COUSIN MARY BY MRS. OLIPHANT AUTHOR OF “CHRONICLES OF CARLINGFORD,” ETC. _THIRD EDITION_ London S. W. PARTRIDGE & CO. 8 & 9, PATERNOSTER ROW COUSIN MARY [Illustration: “BY-AND-BY IT CAME TO PASS THAT THESE TWO MET... IN THE COTTAGES” (_p. 36_).] [Illustration] CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. ONLY MARY 7 II. ONLY THE CURATE 19 III. THE TWO TOGETHER 31 IV. MARY’S LITTLE THOUGHTS 44 V. SELF-BETRAYED 58 VI. PARADISE LANE 73 VII. THE DISCLOSURE 88 VIII. NEVERTHELESS 103 IX. “HAPPY EVER AFTER” 118 X. THE LIGHT OF COMMON DAY 133 XI. THE FIRST CHANGE 148 XII. THE ELDEST CHILD 163 XIII. A CONFERENCE 178 XIV. GOING AWAY 193 XV. FIRESIDE TALK 211 XVI. ALARMS 226 XVII. SHUTTING UP 244 XVIII. “LET ME GO HOME” 260 XIX. IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT 273 XX. A MIDNIGHT VISITOR 289 XXI. AN INNOCENT SUFFERER 304 XXII. MARY’S INVESTIGATIONS 321 XXIII. THE SICK ROOM 337 XXIV. THE INVALID GENTLEMAN 353 XXV. THE RESTORATION 369 [Illustration] [Illustration] COUSIN MARY. CHAPTER I. ONLY MARY.