CHAPTER XV. A DIPLOMATIC ARRANGEMENT.

THE INDISCRETION OF THE DUCHESS By Anthony Hope 1894 CONTENTS A Multitude of Good Reasons The Significance of a Supper-Table The Unexpected that Always Happened The Duchess Defines Her Position A Strategic Retreat A Hint of Something Serious Heard through the Door I Find that I Care An Unparalleled Insult Left on My Hands A Very Clever Scheme As a Man Possessed A Timely Truce For an Empty Box I Choose My Way The Inn near Pontorson A Reluctant Intrusion A Strange Good Humor Unsummoned Witnesses The Duke’s Epitaph A Passing Carriage From Shadow to Sunshine

FATHER STAFFORD By Anthony Hope 1895 CONTENTS. I Eugene Lane and his Guests II New Faces and Old Feuds III Father Stafford Changes his Habits, and Mr. Haddington his Views IV Sir Roderick Ayre Inspects Mr. Morewood's Masterpiece V How Three Gentlemen Acted for the Best VI Father Stafford Keeps Vigil VII An Early Train and a Morning's Amusement VIII Stafford in Retreat, and Sir Roderick in Action IX The Battle of Baden X Mr. Morewood is Moved to Indignation XI Waiting Lady Claudia's Pleasure XII Lady Claudia is Vexed with Mankind XIII A Lover's Fate and a Friend's Counsel XIV Some People are as Fortunate as they Deserve to Be XV An End and a Beginning

QUISANTÉ Anthony Hope

CONTENTS Chapter Page DICK BENYON'S OUTSIDER 1 MOMENTS 16 SANDRO'S WAY 31 HE'S COMING! 46 WHIMSY-WHAMSIES 65 ON DUTY HILL 84 ADVICE FROM AUNT MARIA 101 CONTRA MUNDUM 120 LEAD US NOT— 137 PRACTICAL POLITICS 155 SEVENTY-SEVEN AND SUSY SINNETT 176 A HIGHLY CORRECT ATTITUDE 196 NOT SUPERHUMAN 215 OPEN EYES 235 A STRANGE IDEA 257 THE IRREVOCABLE 279 DONE FOR? 301 FOR LACK OF LOVE? 321 DEATH DEFIED 339 THE QUIET LIFE TO-MORROW 355 A RELICT 371

SIMON DALE By Anthony Hope

CONTENTS I. The Child of Prophecy 3 II. The Way of Youth 18 III. The Music of the World 33 IV. Cydaria revealed 49 V. I am forbidden to forget 65 VI. An Invitation to Court 84 VII. What came of Honesty 103 VIII. Madness, Magic, and Moonshine 122 IX. Of Gems and Pebbles 140 X. Je Viens, Tu Viens, Il Vient 160 XI. The Gentleman from Calais 180 XII. The Deference of His Grace the Duke 201 XIII. The Meed of Curiosity 222 XIV. The King's Cup 244 XV. M. de Perrencourt whispers 263 XVI. M. de Perrencourt wonders 283 XVIII.[Pg 2] Some Mighty Silly Business 324 XIX. A Night on the Road 345 XX. The Vicar's Proposition 362 XXI. The Strange Conjuncture of Two Gentlemen 378 XXII. The Device of Lord Carford 396 XXIII. A Pleasant Penitence 414 XXIV. A Comedy before the King 434 XXV. The Mind of M. de Fontelles 451 XXVI. I come Home 468

