CHAPTER VIII THE TEMPLE OF BACCHUS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "You won't improve his chances by keeping anything back." I saw a bedizened beauty go mad before my eyes. I drove Delavoye before me. A handsome, sinister creature, in a brown flowing wig and raiment as fine as any on the walls. Trying to tug the fierce moustache out of his mild face. A heavy blackthorn held in murderous poise. His thin arms locked round the neck of the young nurse. Delavoye fired over my head.

AT LARGE E. W. Hornung

CONTENTS A Nucleus of Fortune 1 Sundown 11 After Four Years 20 How Dick Came Home 28 The First Evening at Graysbrooke 41 Sisyphus 53 South Kensington 64 The Admirable Miles 72 A Dancing Lesson and its Consequences 86 An Old Friend and an Old Memory 98 Dressing, Dancing, Looking on 109 "To-Morrow, and To-Morrow, and To-Morrow" 123 In Bushey Park 132 Quits 152 The Morning After 163 Military Manœuvres 174 "Miles's Beggars" 185 Alice Speaks for Herself 196 Conterminous Courses 206 Strange Humility 216 An Altered Man 227 Extremities 234 The Effect of a Photograph 244 The Effect of a Song 256 Melmerbridge Church 271 At Bay 286 The Fatal Tress 296 The Effort 307 Elizabeth Ryan 313 Sweet Revenge 325 The Charity of Silence 333 Suspense: Reaction 343 How Dick Said Good-Bye 353

PECCAVI By E. W. Hornung

CONTENTS Chapter Page I. Dust to Dust 1 II. The Chief Mourner 11 III. A Confession 18 IV. Midsummer Night 29 V. The Man Alone 45 VI. Fire 51 VII. The Sinner's Prayer 66 VIII. The Lord of the Manor 77 IX. A Duel Begins 89 X. The Letter of the Law 100 XI. Labour of Hercules 115 XII. A Fresh Discovery 125 XIII. Devices of a Castaway 131 XIV. The Last Resort 137 XV. His Own Lawyer 150 XVI. End of the Duel 162 XVII. Three Weeks and a Night 186 XVIII. The Night's Work 193 XIX. The First Winter 209 XX. The Way of Peace 230 XXI. At the Flint House 249 XXII. A Little Child 262 XXIII. Design and Accident 275 XXIV. Glamour and Rue 291 XXV. Signs of Change 306 XXVI. A Very Few Words 316 XXVII. An Escape 323 XXVIII. The Turning Tide 335 XXIX. A Haven of Hearts 348 XXX. The Woman's Hour 362 XXXI. Advent Eve 378 XXXII. The Second Time 390 XXXIII. Sanctuary 397

THE THOUSANDTH WOMAN By Ernest W. Hornung Illustrated By Frank Snapp

CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. A Small World 1 II. Second Sight 16 III. In the Train 29 IV. Down the River 42 V. An Untimely Visitor 64 VI. Voluntary Service 83 VII. After Michelangelo 98 VIII. Finger-Prints 117 IX. Fair Warning 134 X. The Week of Their Lives 146 XI. In Country and In Town 156 XII. The Thousandth Man 169 XIII. Quid Pro Quo 181 XIV. Faith Unfaithful 205 XV. The Person Unknown 214

TINY LUTTRELL By Ernest W. Hornung

CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. The Coming of Tiny, 1 II. Swift of Wallandoon, 21 III. The Tail of the Season, 44 IV. Ruth and Christina, 63 V. Essingham Rectory, 84 VI. A Matter of Ancient History, 102 VII. The Shadow of the Hall, 116 VIII. Countess Dromard at Home, 133 IX. Mother and Son, 148 X. A Threatening Dawn, 162 XI. In the Ladies' Tent, 176 XII. Ordeal by Battle, 193 XIII. Her Hour of Triumph, 213 XIV. A Cycle of Moods, 233 XV. The Invisible Ideal, 248 XVI. Foreign Soil, 263 XVII. The High Seas, 286 XVIII. The Third Time of Asking, 306 XIX. Counsel's Opinion, 317 XX. In Honor Bound, 327 XXI. A Deaf Ear, 339 XXII. Summum Bonum, 348

MY LORD DUKE By E. W. Hornung

CONTENTS I. The Head of the Family 1 II. "Happy Jack" 16 III. A Chance Lost 31 IV. Not in the Programme 44 V. With the Elect 63 VI. A New Leaf 77 VII. The Duke's Progress 90 VIII. The Old Adam 105 IX. An Anonymous Letter 122 X. "Dead Nuts" 137 XI. The Night of the Twentieth 151 XII. The Wrong Man 163 XIII. The Interregnum 180 XIV. Jack and his Master 189 XV. End of the Interregnum 199 XVI. "Love the Gift" 215 XVII. An Anti-Toxine 223 XVIII. Heckling a Minister 233 XIX. The Cat and the Mouse 244 XX. "Love the Debt" 257 XXI. The Bar Sinister 266 XXII. De Mortuis 282

THE CRIME DOCTOR By Ernest W. Hornung

CONTENTS I The Physician Who Healed Himself 1 II The Life-Preserver 40 III A Hopeless Case 77 IV The Golden Key 118 V A Schoolmaster Abroad 159 VI One Possessed 199 VII The Doctor's Assistant 237 VIII The Second Murderer 272

DENIS DENT By Ernest W. Hornung CONTENTS Chapter Page I. The Second Officer 1 II. Sauve Qui Peut 10 III. The Castaways 18 IV. Lost and Found 30 V. A Touch of Fever 37 VI. New Conditions 48 VII. Denis and Nan 57 VIII. Cold Water 70 IX. The Canvas City 79 X. Thieves in the Night 90 XI. Strange Bedfellows 102 XII. El Dorado 114 XIII. The Enemy's Camp 122 XIV. The First Claim 133 XV. A Pious Fraud 146 XVI. A Windfall 158 XVII. Hate and Money 168 XVIII. Rotten Gully 178 XIX. New Blood 187 XX. The Jeweler's Shop 196 XXI. The Courier of Death 211 XXII. Atra Cura 220 XXIII. Broken Off 231 XXIV. Death's Door 243 XXV. Beat of Drum 251 XXVI. Homeward Bound 265 XXVII. The Great Gulf 277 XXVIII. News of Battle 289 XXIX. Guy Fawkes Day 299 XXX. The Sandbag Battery 310 XXXI. Time's Whirligig 319

A BRIDE FROM THE BUSH By Ernest Wm. Hornung

CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. A LETTER FROM ALFRED 9 II. HOME IN STYLE 24 III. PINS AND NEEDLES 35 IV. A TASTE OF HER QUALITY 49 V. GRANVILLE ON THE SITUATION 61 VI. COMPARING NOTES 71 VII. IN RICHMOND PARK 81 VIII. GRAN’S REVENGE 96 IX. E TENEBRIS LUX 112 X. PLAIN SAILING 129 XI. A THUNDER-CLAP 142 XII. PAST PARDON 151 XIII. A SOCIAL INFLICTION 160 XIV. ‘HEAR MY PRAYER!’ 172 XV. THE FIRST PARTING 186 XVI. TRACES 194 XVII. WAITING FOR THE WORST 209 XVIII. THE BOUNDARY-RIDER OF THE YELKIN PADDOCK 228 XIX. ANOTHER LETTER FROM ALFRED 244

THE BOSS OF TAROOMBA By E. W. Hornung

CONTENTS