Produced by Charles Bowen, from page scans provided by the Web Archive Transcriber's Notes: 1. Page scan source: http://www.archive.org/details/romanceofwastdal00maso 2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe]. A ROMANCE OF WASTDALE _NOVELS BY_ _A. E. W. MASON_ THE WINDING STAIR THE SUMMONS THE TURNSTILE THE WITNESS FOR THE DEFENCE AT THE VILLA ROSE A ROMANCE OF WASTDALE THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD RUNNING WATER THE COURTSHIP OF MORRICE BUCKLER MIRANDA OF THE BALCONY LAWRENCE CLAVERING THE PHILANDERERS ENSIGN KNIGHTLEY CLEMENTINA THE WATCHERS THE FOUR FEATHERS THE TRUANTS THE BROKEN ROAD A ROMANCE OF WASTDALE BY A. E. W. MASON HODDER AND STOUGHTON LIMITED LONDON _Made and Printed in Great Britain_ _Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury_. CHAPTER I "Mrs. Jackson!" Mrs. Jackson was feeding her ducks at the beck behind the house. But the kitchen door stood open, and she not only heard her name, but recognised the voice which shouted it. "It's Mr. Gordon," she said to the servant who was with her, and she bustled through the kitchen into the parlour, drying her hands with her apron as she went. David Gordon stood by the window, looking dreamily out across the fields. He turned as she entered the room, and shook hands with her. "I have given you a surprise," he laughed. "You have, indeed, Mr. Gordon. I never expected to see you again at Wastdale Head. You should have written you were coming." And she proceeded to light the fire. "I didn't know myself that I was coming until yesterday." "It is three years since you were here." "Three years," Gordon repeated slowly. "Yes! I did not realise it until I caught sight of the farm-house again." "You will be wanting breakfast?" "The sooner, the better. I have walked from Boot." "Already?" "It didn't seem really far;" and a smile broke over his face as he added-- "I heard my marriage bells ringing all the way across Burnmoor."