TRISTRAM OF BLENT An Episode in the Story of an Ancient House By Anthony Hope CONTENTS PAGE I A Suppressed Passage 1 II Mr Cholderton's Imp 10 III On Guard 22 IV She Could an' She Would 34 V The First Round 48 VI The Attraction of It 61 VII The Moment Draws Near 74 VIII Duty and Mr Neeld 88 IX The Man in Possession 101 X Behold the Heir! 114 XI A Phantom by the Pool 129 XII Fighters and Doubters 143 XIII In the Long Gallery 158 XIV The Very Same Day 173 XV An Inquisition Interrupted 190 XVI The New Life 205 XVII River Scenes and Bric-à-Brac 220 XVIII Conspirators and a Crux 233 XIX In the Matter of Blinkhampton 248 XX The Tristram Way—A Specimen 264 XXI The Persistence of Blent 279 XXII An Insult to the Blood 296 XXIII A Decree of Banishment 312 XXIV After the End of All 328 XXV There's the Lady Too! 342 XXVI A Business Call 358 XXVII Before Translation 375 XXVIII The Cat and the Bell 391 XXIX The Curmudgeon 407 XXX Till the Next Generation 420

HALF A HERO By Anthony Hope 1911

CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. THE IMPOSSIBLE—INEVITABLE 1 II. A POPULAR DEMONSTRATION 11 III. HOSPITALITY EX OFFICIO 19 IV. WEEDING OUT THE WEAK-KNEED 30 V. A TALK AT A DANCE 41 VI. A CANDIDATE FOR OFFICE 50 VII. A COMMON SPECTACLE 59 VIII. FOR THE HIGHEST BIDDER 69 IX. TWO HASTY UTTERANCES 80 X. THE SMOKE OF HIDDEN FIRES 90 XI. A CONSCIENTIOUS MAN'S CONSCIENCE 100 XII. AN ABSURD AMBITION 110 XIII. OUT OF HARM'S WAY 121 XIV. A FATAL SECESSION 133 XV. AN ATTEMPT AT TERRORISM 144 XVI. A LEAKY VESSEL 153 XVII. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MAN 162 XVIII. BY AN OVERSIGHT OF SOCIETY'S 173 XIX. LAST CHANCES 183 XX. THE LAW VERSUS RULE 3 196 XXI. ALL THERE WAS TO TELL 205 XXII. THE STORY OF A PHOTOGRAPH 215 XXIII. AN ORATOR'S RIVAL 227 XXIV. THREE AGAINST THE WORLD 236 XXV. THE TRUTH TOO LATE 244 XXVI. THE UNCLEAN THING 255 XXVII. THE DECISION OF THE ORACLE 268 XXVIII. STEALING A MARCH 280 XXIX. A BEATEN MAN'S THOUGHTS 291 XXX. THE END OF A TUMULT 300

THE KING'S MIRROR By Anthony Hope 1899 CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I.— A pious hyperbole 1 II.— A bird without wings 11 III.— Some secret opinions 22 IV.— Two of my makers 34 V.— Something about Victoria 47 VI.— A student of love affairs 60 VII.— Things not to be noticed 73 VIII.— Destiny in a pinafore 84 IX.— Just what would happen 96 X.— Of a political appointment 109 XI.— An act of abdication 122 XII.— King at a price 136 XIII.— I promise not to laugh 151 XIV.— Pleasure takes leave to protest 165 XV.— The hair-dresser waits 179 XVI.— A chase of two phantoms 193 XVII.— Decidedly mediæval 207 XVIII.— William Adolphus hits the mark 219 XIX.— Great promotion 233 XX.— An interesting parallel 248 XXI.— On the art of falling soft 261 XXII.— Ut puto, vestis fio 275 XXIII.— A paradox of sensibility 290 XXIV.— What a question! 304 XXV.— A smack of repetition 318 XXVI.— The secret of the Countess 334 XXVII.— Of grazes on the knee 349 XXVIII.— As Bederhof arranged 363

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE "I'm not a king for my own pleasure" Frontispiece Hammerfeldt came to me and kissed my hand 43 The firelight played on the hand that held the screen 102 "My ransom," said I. "The price of my freedom" 148 "On my honour, a pure accident," said Varvilliers 215 "Why, what brings you here?" I cried 262 "My dear friend, have you forgotten me?" 293 "I'll try—I'll try to make you happy" 342

COMEDIES OF COURTSHIP By Anthony Hope 1894

CONTENTS THE WHEEL OF LOVE