E-text prepared by David Clarke, Pilar Somoza Fernandez, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Transcriber's note: Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note. Inconsistent hyphenation has been retained as it appears in the original. LOVER OR FRIEND by ROSA NOUCHETTE CAREY Author of 'Nellie's Memories,' 'Not Like Other Girls,' Etc. MacMillan and Co., Limited St. Martin's Street, London 1915 * * * * * THE NOVELS OF ROSA NOUCHETTE CAREY POPULAR EDITION _Crown 8vo. Cloth extra. 3s. 6d. each._ NELLIE'S MEMORIES. WEE WIFIE. BARBARA HEATHCOTE'S TRIAL. ROBERT ORD'S ATONEMENT. WOOED AND MARRIED. HERIOT'S CHOICE. QUEENIE'S WHIM. MARY ST. JOHN. NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS. FOR LILIAS. UNCLE MAX. ONLY THE GOVERNESS. LOVER OR FRIEND? BASIL LYNDHURST. SIR GODFREY'S GRAND-DAUGHTERS. THE OLD, OLD STORY. THE MISTRESS OF BRAE FARM. MRS. ROMNEY AND "BUT MEN MUST WORK." OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. HERB OF GRACE. THE HIGHWAY OF FATE. RUE WITH A DIFFERENCE. A PASSAGE PERILOUS. AT THE MOORINGS. THE HOUSEHOLD OF PETER. NO FRIEND LIKE A SISTER. THE ANGEL OF FORGIVENESS. THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE HILL. THE KEY OF THE UNKNOWN. MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD., LONDON. * * * * * LOVER OR FRIEND MacMillan and Co., Limited London . Bombay . Calcutta Melbourne The MacMillan Company New York . Boston . Chicago Dallas . San Francisco The MacMillan Co. of Canada, Ltd. Toronto Copyright _First Edition_ 1890 _Reprinted_ 1893, 1894, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1906, 1910, 1915 CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE 1. THE BLAKE FAMILY ARE DISCUSSED 1 2. AUDREY INTRODUCES HERSELF 9 3. THE BLAKE FAMILY AT HOME 18 4. MICHAEL 28 5. THE NEW MASTER 36 6. THE GRAY COTTAGE 47 7. KESTER'S HERO 56 8. 'I HOPE BETTER THINGS OF AUDREY' 67 9. MAT 78 10. PRISCILLA BAXTER 88 11. 'A GIRL AFTER MY OWN HEART' 97 12. MOLLIE GOES TO DEEP-WATER CHINE 107 13. GERALDINE GIVES HER OPINION 117 14. 'I AM SORRY YOU ASKED THE QUESTION' 126 15. MRS. BLAKE HAS HER NEW GOWN 137 16. MOLLIE LETS THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG 146 17. AMONG THE BRAIL LANES 155