Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) AURIOL OR THE ELIXIR OF LIFE BY W. HARRISON AINSWORTH AUTHOR OF "THE TOWER OF LONDON" WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. K. BROWNE _AUTHOR'S COPYRIGHT EDITION_ LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, LIMITED BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL 1898 Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. At the Ballantyne Press [Illustration: The mysterious interview in Hyde Park] CONTENTS PROLOGUE--1599-- DR. LAMB BOOK THE FIRST--EBBA-- I. THE RUINED HOUSE IN THE VAUXHALL ROAD II. THE DOG-FANCIER III. THE HAND AND THE CLOAK IV. THE IRON-MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER V. THE MEETING NEAR THE STATUE VI. THE CHARLES THE SECOND SPANIEL VII. THE HAND AGAIN! VIII. THE BARBER OF LONDON IX. THE MOON IN THE FIRST QUARTER X. THE STATUE AT CHARING CROSS XI. PREPARATIONS XII. THE CHAMBER OF MYSTERY INTERMEAN--1800-- I. THE TOMB OF THE ROSICRUCIAN II. THE COMPACT III. IRRESOLUTION IV. EDITH TALBOT V. THE SEVENTH NIGHT BOOK THE SECOND--CYPRIAN ROUGEMONT-- I. THE CELL II. THE ENCHANTED CHAIRS III. GERARD PASTON IV. THE PIT V. NEW PERPLEXITIES VI. DR. LAMB AGAIN THE OLD LONDON MERCHANT A NIGHT'S ADVENTURE IN ROME-- I. SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE II. THE MARCHESA LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS THE MYSTERIOUS INTERVIEW IN HYDE PARK THE ELIXIR OF LONG LIFE THE RUINED HOUSE IN THE VAUXHALL ROAD THE DOG-FANCIER THE HAND AND THE CLOAK THE IRON-MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER THE BARBER OF LONDON SEIZURE OF EBBA THE ANTIQUARIES THE CHAMBER OF MYSTERY THE TOMB OF THE ROSICRUCIAN THE COMPACT THE SIGNIFICANT WHISPER THE ENCHANTED CHAIRS ROUGEMONT'S DEVICE TO PERPLEX AURIOL PROLOGUE 1599 _DR. LAMB_ The Sixteenth Century drew to a close. It was the last day of the last year, and two hours only were wanting to the birth of another year and of another century. The night was solemn and beautiful. Myriads of stars paved the deep vault of heaven; the crescent moon hung like a silver lamp in the midst of them; a stream of rosy and quivering light, issuing from the north, traversed the sky, like the tail of some stupendous comet; while from its point of effluence broke forth, ever and anon, coruscations rivalling in splendour and variety of hue the most brilliant discharge of fireworks. A sharp frost prevailed; but the atmosphere was clear and dry, and neither wind nor snow aggravated the wholesome rigour of the season. The water lay in thick congealed masses around the conduits and wells, and the buckets were frozen on their stands. The thoroughfares were sheeted with ice, and dangerous to horsemen and vehicles; but the footways were firm and pleasant to the tread.