Synopses & Reviews
CONTENTS CHAPTER I CHAPTER II CHAPTER III PERPETUAL MOTION 25 CHAPTER IV THE QUEEN OF THE WHITE ANTS 38 MARBLES CHAPTER V CHAPTER VI SINGLE MISFORTUNES NEVER COME ALONE . . .59 CHAPTER VII AN EMPTY NEST 70 13 49 VI CONTENTS CHAPTER VIII PAGE GILLIANS PUPIL . 81 CHAPTER IX GAUGING AJEE 94 CHAPTER X AUT CESAR AUT NIHIL 105 CHAPTER XI LADY MERRIFIELDS CHRISTMAS LETTER-BAG . . .118 CHAPTER XII TRANSFORMATIONS 129 CHAPTER XIII ST. VALENTINES DAY 143 CHAPTER XIV THE PARTNER 155 CHAPTER XV THE ROCKS OF ROCKSTONE 165 CHAPTER XVI VANISHED ... . . 177 THEY COME, THEY COME CONTENTS vii CHAPTER XVII CHAPTER XVIII FATHER AND MOTHER ... I .... CHAPTER XIX PAGE 186 199 THE KNIGHT AND THE DRAGON 210 CHAPTER XX IVINGHOE TERRACE 225 CHAPTER XXI BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 238 CHAPTER XXII THE MAIDEN ALL FORLORN 255 CHAPTER XXIII FANGS 270 CHAPTER XXIV CONCLUSION 284 BEECHCBOFT AT ROCKSTONE CHAPTER I A DISPERSION A TELEGRAM Make haste and open it, Jane they always make me so nervous I believe that is the reason Reginald always will telegraph when he is coming, said Miss Adeline Mohun, a very pretty, well preserved, though delicate-looking lady of some age about forty, as her elder sister, brisk and lively and some years older, came into the room. No, it is not Reggie. It is from Lily. Poor Lily Jasper accident Come. Poor dear Lily Is it young Jasper or old Jasper, I wonder If it were young Jasper she would have put Japs. I am afraid it is her husband. If so, she will be going off to him. I must catch the 11.20 train. Will you come, Ada Oh no I should be knocked up, and on your hands. The suspense is bad enough at home. If it is old Jasper, we shall see in the paper to-day. I will send it down to you from thestation. Supposing it is Sir and Jasper, she wants to go out to him, we must take in some oi the children. Oh Dear little Primrose would be nice enough, but what should we do with that Halfpennywoman If we had the other girls, I suppose they would be at school all day but surely some might go to Beechcroft. And mind, Jane, I will not have you overtasking yourself Do not take any of them without having Gillian to help you. That I stipulate. Jane Mohun seemed as if she did not hear as these sentences were uttered at intervals, while she stood dashing off postcards at her davenport. Then she said, on her way to the door 2 BEECHCROFT AT ROCKSTONE CHAP. Dont expectme to-night. I will send Fanny to ask one of the Wellands to come in to you, and telegraph if I bring any one home with me. But, Jane dear However, the door was shut, andby the time Miss Adeline had reached her sisters room, the ever-ready bag was nearly packed. I only wanted to say, dear Jane, that you must give my love to dear Lily. I am grieved grieved for her but indeed you must not undertake anything rash. A shake of the head, as the shoes went into their neat Do bag. not let her persuade you to stay at Silverfold in her absence. You can- not give up everything here. Yes, yes, Ada, I know it does not suit you. Never fear. It is not that but you are much too useful here to drop everything, especially now every one is away. I would willingly sacrifice myseli, but Yes, I know, Ada dear. Now, good-bye, and take care of yourself, and dont be nervous. It may mean only that young Japs has twisted his little finger. And with a kiss, Miss Mohun ran downstairs as fast and lightly as if her years had been half their amount, andaccomplished her orders to Fanny otherwise Mrs. Mount a Beechcroft native, who, on being lefta widow, had returned to her former mistresses, bringing with her a daughter, who had grown up into an efficient housemaid...