ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.
Richard lost no time in sending to his mother from Vienna a full
account of his varied experiences. Her reply was supplemented by the
arrival of her steward and his wife, who informed him fully of all
that had occurred at home during his absence. The good wife had come
with her husband to be of such service as she could to Edith in
preparing for the young girl's wedding. Edith had been placed by
Richard in a hotel until the marriage should take place.
The riddle of the blond hair was now explained, and Richard's grief
and love for his martyr-brother made him prize the little lock of hair
more than all other earthly possessions. He was also told that his
mother had wished to attend his wedding, but on applying for a
passport,--which was now necessary even for the shortest
journeys,--she had been refused, and had received instructions not to
leave Nemesdomb until farther notice. Then the young baroness had
planned to come, but was detained by her baby's illness. As for his
brother A-dAśn, he had the best of reasons for not showing himself in
Vienna at present. So the steward and his wife had come to represent
the family.
Finally, the good man announced that the Baradlay property had been
taken possession of by the government,--not permanently, as only the
inheritance of two of the brothers, at most, could be confiscated,
while the third brother's share must be restored in the end; but such
matters were settled only after long delay. Meanwhile the total income
of the property went into the state treasury, and a mere pittance was
returned to the widow, in monthly payments, for the support of her
family. Therefore Richard's expenses were to be regulated with extreme
economy. The young man found all this only what was to have been
expected. He had been granted his life and liberty, and was not
disposed to grumble at losing his property. What engrossed his
thoughts just then was his approaching marriage with Edith, which was
to make him the happiest man in all the world.
When in due time he had attained to that longed for bliss, he found
himself confronted by a situation that demanded earnest consultation
with the partner of his happiness.
"Do you know, little wife," said he, "that we are very poor?"
But Edith only laughed at him. "How can we be poor when we have each
other?" she demanded, triumphantly.
"That makes two millions, I know," admitted Richard; "but it yields no
interest in cash. We must economise. Do you know what our monthly
income actually amounts to? One hundred florins. More than that my
mother cannot spare me, as she is much straitened herself."
"But I don't see how we can spend even that amount," declared Edith.
"It is a great sum of money."
"I must confess one thing more to you," pursued the young husband;
"even this small income is not all mine. I have a number of little
debts here in the city, dating back one and two years, or
more,--trifling sums that I owe to honest shopkeepers and working
people. These debts were mere bagatelles to me then, but they press me
heavily now. Yet I can't allow these poor people who have trusted me
to suffer loss. I shall pay them every penny, and for that purpose I
propose to set aside one-half my monthly allowance."
"Very well," assented the other cheerfully; "we can live royally on
fifty florins a month. I will be cook, and we will get along with only
two courses for dinner. You shall see what a good cook I am. I will
have a little servant girl to wash the dishes, and I am sure we shall
manage famously."
Richard kissed his wife's hand and delivered into her keeping fifty
florins for household expenses.
He then asked leave to absent himself for a few hours on business, and
Edith told him he might stay out until one o'clock, when she should
have dinner ready for him.
Richard appeared punctually at the hour set, like a model husband. And
how good the little dinner tasted! He ate like a wolf, and declared
that not even the emperor himself fared better. Really it was a
splendid meal for fifty-five kreutzers.
"Such a dinner was more than I often got when I was a captain of
hussars," declared the gratified husband, "especially when old Paul
was cook--Heaven bless him!"
The dinner had been well earned, too. Richard had secured a place as
workman in a machine-shop, at fifty florins a month, a splendid
salary! He had also transacted other business in the course of the
morning. He had called on the old shopkeeper in Porcelain Street, and
asked him to take charge of his finances and arrange a settlement with
his creditors, to whom he owed perhaps two thousand florins. He wished
to pay it off in instalments until the last penny of indebtedness was
discharged. Old Solomon had promised to call on him between one and
two o'clock, when his shop was always closed.
At half-past one the old man's shuffling steps were heard in the
passageway. Edith was still busy with her dish-washing, and the window
was open to let fresh air into the single room that served as kitchen,
dining-room, and parlour in one.
"Ah, my dear madam," began the visitor, bowing low, "I kiss your fair
hand; I am ever glad to kiss the hand that works--rather than the hand
that knows only how to hold a fan. You have a very pleasant home
here,--a little cramped for room, perhaps, but that brings you so much
the nearer each other. Now then, Captain Baradlay, let us proceed to
business," said he, turning to Richard. "The lady of the house will
not be inconvenienced, I trust, by our transacting a little business
in her parlour. It is here a case of two hearts that beat as one, I am
sure." The old Jew took a bit of chalk from his pocket. "Have the
goodness, please, to give me a list of all your debts."
