[Illustration] BY THE SAME AUTHOR CETYWAYO AND HIS WHITE NEIGHBOURS DAWN THE WITCH’S HEAD KING SOLOMON’S MINES SHE JESS ALLAN QUATERMAIN MAIWA’S REVENGE MR. MEESON’S WILL COLONEL QUARITCH, V.C. CLEOPATRA ALLAN’S WIFE BEATRICE ERIC BRIGHTEYES NADA THE LILY MONTEZUMA’S DAUGHTER THE PEOPLE OF THE MIST JOAN HASTE THE WORLD’S DESIRE (IN COLLABORATION WITH ANDREW LANG) JOAN HASTE by H. Rider Haggard AUTHOR OF ‘KING SOLOMON’S MINES,’  ‘SHE, ’  ‘ALLAN QUATERMAIN,’  ETC. ‘Il y a une page effrayante dans le livre des destinées humaines; on y lit en tête ces mots “les désirs accomplis.”’—GEORGES SAND WITH 20 ILLUSTRATIONS BY F. S. WILSON LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. AND NEW YORK 1895 All rights reserved To I. H. [Illustration: ] ‘Indeed, in that moment she was lovely.’ CONTENTS CHAPTER I. JOAN HASTE. CHAPTER II. SAMUEL ROCK DECLARES HIMSELF. CHAPTER III. THE BEGINNINGS OF FATE. CHAPTER IV. THE HOME-COMING OF HENRY GRAVES. CHAPTER V. THE LEVINGERS VISIT ROSHAM. CHAPTER VI. MR. LEVINGER PUTS A CASE. CHAPTER VII. A PROPOSAL AND A DIFFERENCE. CHAPTER VIII. TWO CONVERSATIONS. CHAPTER IX. MUTUAL ADMIRATION. CHAPTER X. AZRAEL’S WING CHAPTER XI. ELLEN GROWS ALARMED. CHAPTER XII. ELLEN FINDS A REMEDY. CHAPTER XIII. A MEETING BY THE MERE. CHAPTER XIV. SOWING THE WIND. CHAPTER XV. THE FIRSTFRUITS. CHAPTER XVI. FORTITER IN RE. CHAPTER XVII. BETWEEN DUTY AND DUTY. CHAPTER XVIII. CONGRATULATIONS. CHAPTER XIX. RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. CHAPTER XX. “LET IT REMAIN OPEN.” CHAPTER XXI. A LUNCHEON PARTY. CHAPTER XXII. AN INTERLUDE. CHAPTER XXIII. A NEW DEPARTURE. CHAPTER XXIV. MESSRS. BLACK AND PARKER. CHAPTER XXV. “I FORBID YOU.” CHAPTER XXVI. A LOVE LETTER. CHAPTER XXVII. LUCK AT LAST. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE PRICE OF INNOCENT BLOOD. CHAPTER XXIX. THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. CHAPTER XXX. REAPING THE WHIRLWIND. CHAPTER XXXI. THE GATE OF PARADISE. CHAPTER XXXII. THE CLOSING OF THE GATE. CHAPTER XXXIII. THE GATE OF HELL. CHAPTER XXXIV. THE OPENING OF THE GATE. CHAPTER XXXV. DISENCHANTMENT. CHAPTER XXXVI. THE DESIRE OF DEATH— AND THE FEAR OF HIM. CHAPTER XXXVII. THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH. CHAPTER XXXVIII. A GHOST OF THE PAST. CHAPTER XXXIX. HUSBAND AND WIFE. CHAPTER XL. FULL MEASURE, PRESSED DOWN AND RUNNING OVER. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS