Produced by Katherine Ward, Darleen Dove and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) I, THOU, AND THE OTHER ONE [Illustration:] I, THOU, AND THE OTHER ONE A Love Story BY AMELIA E. BARR NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1898 _Copyright, 1898_, BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY. University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, JOHN WILSON AND SON, U.S.A. CONTENTS Chapter Page I THE ATHELINGS 1 II CECIL AND EDGAR 23 III THE LORD OF EXHAM 42 IV THE DAWN OF LOVE 66 V ANNABEL VYNER 81 VI THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT STRUGGLE 103 VII THE LOST RING 121 VIII WILL SHE CHOOSE EVIL OR GOOD? 150 IX A FOOLISH VIRGIN 169 X TROUBLE COMES UNSUMMONED 193 XI LIFE COMES AND GOES THE OLD, OLD WAY 213 XII THE SHADOW OF SORROW STRETCHED OUT 235 XIII NOT YET 263 XIV AT THE WORST 288 XV LADY OF EXHAM HALL AT LAST 315 XVI AFTER TWENTY GOLDEN YEARS 341 I, Thou, and the Other One CHAPTER FIRST THE ATHELINGS "_The Land is a Land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven._" Beyond Thirsk and Northallerton, through the Cleveland Hills to the sea eastward, and by Roseberry Topping, northward, there is a lovely, lonely district, very little known even at the present day. The winds stream through its hills, as cool and fresh as living water; and whatever beauty there is of mountain, valley, or moorland, Farndale and Westerdale can show it; while no part of England is so rich in those picturesque manor-houses which have been the homes of the same families for twenty generations. The inhabitants of this region are the incarnation of its health, strength, and beauty,--a tall, comely race; bold, steadfast, and thrifty, with very positive opinions on all subjects. There are no Laodiceans among the men and women of the North-Riding; they are one thing or another--Episcopalians or Calvinists; Conservatives or Radicals; friends or enemies. For friendship they have a capacity closer than brotherhood. Once friends, they are friends forever, and can be relied on in any emergency to "aid, comfort, and abet," legally or otherwise, with perhaps a special zest to give assistance, if it just smacks of the "otherwise."