Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 48642-h.htm or 48642-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/48642/48642-h/48642-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/48642/48642-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See https://archive.org/details/servantofpublic00hope A SERVANT OF THE PUBLIC * * * * * * BY THE SAME AUTHOR A MAN OF MARK MR. WITT'S WIDOW FATHER STAFFORD A CHANGE OF AIR HALF A HERO THE PRISONER OF ZENDA THE GOD IN THE CAR THE DOLLY DIALOGUES COMEDIES OF COURTSHIP THE CHRONICLES OF COUNT ANTONIO THE HEART OF PRINCESS OSRA PHROSO SIMON DALE RUPERT OF HENTZAU THE KING'S MIRROR QUISANTÉ * * * * * * [Illustration: "I SHOULD BE RATHER AFRAID NEVER TO CHANGE TO A PERSON. IT WOULD MAKE HIM MEAN SO TERRIBLY MUCH TO ONE, WOULDN'T IT?" PAGE 62] A SERVANT OF THE PUBLIC by ANTHONY HOPE With Four Illustrations by Harold Percival, A.R.E. Methuen & Co. 36 Essex Street W.C. London First Published in 1905 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. MUDDOCK AND MEAD 1 II. FIRST IMPRESSIONS 15 III. AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY 29 IV. BY WAY OF PRECAUTION 43 V. A DAY IN THE COUNTRY 55 VI. AWAY WITH THE RIBBONS! 70 VII. UNDER THE NOSEGAY 86 VIII. THE LEGITIMATE CLAIMANT 102 IX. RENUNCIATION: A DRAMA 118 X. THE LICENCE OF VIRTUE 133 XI. WHAT IS TRUTH? 149 XII. AT CLOSE QUARTERS 164 XIII. THE HEROINE FAILS 179 XIV. AS MR. FLINT SAID 194 XV. THE MAN UPSTAIRS 210 XVI. MORALITY SMILES 227 XVII. AT SEA AND IN PORT 243 XVIII. THE PLAY AND THE PART 257 XIX. COLLATERAL EFFECTS 270 XX. THE WAYS DIVIDE 286 XXI. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 301 XXII. OTHER WORLDS 316 XXIII. THE MOST NATURAL THING 332 XXIV. "A GOOD SIGHT" 348 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE "I SHOULD BE RATHER AFRAID NEVER TO CHANGE TO A PERSON. IT WOULD MAKE HIM MEAN SO TERRIBLY MUCH TO ME, WOULDN'T IT?" _Frontispiece_