[Illustration: “‘There he is,’ said Bride softly to Eustace. ‘I think you had better go to him alone.’... Without pausing to rehearse any speech, Eustace walked up to the lonely figure on the rocks, holding out his hand in greeting.”--P. 234.] EUSTACE MARCHMONT A FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE BY EVELYN EVERETT-GREEN [Illustration] BOSTON: A. I. BRADLEY & CO. PUBLISHERS. [Illustration] CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1 II. THE DUCHESS OF PENARVON 17 III. THE HOUSE OF MOURNING 32 IV. THE DUKE’S HEIR 48 V. MAN OF THE WORLD AND MYSTIC 63 VI. THE GOSPEL OF DISCONTENT 78 VII. THE KINDLED SPARK 94 VIII. BRIDE’S PERPLEXITIES 111 IX. THE WAVE OF REVOLT 129 X. A STRANGE NIGHT 145 XI. DUKE AND DEFAULTER 160 XII. AUTUMN DAYS 176 XIII. TWO ENCOUNTERS 193 XIV. EUSTACE’S DILEMMA 209 XV. STIRRING DAYS 225 XVI. THE POLLING AT PENTREATH 242 XVII. THE DUKE’S CARRIAGE 258 XVIII. ABNER’S PATIENT 274 XIX. THE BULL’S HORNS 289 XX. BRIDE’S VIGIL 307 XXI. FROM THE DEAD 322 XXII. SAUL TRESITHNY 337 XXIII. BRIDE’S PROPOSAL 353 XXIV. CONCLUSION 368 [Illustration] [Illustration] EUSTACE MARCHMONT CHAPTER I _ON CHRISTMAS EVE_ “Yer’s tu thee, old apple-tree, Be zure yu bud, be zure yu blaw, And bring voth apples gude enough Hats vul! caps vul! Dree bushel bags vul! Pockets vul and awl! Urrah! Urrah! Aw ’ess, hats vul, caps vul! And dree bushel bags vul! Urrah! Urrah! Urrah!” This strange uncouth song was being chanted by moonlight by two score or more of rough West-Country voices. For half-a-mile the sound was carried by the sea-breeze, and all the cottagers within hearing of the chant had run forth to join, both in the song and in the ceremony which it marked. For it was Christmas Eve, and Farmer Teazel was “christening his apple-trees,” according to the time-honoured custom of the place. And when the trees were being thus christened, there was cider to be had for the asking; and the farmer’s cider was famed as being the best in all St. Bride’s, or indeed in any of the adjacent parishes.