Richard's memory in such matters was good, and he named the items, one
after another, while old Solomon wrote them down on the table.
"Heavens and earth!" cried the aged Hebrew, raising his eyebrows and
causing his round cap to move backward and forward on his bald skull;
"a large sum, a big pile of money that makes. H'm, h'm!" He took a
pinch of snuff from his black snuff-box, and then resumed his
reckoning. "It appears, if I mistake not, that Captain Baradlay was
still under age when these debts were contracted."
"But my honour was not under age," said Richard.
"Ah, well said! That should be posted up in large letters,--'My honour
was never under age!' Do you see, madam, what sort of a man you have
married? A spendthrift who values his honour at more than two thousand
florins.
"But look here, Captain, there's a way we have of settling debts like
these, by agreeing with the creditors to pay a certain per cent. They
are generally glad enough to get even a small fraction of what they
supposed was dead loss. It's a very sensible arrangement all around."
"But it doesn't suit me," returned Richard emphatically. "Florin for
florin, it shall all be paid as fast as I get the money. I can't cheat
the poor people out of their just dues, even if I have to go hungry to
pay them."
"Incorrigible!" exclaimed the other. "Remember, you are no longer a
bachelor; you must think of your changed circumstances. Well, well,
don't heat yourself. We'll say no more about it, but pass on to
consider how all these debts are to be paid."
So saying, he marked off two parallel columns on the table, over one
of which he wrote, "Debit," and over the other, "Credit."
"In the first place," began Richard, "I receive a hundred florins
monthly from my mother, half of which is to go to my creditors."
"Half of it? and does your wife agree to that?"
"Oh, yes," Edith hastened to reply.
Solomon made an entry in the second column.
"Fifty florins more will come to me monthly as wages for my work in
the machine-shop," continued Richard. "Half of it I shall use toward
paying my debts, and the other half is for my wife's wardrobe."
"But how can I ever spend so much?" interposed Edith. "Your dear, good
mother sent me so many dresses for wedding presents that I never can
wear them out. Let it all go to your creditors." She would give the
two no peace until Solomon had written down the whole amount.
Then the old man pushed up the sleeves of his caftan, like one who
prepares to execute a masterstroke. "To that must next be added," said
he, "the three hundred thousand florins that Miss Edith Liedenwall
brought to Captain Baradlay as her dowry." Therewith he wrote "300,000
fl." as the next entry.
The two young people looked at him to see what he meant by such a
joke; but he merely rose from his chair, took each of them by the
hand, and addressed them as follows:
"I wish you all happiness in your married life. You are worthy of each
other. What I just said, and what I wrote, were both in earnest; and
now I will explain."
The three resumed their seats, and the old man proceeded to explain to
them the mystery of the three hundred thousand florins.
"You had, my dear madam, a great-uncle, Alfred Plankenhorst, who was a
rich man and an old bachelor. He had great family pride, as I have
reason to know, having been well acquainted with him and acted as his
banker and business agent. I thus came to know a good deal about his
family affairs. The old gentleman made a will by which he left all his
property--his house in Vienna and his invested funds--to his niece,
Baroness Plankenhorst, and her daughter. The old uncle was
long-lived,--it is a way with some people, especially when they are
rich,--and before he died the young lady had a love affair which
resulted unfortunately for her good name. Well, there was no help for
it; but the old gentleman had very strong prejudices in such matters,
and he made a new will. Hunting up the orphan daughter of a distant
relative,--Edith Liedenwall was the young lady's name,--he left her in
the care of the Plankenhorst ladies for her education. The substance
of the second will I can give you in a few words.
"Should Alfonsine Plankenhorst ever marry and make good her false step
by a union with a man of birth equal to her own, she was to receive
the bulk of the property as her dowry; but if she failed to retrieve
herself before Edith Liedenwall grew up and married, the latter was to
receive this dowry, provided her marriage was a suitable and
honourable one, and provided she had committed no act such as had led
the testator to destroy his first will. Failing this disposition of
the property, as dowry either of Alfonsine Plankenhorst or of Edith
Liedenwall, it was to go, after a certain number of years, to the St.
Bridget Convent, though the house was in any case to remain in the
possession of the Plankenhorst ladies. I was made executor of this
will, the contents of which were to be kept secret. But the secretary
who wrote it communicated its items to the baroness and her daughter,
so that they have long known all about it. If you will now review the
events of your courtship and engagement, in the light of what I have
just told you, you will find everything explained that has been
hitherto mysterious to you. Meanwhile, I was watching the course of
events and knew all that was going on. Oh, we quiet old people have
sharp eyes; we can see into houses, into pockets, and even into
hearts.
"The Plankenhorst mansion will remain in the possession of its present
occupants. It is a pretty bit of property by itself, but they'll go
through it within ten years. Yet these are not times when one thinks
about what is to be ten years hence. He who clothes the lilies of the
field and the girls in the ballet will also provide for Alfonsine
Plankenhorst.
"And now, Captain and Mrs. Baradlay, are you satisfied with what
fortune has brought you?"
THE END.
SELECTIONS FROM
L.A C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S
LIST OF FICTION
[Illustration]
=An Enemy to the King.= (_Twentieth Thousand._)
From the Recently Discovered Memoirs of the Sieur de la
Tournoire. By ROBERT NEILSON STEPHENS. Illustrated by
H. De M. Young.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"Brilliant as a play; it is equally brilliant as a
romantic novel."--_Philadelphia Press._
"Those who love chivalry, fighting, and intrigue will
find it, and of good quality, in this book."--_New York
Critic._
=The Continental Dragoon.= (_Eighteenth Thousand._)
A Romance of Philipse Manor House, in 1778. By ROBERT
NEILSON STEPHENS, author of "An Enemy to the King."
Illustrated by H.A C. Edwards.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"It has the sterling qualities of strong dramatic
writing, and ranks among the most spirited and ably
written historical romances of the season. An impulsive
appreciation of a soldier who is a soldier, a man who
is a man, a hero who is a hero, is one of the most
captivating of Mr. Stephens's charms of manner and
style."--_Boston Herald._
=The Road to Paris.= (_Sixteenth Thousand._)
By ROBERT NEILSON STEPHENS, author of "An Enemy to the
King," "The Continental Dragoon," etc. Illustrated by
H.A C. Edwards.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"Vivid and picturesque in style, well conceived and
full of action, the novel is absorbing from cover to
cover."--_Philadelphia Public Ledger._
"In the line of historical romance, few books of the
season will equal Robert Neilson Stephens's 'The Road
to Paris.'"--_Cincinnati Times-Star._
=A Gentleman Player.=
His Adventures on a Secret Mission for Queen Elizabeth.
By ROBERT NEILSON STEPHENS, author of "An Enemy to the
King," "The Continental Dragoon;" "The Road to Paris,"
etc. Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 450 pages =$1.50=
"A Gentleman Player" is a romance of the Elizabethan
period. It relates the story of a young gentleman who,
in the reign of Elizabeth, falls so low in his fortune
that he joins Shakespeare's company of players, and
becomes a friend and protA(C)gA(C) of the great poet.
Throughout the course of his adventures the hero makes
use of his art as an actor and his skill as a
swordsman, and the dA(C)nouement of the plot is brought
about by means of a performance by Shakespeare's
company of a play in an inn yard.
=Rose A Charlitte.= (_Eighth Thousand._)
An Acadien Romance. By MARSHALL SAUNDERS, author of
"Beautiful Joe," etc. Illustrated by H. De M. Young.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"A very fine novel we unhesitatingly pronounce it ...
one of the books that stamp themselves at once upon the
imagination and remain imbedded in the memory long
after the covers are closed."--_Literary World,
Boston._
=Deficient Saints.=
A Tale of Maine. By MARSHALL SAUNDERS, author of "Rose
A Charlitte," "Beautiful Joe," etc. Illustrated by
Frank T. Merrill.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 400 pages =$1.50=
In this story Marshall Saunders follows closely the
fortunes of a French family whose history is bound up
with that of the old Pine-tree State. These French
people become less and less French until, at last, they
are Americans, intensely loyal to their State and their
country. Although "Deficient Saints" is by no means a
historical novel, frequent references are made to the
early romantic history of Maine.
=Her Sailor.=
A Novel. By MARSHALL SAUNDERS, author of "Rose A
Charlitte," "Beautiful Joe," etc. Illustrated.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 250 pages =$1.25=
A story of modern life of great charm and pathos,
dealing with the love affairs of an American girl and a
naval officer.
=Midst the Wild Carpathians.=
By Maurus Jokai, author of "Black Diamonds," "The Lion
of Janina," etc. Authorized translation by R. Nisbet
Bain. Illustrated by J.A W. Kennedy.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"The story is absorbingly interesting and displays all
the virility of Jokai's powers, his genius of
description, his keenness of characterization, his
subtlety of humor and his consummate art in the
progression of the novel from one apparent climax to
another."--_Chicago Evening Post._
=Pretty Michal.=
A Romance of Hungary. By MAURUS JOKAI, author of "Black
Diamonds," "The Green Book," "Midst the Wild
Carpathians," etc. Authorized translation by R. Nisbet
Bain. Illustrated with a photogravure frontispiece of
the great Magyar writer.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth decorative, 325 pages =$1.50=
"It is at once a spirited tale of 'border chivalry,' a
charming love story full of genuine poetry, and a
graphic picture of life in a country and at a period
both equally new to English readers."--_Literary World,
London._
=In Kings' Houses.=
A Romance of the Reign of Queen Anne. By JULIA C.A R.
DORR, author of "A Cathedral Pilgrimage," etc.
Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"We close the book with a wish that the author may
write more romance of the history of England which she
knows so well."--_Bookman, New York._
"A fine strong story which is a relief to come upon.
Related with charming simple art."--_Philadelphia
Public Ledger._
=Manders.=
A Tale of Paris. By ELWYN BARRON. Illustrated.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 350 pages =$1.50=
"Bright descriptions of student life in Paris,
sympathetic views of human frailty, and a dash of
dramatic force, combine to form an attractive story.
The book contains some very strong scenes, plenty of
life and color, and a pleasant tinge of humor.... It
has grip, picturesqueness, and vivacity."--_The Speaker
(London)._
"A study of deep human interest, in which pathos and
humor both play their parts. The descriptions of life
in the Quartier Latin are distinguished for their
freshness and liveliness."--_St. James Gazette
(London)._
"A romance sweet as violets."--_Town Topics (New
York)._
=In Old New York.=
A Romance. By WILSON BARRETT, author of "The Sign of
the Cross," etc., and ELWYN BARRON, author of
"Manders." Illustrated.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 350 pages =$1.50=
A historical romance of great vigor and interest. The
collaboration of Mr. Barrett with Mr. Barron, the
successful author of "Manders," is a sufficient
guarantee of the production of a volume of fiction
which will take very high rank.
=Omar the Tentmaker.=
A Romance of Old Persia. By NATHAN HASKELL DOLE.
Illustrated by F.A T. Merrill.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"The story itself is beautiful and it is beautifully
written. It possesses the true spirit of romance, and
is almost poetical in form. The author has undoubtedly
been inspired by his admiration for the Rubaiyat of
Omar Khayyam to write this story of which Omar is the
hero."--_Troy Times._
"Mr. Dole has built a delightful romance."--_Chicago
Chronicle._
"It is a strong and vividly written story, full of the
life and spirit of romance."--_New Orleans Picayune._
=The Golden Dog.=
A Romance of Quebec. By WILLIAM KIRBY. New authorized
edition. Illustrated by J.A W. Kennedy.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"A powerful romance of love, intrigue, and adventure in
the time of Louis XV. and Mme. de Pompadour, when the
French colonies were making their great struggle to
retain for an ungrateful court the fairest jewels in
the colonial diadem of France."--_New York Herald._
=The Making of a Saint.=
By W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM. Illustrated by Gilbert James.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"An exceedingly strong story of original motive and
design.... The scenes are imbued with a spirit of
frankness ... and in addition there is a strong
dramatic flavor."--_Philadelphia Press._
"A sprightly tale abounding in adventures, and redolent
of the spirit of mediA|val Italy."--_Brooklyn Times._
=Friendship and Folly.=
A novel. By MARIA LOUISE POOL, author of "Dally," "A
Redbridge Neighborhood," "In a Dike Shanty," etc.
Illustrated by J.A W. Kennedy.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"The author handles her elements with skilful
fingers--fingers that feel their way most truthfully
among the actual emotions and occurrences of nineteenth
century romance. Hers is a frank, sensitive touch, and
the result is both complete and full of
interest."--_Boston Ideas._
"The story will rank with the best previous work of
this author."--_Indianapolis News._
=The Knight of King's Guard.=
A Romance of the Days of the Black Prince. By EWAN
MARTIN. Illustrated by Gilbert James.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 300 pages =$1.50=
An exceedingly well written romance, dealing with the
romantic period chronicled so admirably by Froissart.
