JOHN MARVEL ASSISTANT BY THOMAS NELSON PAGE ILLUSTRATED BY JAMES MONTGOMERY FLAGG NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1909 COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS Published October, 1909 TO THOSE LOVED ONES WHOSE NEVER FAILING SYMPATHY HAS LED ME ALL THESE YEARS [Illustration: "To ply your old trade?" I asked.] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. MY FIRST FAILURE 1 II. THE JEW AND THE CHRISTIAN 5 III. THE FIGHT 16 IV. DELILAH 26 V. THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE 36 VI. THE METEOR 44 VII. THE HEGIRA 55 VIII. PADAN-ARAM 67 IX. I PITCH MY TENT 84 X. A NEW GIRL 103 XI. ELEANOR LEIGH 114 XII. JOHN MARVEL 138 XIII. MR. LEIGH 147 XIV. MISS LEIGH SEEKS WORK 154 XV. THE LADY OF THE VIOLETS 172 XVI. THE SHADOW OF SHAM 186 XVII. THE GULF 198 XVIII. THE DRUMMER 215 XIX. RE-ENTER PECK 227 XX. MY FIRST CLIENT 245 XXI. THE RESURRECTION OF DIX 259 XXII. THE PREACHER 275 XXIII. MRS. ARGAND 286 XXIV. WOLFFERT'S MISSION 305 XXV. FATE LEADS 319 XXVI. COLL MCSHEEN'S METHODS 339 XXVII. THE SHADOW 354 XXVIII. THE WALKING DELEGATE 361 XXIX. MY CONFESSION 381 XXX. SEEKING ONE THAT WAS LOST 398 XXXI. JOHN MARVEL'S RAID 416 XXXII. DOCTOR CAIAPHAS 430 XXXIII. THE PEACE-MAKER 453 XXXIV. THE FLAG OF TRUCE 465