Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) MILDRED ARKELL. A Novel. BY MRS. HENRY WOOD, AUTHOR OF "EAST LYNNE," "LORD OAKBURN'S DAUGHTERS," "TREVLYN HOLD," ETC. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: TINSLEY BROTHERS, CATHERINE STREET, STRAND 1865. _All rights of Translation and Reproduction are reserved._ CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. WHICH IS NOTHING BUT AN INTRODUCTION 1 II. THE MISS HUGHES'S HOME 21 III. THE ADVENT OF CHARLOTTE TRAVICE 34 IV. ROBERT CARR'S REQUEST 50 V. THE FLIGHT 68 VI. A MISERABLE MISTAKE 87 VII. A HEART SEARED 107 VIII. BETSEY TRAVICE 124 IX. DISPLEASING EYES 147 X. GOING OUT AS LADY'S MAID 160 XI. MR. CARR'S OFFER 179 XII. MARRIAGES IN UNFASHIONABLE LIFE 194 XIII. GOING ON FOR LORD MAYOR 213 XIV. OLD YEARS BACK AGAIN 228 XV. THE DEAN'S DAUGHTER 249 XVI. A CITY'S DESOLATION 269 XVII. A DIFFICULTY ABOUT TICKETS 288 XVIII. THE CONCERT 303 MILDRED ARKELL. CHAPTER I. WHICH IS NOTHING BUT AN INTRODUCTION. I am going to tell you a story of real life--one of those histories that in point of fact are common enough; but, hidden within themselves as they generally are, are thought to be so rare, and, if proclaimed to the world in all their strange details, are looked upon as a romance, not reality. Some of the actors in this one are living now, but I have the right to tell it, if I please.