Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE GREAT MISS DRIVER BY ANTHONY HOPE AUTHOR OF TRISTRAM OF BLENT, DOUBLE HARNESS, HELENA'S PATH, LOVE'S LOGIC NEW YORK THE McCLURE COMPANY MCMVIII Copyright, 1908, by The McClure Company Copyright, 1908, by Anthony Hope Hawkins [Illustration: "_By Heaven, the girl on the mantelpiece at Hatcham Ford!_"] CONTENTS I. WHAT IS SHE LIKE? II. MAKING AMENDS III. ON THE USE OF SCRAPES IV. AN UNPOPULAR MAN V. RAPIER AND CLUB VI. TAKING TO OPEN SEA VII. THE FLICK OF A WHIP VIII. A SECRET TREATY IX. THE INSTITUTE CLERK X. A FRIENDLY GLASS XI. THE SIGNAL AT "DANGER" XII. SAVING A WEEK XIII. THE BOY WITH THE RED CAP XIV. THE EIGHT-FIFTEEN TRAIN XV. IN THE DOCK XVI. NOT PROVEN XVII. ONE OF TWO LEGACIES XVIII. THE NEW CAMPAIGN XIX. A CASE OF CONSCIENCE XX. LIVING PIECES XXI. NATHAN AND DAVID XXII. THE ALTERNATIVE XXIII. ON ALL GROUNDS--RIDICULOUS! XXIV. A CHANCE FOR THE ROMANTIC XXV. A FRESH COAT OF PAINT XXVI. PEDIGREE AND BIOGRAPHY XXVII. A MAN OF BUSINESS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "By Heaven, the girl on the mantelpiece at Hatcham Ford!" "He might have given me a chance!" Jenny was crouching on the floor beside Powers "A fresh coat of paint wanted!" THE GREAT MISS DRIVER CHAPTER I WHAT IS SHE LIKE? "Perhaps you won't believe me," said I, "but till yesterday I never so much as heard of her existence." "I've not the least difficulty in believing you. That was old Nick's way. It wasn't your business--was it?--so he didn't talk to you about it. On the other hand, when a thing was your business--that's to say, when he wanted your services--he told you all about it. But I believe I'm the only person he did tell. I'm sure he didn't tell a soul down in Catsford. Finely put about they'll be!" Mr. Cartmell, of Fisher, Son, & Cartmell (he was the only surviving representative of the firm), broke off to hide a portion of his round red face in a silver tankard; Loft, the butler, had brought it to him on his arrival without express orders given; I had often seen the same vessel going into Mr. Driver's study on the occasion of the lawyer's calls. He set the tankard--much lightened it must have been--on the mantelpiece and walked to the window, taking a pull at his cigar. We were in my room--my "office" it was generally called in the household. He stood looking out, talking to me half over his shoulder.