The scene is laid at a border castle between England
and Scotland, the city of London, and on the French
battle-fields of Cressy and Poitiers. Edward the Third,
Queen Philippa, the Black Prince, Bertrand du Guesclin,
are all historical characters, accurate reproductions
of which give life and vitality to the romance. The
character of the hero is especially well drawn.
=The Rejuvenation of Miss Semaphore.=
A farcical novel. By HAL GODFREY. Illustrated by
Etheldred B. Barry.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"A fanciful, laughable tale of two maiden sisters of
uncertain age who are induced, by their natural longing
for a return to youth and its blessings, to pay a large
sum for a mystical water which possesses the value of
setting backwards the hands of time. No more
delightfully fresh and original book has appeared since
'Vice Versa' charmed an amused world. It is well
written, drawn to the life and full of the most
enjoyable humor."--_Boston Beacon._
=Cross Trails.=
By VICTOR WAITE. Illustrated by J.A W. Kennedy.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"A Spanish-American novel of unusual interest, a
brilliant, dashing, and stirring story, teeming with
humanity and life. Mr. Waite is to be congratulated
upon the strength with which he has drawn his
characters."--_San Francisco Chronicle._
"Every page is enthralling."--_Academy._
"Full of strength and reality."--_AthenA|um._
"The book is exceedingly powerful."--_Glasgow Herald._
=The Paths of the Prudent.=
By J.A S. FLETCHER, author of "When Charles I. was
King," "Mistress Spitfire," etc. Illustrated by J.A W.
Kennedy.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 300 pages =$1.50=
"The story has a curious fascination for the reader,
and the theme and characters are handled with rare
ability."--_Scotsman._
"Dorinthia is charming. The story is told with great
humor."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
"An excellently well told story, and the reader's
interest is perfectly sustained to the very
end."--_Punch._
=Bijli the Dancer.=
By JAMES BLYTHE PATTON. Illustrated by Horace Van
Rinth.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"A novel of Modern India.... The fortunes of the
heroine, an Indian Nautch girl, are told with a vigor,
pathos, and a wealth of poetic sympathy that makes the
book admirable from first to last."--_Detroit Free
Press._
"A remarkable book."--_Bookman._
"Powerful and fascinating."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
"A vivid picture of Indian life."--_Academy (London)._
=Drives and Puts.=
A Book of Golf Stories. By WALTER CAMP and LILIAN
BROOKS. Illustrated.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth decorative =$1.25=
Considering the great and growing interest in
golf,--perhaps the king of sports,--this volume,
written by Walter Camp, the eminent authority on
sports, in collaboration with Lilian Brooks, the
well-known writer of short stories, is sure to be a
success.
="To Arms!"=
Being Some Passages from the Early Life of Allan
Oliphant, Chirurgeon, Written by Himself, and now Set
Forth for the First Time. By ANDREW BALFOUR.
Illustrated by F.A W. Glover.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"A tale of 'Bonnie Tweedside,' and St. Dynans and Auld
Reekle,--a fair picture of the country under misrule
and usurpation and all kinds of vicissitudes. Allan
Oliphant is a great hero."--_Chicago Times-Herald._
"A recital of thrilling interest, told with unflagging
vigor."--_Globe._
"An unusually excellent example of a semi-historic
romance."--_World._
=The River of Pearls=; or, The Red Spider.
A Chinese Romance. By RENA% DE PONT-JEST, with sixty
illustrations from original drawings by Felix RA(C)gamey.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 300 pages =$1.50=
Close acquaintance with the manners and customs of the
Chinese has enabled the author to write a story which
is instructive as well as interesting. The book, as a
whole, shows the writer to be possessed of a strong
descriptive faculty, as well as keen insight into the
characters of the people of whom he is writing. The
plot is cleverly conceived and well worked out, and the
story abounds with incidents of the most exciting and
sensational character. Enjoyment of its perusal is
increased by the powerful illustrations of Felix
RA(C)gamey.
The book may be read with profit by any one who wishes
to realize the actual condition of native life in
China.
=Frivolities.=
Especially Addressed to Those who are Tired of being
Serious. By RICHARD MARSH, author of "Tom Ossington's
Ghost," etc.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 340 pages =$1.50=
A dozen stories in an entirely new vein for Mr. Marsh.
The humor is irresistible, and carries the reader on
breathlessly from one laugh to another. The style,
though appealing to a totally different side of complex
human nature, is as strong and effective as the
author's intense and dramatic work in "Tom Ossington's
Ghost."
