DEADHAM HARD A Romance BY LUCAS MALET (MARY ST. LEGER HARRISON) Author of "Sir Richard Calmady," "The Wages of Sin," etc. 1919 "Youth has no boundaries, age has the grave."--BULGARIAN PROVERB TO MY DEAR FRIEND ACROSS THE OCEAN C. E. O. VEVEY 1899 LONDON 1919 CONTENTS BOOK I THE HOUSE OF THE TAMARISKS CHAPTER I. TELLING HOW, UNDER STRESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES, A HUMANIST TURNED HERMIT II. ENTER A YOUNG SCHOLAR AND GENTLEMAN OF A HAPPY DISPOSITION AND GOOD PROSPECTS III. THE DOUBTFULLY HARMONIOUS PARTS OF A WHOLE IV. WATCHERS THROUGH THE SMALL HOURS V. BETWEEN RIVER AND SEA VI. IN WHICH THE PAST LAYS AN OMINOUS HAND ON THE PRESENT VII. A CRITIC IN CORDUROY BOOK II THE HARD SCHOOL OF THINGS AS THEY ARE I. IN MAIDEN MEDITATION II. WHICH CANTERS ROUND A PARISH PUMP III. A SAMPLING OF FREEDOM IV. OUT ON THE BAR V. WHEREIN DAMARIS MAKES SOME ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE HIDDEN WAYS OF MEN VI. RECOUNTING AN ASTONISHING DEPOSITION VII. A SOUL AT WAR WITH FACT VIII. TELLING HOW TWO PERSONS, OF VERY DIFFERENT MORAL CALIBRE, WERE COMPELLED TO WEAR THE FLOWER OF HUMILIATION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BUTTONHOLES IX. AN EXPERIMENT IN BRIDGE-BUILDING OF WHICH TIME ALONE CAN FIX THE VALUES X. TELLING HOW MISS FELICIA VERITY UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED A RESCUE XI. IN WHICH DAMARIS RECEIVES INFORMATION OF THE LOST SHOES AND STOCKINGS--ASSUMPTION OF THE GOD-HEAD XII. CONCERNING A SERMON WHICH NEVER WAS PREACHED AND OTHER MATTERS OF LOCAL INTEREST BOOK III THE WORLD BEYOND THE FOREST I. AN EPISODE IN THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF THE MAN WITH THE BLUE EYES II. TELLING HOW DAMARIS RENEWED HER ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE BELOVED LADY OF HER INFANCY III. WHICH CONCERNS ITSELF, INCIDENTALLY, WITH THE GRIEF OF A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE AND THE RECEPTION OF A BELATED CHRISTMAS GREETING IV. BLOWING ONE'S OWN TRUMPET PRACTISED AS A FINE ART V. IN WHICH HENRIETTA PULLS THE STRINGS VI. CARNIVAL--AND AFTER VII. TELLING HOW DAMARIS DISCOVERED THE TRUE NATURE OF A CERTAIN SECRET TO THE DEAR MAN WITH THE BLUE EYES VIII. FIDUS ACHATES IX. WHICH FEATURES VARIOUS PERSONS WITH WHOM THE READER IS ALREADY ACQUAINTED X. WHICH IT IS TO BE FEARED SMELLS SOMEWHAT POWERFULLY OF BILGE WATER XI. WHEREIN DAMARIS MEETS HERSELF UNDER A NOVEL ASPECT XII. CONCERNING ITSELF WITH A GATHERING UP OF FRAGMENTS XIII. WHICH RECOUNTS A TAKING OF SANCTUARY BOOK IV THROUGH SHADOWS TOWARDS THE DAWN I. WHICH CARRIES OVER A TALE OF YEARS, AND CARRIES ON II. RECALLING, IN SOME PARTICULARS, THE EASIEST RECORDED THEFT IN HUMAN HISTORY III. BROTHER AND SISTER