MISS HITCHEN 251 



with French's fate Kterally in his hands, and with 

 no idea how to preserve it, the clever and capable 

 face of Miss Hitchen came as a Hght to a man in 

 darkness 



They had parted in amity. In fact, the last 

 words Miss Hitchen had said to him were of a 

 natm-e almost prophetic. " Bobby," she said, 

 " if yom' irresponsibihty ever gets you into any 

 scrape, and I can help you, let me know, for you 

 are just the sort of boy that gets into scrapes that 

 only women can help a man out of." 



" Wait for me a moment," said Mr Dashwood 

 to Mr Giveen. Then, pushing through the crowd, 

 he touched Miss Hitchen hghtly on the arm. 



She turned. 



"Bobby!" 



"I'm so awfully glad to see you — ^you can't 

 tell ! I say, I'm in a scrape — not me, but another 

 man. I can't explain everything at once. Don't 

 think there's anything wrong, but a man's whole 

 fortune is hanging in the balance, and I want you 

 to help to save it. Just look round there. Do 

 you see that fellow in grey tweed, with a face Hke 

 an — I don't know what? " 



'' Yes," said Miss Hitchen, gazing at Mr Giveen. 

 " Is he the man in the scrape? " 



"No; he's the scrape. See here — ^will you 

 drive with us to the Albany, and I'll leave him in 

 there, and we can speak about the thing. He's 

 a gentleman and all that, but he's shghtly mad, 

 and the whole thing is most curious." 