=Via Lucis.=
By KASSANDRA VIVARIA. With portrait of the author.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"'Via Lucis' is--we say it unhesitatingly--a striking
and interesting production."--_London AthenA|um._
"Without doubt the most notable novel of the summer is
this strong story of Italian life, so full of local
color one can almost see the cool, shaded patios and
the flame of the pomegranate blossom, and smell the
perfume of the grapes growing on the hillsides. It is a
story of deep and passionate heart interests, of fierce
loves and fiercer hates, of undisciplined natures that
work out their own bitter destiny of woe. There has
hardly been a finer piece of portraiture than that of
the child Arduina,--the child of a sickly and unloved
mother and a cruel and vindictive father,--a morbid,
queer, lonely little creature, who is left to grow up
without love or training of any kind."--_New Orleans
Picayune._
=Lally of the Brigade.=
A Romance of the Irish Brigade in France during the
Time of Louis the Fourteenth. By L. MCMANUS, author of
"The Silk of the Kine," "The Red Star," etc.
Illustrated.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth, 250 pages =$1.25=
The scene of this romance is partly at the siege of
Crimona (held by the troops of Louis XIV.) by the
Austrian forces under Prince Eugene. During the siege
the famous Irish Brigade renders valiant service, and
the hero--a dashing young Irishman--is in the thick of
the fighting. He is also able to give efficient service
in unravelling a political intrigue, in which the love
affairs of the hero and the heroine are interwoven.
=Sons of Adversity.=
A Romance of Queen Elizabeth's Time. By L. COPE
CORNFORD, author of "Captain Jacobus," etc. Illustrated
by J.A W. Kennedy.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"A tale of adventure on land and sea at the time when
Protestant England and Catholic Spain were struggling
for naval supremacy. Spanish conspiracies against the
peace of good Queen Bess, a vivid description of the
raise of the Spanish siege of Leyden by the combined
Dutch and English forces, sea fights, the recovery of
stolen treasure, are all skilfully woven elements in a
plot of unusual strength."--_Pittsburg Bulletin._
=The Archbishop's Unguarded Moment.=
By OSCAR FAY ADAMS. Illustrated.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth decorative =$1.25=
Mr. Adams is well known as a writer of short stories.
As the title indicates, these stories deal with
dignitaries of the Episcopal Church. The mingled pathos
and humor, which Mr. Adams has handled so admirably in
describing his characters, make a book of more than
average interest for the reader of fiction.
=Captain Fracasse.=
Translated from the French of Gautier. By ELLEN MURRAY
BEAM. Illustrated by Victor A. Searles.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"The story is one of the best in romantic fiction, for
upon it Gautier lavished his rare knowledge of the
twelfth century."--_San Francisco Chronicle._
"One of those rare stories in which vitality is
abundant."--_New York Herald._
=The Count of Nideck.=
From the French of Erckmann-Chatrian, translated and
adapted by RALPH BROWNING FISKE. Illustrated by Victor
A. Searles.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"'The Count of Nideck,' adapted from the French of
Erckmann-Chatrian by Ralph Browning Fiske, is a most
interesting tale, simply told, and moving with direct
force to the end in view."--_Minneapolis Times._
"Rapid in movement, it abounds in dramatic incident,
furnishes graphic descriptions of the locality and is
enlivened with a very pretty love story."--_Troy
Budget._
=Muriella=; OR, LE SELVE.
By OUIDA. Illustrated by M.A B. Prendergast.
1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.25=
"Ouida's literary style is almost perfect in
'Muriella.'"--_Chicago Times-Herald._
"'Muriella' is an admirable example of the author's
best work."--_Brooklyn Times._
"It dwells in the memory, and bears the dramatic force,
tragic interest, and skilfulness of treatment that mark
the work of Ouida when at her best."--_Pittsburg
Bulletin._
=Bobbie McDuff.=
By CLINTON ROSS, author of "The Scarlet Coat,"
"Zuleika," etc. Illustrated by B. West Clinedinst.
1 vol., large 16mo, cloth =$1.00=
"'Bobbie McDuff,' by Clinton Ross, is a healthy
romance, tersely and vigorously told."--_Louisville
Courier-Journal._
"It is full of mystery and as fascinating as a fairy
tale."--_San Francisco Chronicle._
"It is a well-written story, full of surprises and
abounding in vivid interest."--_The Congregationalist,
Boston._
=The Shadow of a Crime.=
A Cumbrian Romance. By HALL CAINE, author of "The
Manxman," "The Deemster," etc., with twelve full-page
illustrations in half-tone, from drawings by M.A B.
