284 GARRYOWEN 



had escaped. The fight for fortune had been a 

 long one, vast obstacles had been overcome — 

 was it all to end at the last moment in disaster? 



When Miss Grimshaw entered the room she 

 found Mr French seated at the table with the open 

 telegram before him, and at his side a glass of 

 whisky-and-water and a decanter. 



" Read that," said he. 



She took the message and read it with a con- 

 striction at the heart. 



" Well," said he, " what do you think of that? " 



Miss Grimshaw, before answering, took the 

 whisky decanter from the table and put it on the 

 side table. 



" Oh, you needn't be afraid of me," said French. 

 " I'm too much at the end of my tether to care 

 very much what happens. Faith, I wouldn't 

 take the bother to get drunk." 



" All the same," said the girl, " we must meet 

 this with as cool a head as possible. ' Motoring 

 down' " (she was reading the message). *' Who does 

 he mean, I wonder? Of course he must mean 

 himself, because he evidently does not know where 

 Mr Giveen is or what he's doing. It was handed 

 in at Regent Street this morning at 9.15; received 

 here at 10.2. It is now nearly eleven — " 



" Listen! " said French. 



Sounds came very clearly up here from the 

 lower land, and the sound which had attracted 

 French's attention was the throb of a motor car 

 approaching along the station road. 



