Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books Transcriber's Notes: 1. Page scan source: Google Books https://books.google.com/books?id=JKxBAAAAYAAJ (Princeton University) BESSY RANE. A Novel. BY MRS. HENRY WOOD. AUTHOR OF "EAST LYNNE," "THE CHANNINGS," "JOHNNY LUDLOW," ETC. Forty-second Thousand. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON, Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen. 1897. (_All rights reserved_.) LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. CONTENTS. ----- PART THE FIRST. I. The Anonymous Letter. II. Ellen Adair. III. In Mrs. Gass's Parlour. IV. Alone with the Truth. V. Retrospect. VI. Watching the Funeral. VII. After the Funeral. VIII. Madam's Listening Closet. IX. In Lawyer Dale's Office X. Put to his Conscience. XI. A Quiet Wedding. XII. Jelly's Indiscretion XIII. Coming Home. PART THE SECOND. I. What was, and what might be. II. Mrs. Gass amid the Workmen. III. Morning Visitors. IV. Three Letters for Dr. Rane. V. Madam's Advice. VI. Mary Dallory. VII. Love among the Roses. VIII. The Tontine. IX. At the Sea-side. X. A Last Proposal. XI. Under the Cedar-tree. XII. An Interruption. XIII. Panic. XIV. What Jelly saw. XV. Desolation. XVI. In the Churchyard. XVII. At Sir Nash Bohun's. XVIII. Jelly's Troubles. XIX. Coming Home to Die. XX. Richard North's Revelation. XXI. Under the Same Roof. XXII. Tangled Threads. XXIII. Jelly's Two Evening Visits. XXIV. Mischief brewing in North Inlet. XXV. Days of Pain. XXVI. Mrs. Gass at Home. XXVII. Once Again. XXVIII. Coming very Near. XXIX. In the Shrubbery. XXX. Lying in Wait. XXXI. Disturbing the Grave. XXXII. A Night Expedition. PART THE THIRD. I. In Grosvenor Place. II. No Hope. III. Brought Home to him. IV. Conclusion. BESSY RANE. PART THE FIRST. CHAPTER I. THE ANONYMOUS LETTER. It was an intensely dark night. What with the mist that hung around from below, and the unusual gloom above, Dr. Rane began to think he might have done well to bring a lantern with him, to guide his steps up Ham Lane, when he should turn into it. He would not be able to spare time to pick his way there. A gentleman--so news had been brought to him--was lying in sudden extremity, and his services as a medical man were being waited for.