NOVELS BY HUGH WALPOLE _STUDIES IN PLACE_ THE WOODEN HORSE MARADICK AT FORTY THE GODS AND MR. PERRIN _TWO PROLOGUES_ THE PRELUDE TO ADVENTURE FORTITUDE _THE RISING CITY_ 1. THE DUCHESS OF WREXE 2. THE GREEN MIRROR (_In preparation_) MARADICK AT FORTY _A Transition_ BY HUGH WALPOLE Author of the “Fortitude” “The Duchess of Wrexe” etc. . . . . Bless us, all the while How sprucely we are dressed out, you and I! A second, and the angels alter that. _How it strikes a contemporary._ NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY TO THE MARQUIS D’ALCEDO CONTENTS PART I THE ROOM OF THE MINSTRELS I The Place 11 II In Which Our Hero and the Place Meet Once Again 13 III In Which the Admonitus Locorum Begins to Have Fun with Two Entirely Respectable Members of Society 28 IV In Which the Aforesaid Admonitus Leads the Aforesaid Members of Society a Dance 53 V Maradick Makes a Promise and Meets an Itinerant Optimist 79 VI Supper with Janet Morelli 103 VII Maradick Learns that “Getting a View” May Have Its Dangers as Well as Its Rewards 125 VIII They All Eat Chicken in the Gorse and Fly Before the Storm 136 PART II PUNCH IX Morelli Breaks Some Crockery and Plays a Little Music 167 X In Which Everyone Feels the After Effect of the Picnic 196 XI Of Love—and Therefore to be Skipped by All Those Who are Tired of the Subject 216 XII Our Middle-aged Hero is Burdened by Responsibility but Boldly Undertakes the Adventure 230 XIII More of the Itinerant Optimist; Alice du Cane Asks Maradick a Favour 256