272 GARRYOWEN 



you. I got it all out of him by pretending you 

 were an enemy of mine. He told me straight 

 out that he was going to set Lewis on you, and, 

 upon my soul, there were moments on the journey 

 up to town when I could have flung him out of the 

 railway carriage. Anyhow, when I got him to 

 my rooms, a brilHant idea occurred to a friend of 

 mine, whom I consulted. I hired a motorcar, bought 

 some provisions, got Giveen into it, and motored 

 him down here to a cottage which belongs to an 

 uncle of mine, and which he uses for duck-shooting. 



" It's the most God-forsaken place in the world- 

 on the Essex coast, not a soul within miles; only 

 sea-gulls. Of course Giveen bucked coming 

 down, but only mildly. A happy thought 

 occurred to me, and I pretended to be shghtly 

 balmy. I told him I was the King of Siam — that 

 quieted him. He's dead certain he's in the grip 

 of a lunatic, and asks no questions. I make 

 him do the cooking, such as it is, and the washing- 

 up ; I never let him out of my sight for a moment, 

 and I sleep at night with my bed drawn across the 

 door. The whole thing is like what you'd read 

 of in a book; but it's too awful for words. He 

 can talk about nothing, and we are living on 

 tinned meat and biscuits, and now my tobacco 

 is giving out. I'd ask you to send me some, 

 only I daren't, for if the postman came here 

 Giveen would be sure to make a bid for freedom. 



" Be sure I will stick to him like grim death, 

 and give my kind regards to all at The Martens," 



i 



