------------------------------------------------------------------------ Transcriber’s Note: This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Footnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are referenced. Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. BORDERLAND BORDERLAND A COUNTRY-TOWN CHRONICLE BY JESSIE FOTHERGILL AUTHOR OF ‘THE FIRST VIOLIN,’ ‘KITH AND KIN,’ ‘PROBATION,’ ‘THE WELLFIELDS,’ AND ‘HEALEY’ [Illustration] LONDON RICHARD BENTLEY & SON, NEW BURLINGTON STREET =Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen= 1890 (_All rights reserved_) CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE IN CHILDHOOD 1 I. OTHO’S RETURN 11 II. MAGDALEN—AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD 25 III. LANGSTROTH’S FOLLY 37 IV. THE FACULTY OF CLOSE OBSERVATION 47 V. GILBERT’S CAUTIOUSNESS 56 VI. GILBERT’S COUP DE THEATRE’ 62 VII. MICHAEL, ROGER, GILBERT 78 VIII. THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THE WISDOM OF GILBERT 92 IX. THE GODDESS OF THE TENDER FEET 102 X. THE PROCESS OF ANNEALING 111 XI. OTHO’S LETTER-BAG 119 XII. ELEANOR 133 XIII. TWENTY-EIGHT AND TWENTY-TWO 145 XIV. THRUST AND PARRY 150 XV. THREE WOMEN 163 XVI. A FRIENDSHIP EXPLAINED 172 XVII. ROGER CAMM’S COURTING 181 XVIII. A WILD-GOOSE CHASE 188 XIX. INEVITABLE 204 XX. HOW A THORN WAS PLANTED 222 XXI. WORK AND WAGES 237 XXII. CROSS-PURPOSES 255 XXIII. QUARREL 267 XXIV.