Prendergast.
1 vol., cloth, illustrated, gilt top =$1.25=
* * * * *
_The Works of Gabriel d'Annunzio._
=The Triumph of Death.=
=The Intruder.=
=The Maidens of the Rocks.=
=The Child of Pleasure.=
Each, 1 vol., lib. 12mo, cloth =$1.50=
"The writer of the greatest promise to-day in Italy,
and perhaps one of the most unique figures in
contemporary literature, is Gabriel d'Annunzio, the
poet-novelist."--_The Bookman._
"This book is realistic. Some say that it is brutally
so. But the realism is that of Flaubert and not of
Zola. There is no plain speaking for the sake of plain
speaking. Every detail is justified in the fact that it
illuminates either the motives or the actions of the
man and woman who here stand revealed. It is deadly
true. The author holds the mirror up to nature, and the
reader, as he sees his own experiences duplicated in
passage after passage, has something of the same
sensation as all of us know on the first reading of
George Meredith's 'Egoist.' Reading these pages is like
being out in the country on a dark night in a storm.
Suddenly a flash of lightning comes and every detail of
your surroundings is revealed."--_Review of the Triumph
of Death, in the New York Evening Sun._
=Mademoiselle de Berny.=
A Story of Valley Forge. By PAULINE BRADFORD MACKIE.
With five full-page photogravures from drawings by
Frank T. Merrill.
Printed on deckle-edged paper, with gilt top, and
bound in cloth. 272 pages =$1.50=
"The charm of 'Mademoiselle de Berny' lies in its
singular sweetness."--_Boston Herald._
"One of the very few choice American historical
stories."--_Boston Transcript._
"Real romance ... admirably written."--_Washington
Post._
"A stirring romance, full of life and action from start
to finish."--_Toledo Daily Blade._
"Of the many romances in which Washington is made to
figure, this is one of the most fascinating, one of the
best."--_Boston Courier._
=Ye Lyttle Salem Maide.=
A Story of Witchcraft. By PAULINE BRADFORD MACKIE, with
four full-page photogravures from drawings by E.A W.A D.
Hamilton.
Printed on deckle-edged paper, with gilt top, and
bound in cloth. 321 pages =$1.50=
A tale of the days of the reign of superstition in New
England, and of a brave "lyttle maide," of Salem Town,
whose faith and hope and unyielding adherence to her
word of honor form the basis of a most attractive
story. Several historical characters are introduced,
including the Rev. Cotton Mather and Governor and Lady
Phipps, and a very convincing picture is drawn of
Puritan life during the latter part of the seventeenth
century. An especial interest is added to the book by
the illustrations, reproduced by the photogravure
process from originals by E.A W.A D. Hamilton.
=In Guiana Wilds.=
A Study of Two Women. By JAMES RODWAY, author of "In
the Guiana Forest," etc. Illustrated.
1 vol., library 12mo, cloth, decorative cover, 250
pages =$1.25=
"In Guiana Wilds" may be described as an ethnological
romance. A typical young Scotchman becomes, by the
force of circumstances, decivilized, and mates with a
native woman.
It is a psychological study of great power and ability.
=Vivian of Virginia.=
Being the Memoirs of Our First Rebellion, by John
Vivian, Esq., of Middle Plantation, Virginia. By
HULBERT FULLER. With ten full-page illustrations by
Frank T. Merrill.
1 vol., library 12mo, cloth, gilt top, deckle-edge
paper =$1.50=
"A stirring and accurate account of the famous Bacon
rebellion."--_Los Angeles Sunday Times._
"We shall have to search far to find a better colonial
story than this."--_Denver Republican._
"A well-conceived, well-plotted romance, full of life
and adventure."--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._
"A story abounding in exciting incidents and well-told
conversations."--_Boston Journal._
"Mr. Fuller will find a large circle of readers for his
romance who will not be disappointed in their pleasant
expectations."--_Boston Transcript._
"Instead of using history as a background for the
exploits of the hero, the author used the hero to bring
out history and the interesting events of those early
days in Virginia. The author has preserved the language
and customs of the times admirably."--_Philadelphia
Telegram._
=The Gray House of the Quarries.=
By MARY HARRIOTT NORRIS. With a frontispiece etching by
Edmund H. Garrett.
