2 so GARRYOWEN 



produce, and steamed out again, with Mr Dash- 

 wood and his antagonist seated opposite to one 

 another in a third-class smoking carriage. 



Dashwood was by no means an " intellectual," 

 yet before they reached Victoria the unintellec- 

 tuahty of Mr Giveen had reduced him from a 

 condition of mild wonder to pure amazement. 

 An animal of the meanest description would have 

 been a far preferable companion to this gentleman 

 from over the water, childish without the charm 

 of childliood, ignorant and Httle-minded. 



As Mr Dashwood stepped out of the carriage at 

 Victoria he saw, amidst the crowd on the platform, 

 a figure and a face that he knew. 



A tall girl, with red hair and a good-looking 

 but rather mascuhne face, dressed in a tailor- 

 made gown of blue serge, and wearing pince-nez. 

 That was the apparition that brought Mr Dash- 

 wood to a pause and caused him for a moment to 

 forget Mr Giveen. 



It was Miss Hitchen, the high-minded girl with 

 the latch-key, the student of Eugenics and 

 Sociology, the lady who, in a moment of mental 

 aberration, had engaged herself to Mr Dashwood, 

 and who, after recovering her senses, had disen- 

 gaged herself, much to Mr Dashwood's relief. 

 She was evidently looking for some friend expected 

 but not arrived. For a moment Mr Dashwood 

 paused. He had never loved Miss Hitchen, but he 

 had always felt a profound respect for her intellect 

 and grasp of things. In his present quandary, 



