Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 55162-h.htm or 55162-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/55162/55162-h/55162-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/55162/55162-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/enchantment00macgiala ENCHANTMENT * * * * * * The Pocket Books A series designed to represent the three aspects of American romance,--adventure, mystery and humor THE AMETHYST BOX By Anna Katharine Green A detective story of a Newport wedding THE HOUSE IN THE MIST By Anna Katharine Green A tale of unexpected fortunes. Including also The Ruby and the Caldron ENCHANTMENT By Harold MacGrath Short stories of whimsical adventure THE PRINCESS ELOPES By Harold MacGrath An extravagant romance of a European Duchy THE MOTORMANIACS By Lloyd Osbourne Tales of the road and the automobile * * * * * * [Illustration] ENCHANTMENT by HAROLD MAC GRATH Author of The Man on the Box, The Princess Elopes, The Puppet Crown, etc., etc. Indianapolis The Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers Copyright 1905 The Bobbs-Merrill Company April Press of Braunworth & Co. Bookbinders and Printers Brooklyn, N. Y. ENCHANTMENT INCLUDING A NIGHT'S ENCHANTMENT The Adventure of the Lady in the Closed Carriage THE BLIND MADONNA The Adventure of the Golden Louis NO CINDERELLA The Adventure of the Satin Slipper TWO CANDIDATES An Adventure in Love and Politics THE ENCHANTED HAT The Adventure of My Lady's Letter TO MRS. ANDREW J. COOPER CONTENTS PAGE A NIGHT'S ENCHANTMENT 3 THE BLIND MADONNA 43 NO CINDERELLA 81 TWO CANDIDATES 117 THE ENCHANTED HAT 161 A NIGHT'S ENCHANTMENT THE ADVENTURE OF THE LADY IN THE CLOSED CARRIAGE I So much depended upon every one's utter lack of nervousness and embarrassment that Shaw, the stage manager, decided that my presence at the final rehearsal would only add to the tension, and was therefore unnecessary. The "star" complained that her efforts to interpret my lines to my satisfaction were wearing her thin, while the "leading man" declared that he could not enter naturally into the spirit of the comedy so long as he knew I was watching from across the front. To tell the truth, I was not unagreeable. There were many things I wanted to change, and I knew that if I once got headway I should have to write the play all over; and that was not in the contract. My room was better than my company. So Shaw gave me a card to The Players and left me there in the care of a distinguished fellow dramatist.