1 vol., 8vo, cloth, 500 pages =$1.50=
"The peculiar genre, for which, in a literary sense,
all must acknowledge obligation to the author of a new
type, is the Dutch-American species. The church-goings,
the courtings, the pleasures and sorrows of a primitive
people, their lives and deaths, weddings, suicides,
births and burials, are Rembrandt and Rubens pictures
on a fresh canvas."--_Boston Transcript._
"The fine ideal of womanhood in a person never once
physically described will gratify the highest tone of
the period, and is an ennobling conception."--_Time and
The Hour, Boston._
=A Hypocritical Romance= and Other Stories.
By CAROLINE TICKNOR. Illustrated by J.A W. Kennedy.
1 vol., large 16mo, cloth =$1.00=
Miss Ticknor, well known as one of the most promising
of the younger school of American writers, has never
done better work than in the majority of these clever
stories, written in a delightful comedy vein.
=A Man-at-Arms.=
A Romance of the days of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the
Great Viper. By CLINTON SCOLLARD, author of
"Skenandoa," etc. With six full-page illustrations and
title-page by E.A W.A D. Hamilton.
1 vol., library 12mo, cloth, gilt top, deckle-edge
paper =$1.50=
The scene of the story is laid in Italy, in the latter
part of the fourteenth century. The hero, Luigi della
Verria, unable to bear the restrictions of home or to
reconcile himself to the profession of law, as desired
by his father, leaves his family and, as the result of
chance, becomes a man-at-arms in the service of Gian
Galeazzo Visconti, the cunning and unscrupulous Lord of
Pavia, known as the Great Viper. Thenceforward the
vicissitudes and adventures, both in love and war, of
Della Verria, are told in a way to incite the interest
to the highest point; and a strong picture is drawn of
Italian life at this period, with its petty vendettas,
family broils, and the unprincipled methods employed by
the heads of noble families to gain their personal
ends.
An individual value is added to the book by the
illustrations and title-page, drawn by Mr. E.A W.A D.
Hamilton.
"The style is admirable, simple, direct, fluent, and
sometimes eloquent; and the story moves with rapidity
from start to finish."--_The Bookman._
"A good story."--_N.A Y. Commercial Advertiser._
"It is a triumph in style."--_Utica Herald._
=Cyrano de Bergerac=
A Heroic Comedy from the French of Edward Rosstand, as
accepted and played by Richard Mansfield. Translated by
HOWARD THAYER KINGSBURY.
1 vol., cloth decorative, with a photogravure frontispiece =$1.00=
1 vol., paper boards =.50=
The immediate and prolonged success of "Cyrano de
Bergerac," in Paris, has been paralleled by Mr.
Mansfield's success with an English version, dating
from its first night at the Garden Theatre, New York,
October 3, 1898.
As a literary work, the original form of Rostand took
high rank and the preference of Mr. Mansfield for Mr.
Kingsbury's new translation implies its superior merit.
=A Mad Madonna= and Other Stories.
By L. CLARKSON WHITELOCK. With eight half-tone
illustrations.
1 vol., large 16mo, cloth =$1.00=
A half dozen remarkable psychological stories, delicate
in color and conception. Each of the six has a touch of
the supernatural, a quick suggestion, a vivid
intensity, and a dreamy realism that is matchless in
its forceful execution.
=On the Point.=
A Summer Idyl. By NATHAN HASKELL DOLE, author of "Not
Angels Quite," with dainty half-tone illustrations as
chapter headings.
1 vol., large 16mo, cloth =$1.00=
A bright and clever story of a summer on the coast of
Maine, fresh, breezy, and readable from the first to
the last page. The narrative describes the summer
outing of a Mr. Merrithew and his family. The
characters are all honest, pleasant people, whom we are
glad to know. We part from them with the same regret
with which we leave a congenial party of friends.
Transcriber's Note: The following typographical errors present in the
original edition have been corrected.
In Chapter VIII, "for the hundreth time" was changed to "for the
hundredth time".
In Chapter XV, "certains death" was changed to "certain death".
In Chapter XX, a comma was added after "take him under my care".
In Chapter XXII, a quotation mark was added before "we shall see
ourselves revenged".
In Chapter XXVII, "he scried" was changed to "she cried", and "'OdAśn'
had been rendered" was changed to "'A-dAśn' had been rendered".
In Chapter XVIII, a quotation mark was added after "get the oxen back".
In Chapter XXXI, "government is not reponsible" was changed to
"government is not responsible".
In the advertisement for "In Guiana Wilds", two missing periods were
added, and a missing quotation mark was added in the advertisement for
"A Man-at-Arms".