E-text prepared by Joseph R. Hauser, Martin Pettit, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/) GREAT POSSESSIONS by MRS. WILFRID WARD Author of "One Poor Scruple," "Out of Due Time," etc. G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London The Knickerbocker Press 1909 Copyright, 1909 by G. P. Putnam's Sons The Knickerbocker Press, New York CONTENTS BOOK I CHAPTER PAGE I. THE AMAZING WILL 1 II. IN THE EVENING 13 III. "AS YOU HOPE TO BE FORGIVEN" 21 IV. THE WICKED WOMAN IN FLORENCE 32 V. "YOUR MOTHER'S DAUGHTER" 42 VI. MOLLY COMES OF AGE 55 VII. EDMUND GROSSE CONTINUES TO INTERFERE 68 VIII. AT GROOMBRIDGE CASTLE 78 IX. A LITTLE MORE THAN KIND 91 X. THE PET VICE 98 XI. THE THIN END OF A CLUE 109 XII. MOLLY'S NIGHT-WATCH 120 XIII. SIR DAVID'S MEMORY 126 BOOK II XIV. MOLLY IN THE SEASON 136 XV. A POOR MAN'S DEATH 151 XVI. MOLLY'S LETTER TO HER MOTHER 165 XVII. THE BLIND CANON 173 XVIII. MADAME DANTERRE'S ANSWER 180 XIX. LADY ROSE'S SCRUPLE 187 XX. THE HEIRESS OF MADAME DANTERRE 194 BOOK III XXI. AN INTERLUDE OF HAPPINESS 213 XXII. SOMETHING LIKE EVIDENCE 220 XXIII. THE USES OF DELIRIUM 231 XXIV. MRS. DELAPORT GREEN IN THE ASCENDANT 238 XXV. MOLLY AT COURT 243 XXVI. EDMUND IS NO LONGER BORED 249 XXVII. MOLLY'S APPEAL 256 XXVIII. DINNER AT TWO SHILLINGS 266 XXIX. THE RELIEF OF SPEECH 272 XXX. THE BIRTH OF A SLANDER 280 XXXI. THE NURSING OF A SLANDER 285 BOOK IV XXXII. ROSE SUMMONED TO LONDON 294 XXXIII. BROWN HOLLAND COVERS 304 XXXIV. THE WRATH OF A FRIEND 312 XXXV. THE CONDEMNATION OF MARK 322 XXXVI. MENE THEKEL PHARES 330 XXXVII. MARK ENTERS INTO TEMPTATION 339 XXXVIII. NO SHADOW OF A CLOUD 350 XXXIX. "WITHOUT CONDITION OR COMPROMISE" 357 GREAT POSSESSIONS BOOK I CHAPTER I THE AMAZING WILL