ARAMINTA ARAMINTA BY J. C. SNAITH AUTHOR OF “WILLIAM JORDAN, JUNIOR,” “BROKE OF COVENDEN,” ETC. [Illustration] NEW YORK MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 1909 COPYRIGHT, 1908, 1909, BY THE FORUM PUBLISHING COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY NEW YORK Published, February, 1909 Second Printing, March, 1909 Third Printing, May, 1909 Fourth Printing, July, 1909 Fifth Printing, August, 1909 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE OLD WOMAN OF HILL STREET 1 II. THE IDEA WHICH CAME TO HER 9 III. LORD CHERITON LOOKS IN 22 IV. ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST CAUSE OF ALL ROMANCE 38 V. THE INSTINCT OF MR. MARCHBANKS BETRAYS HIM 48 VI. UNWARRANTABLE BEHAVIOR OF TOBIAS 66 VII. A THROWBACK 80 VIII. “CAROLINE CREWKERNE’S GAINSBOROUGH” 98 IX. IN WHICH CHERITON DROPS HIS UMBRELLA 108 X. JIM LASCELLES MAKES HIS APPEARANCE 119 XI. MISS PERRY IS THE SOUL OF DISCRETION 140 XII. JIM LASCELLES TAKES A DECISIVE STEP 151 XIII. HIGH REVEL IS HELD IN HILL STREET 161 XIV. UNGENTLEMANLIKE BEHAVIOR OF JIM LASCELLES 171 XV. DIPLOMACY IS CALLED FOR 193 XVI. HYDE PARK 200 XVII. DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEMALE US 213 XVIII. FASHION COMES TO THE ACACIAS 226 XIX. A SOCIAL TRIUMPH 243 XX. MISS PERRY HAS HER PALM CROSSED WITH SILVER 256 XXI. HIGH DIPLOMACY 267 XXII. A CONVERSATION AT WARD’S 281 XXIII. MUFFIN MAKES HER APPEARANCE AT PEN-Y-GROS CASTLE 292 XXIV. EPISODE OF A FRENCH NOVEL AND A RED UMBRELLA 304 XXV. PARIS ON MOUNT IDA 322 XXVI. JIM LASCELLES ADDS HEROISM TO HIS OTHER FINE QUALITIES 334 XXVII. REVEL IS HELD AT PEN-Y-GROS CASTLE 348 XXVIII. A THUNDERBOLT 365 XXIX. JIM LASCELLES WRITES HIS NAME IN THE VISITORS’ BOOK 375 XXX. GOOD-BY 383 XXXI. DISINTEGRATION 392 XXXII. BARNE MOOR 402