell you the day and 

 hour I post the letter. I expect you to do to me 

 as I have done to you, and not take advantage 

 of your position. 



" I will not see you till the event comes off, when 

 I hope to see you at Epsom, and not only see you, 

 but your colours first past the winning post." 



A youthful and straightforward letter, and 

 sensible enough considering the extraordinary 

 circumstances of the case. 



French, when he read it, scratched his head. 



When he had made the compact mth Bobby 

 Dashwood in the smoking-room of the Shelbourne 

 Hotel he had done so half in joke, haK in earnest. 

 Violet Grimshaw had appealed to him from the 

 first just as a pleasant picture or a pretty song 

 appeals to a man, but till the day at the Shelbourne 



