E-text prepared by Robert Cicconetti, Paula Franzini, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org) Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://archive.org/details/mildredarkellnov02woo MILDRED ARKELL. A Novel. by MRS. HENRY WOOD, Author of "East Lynne," "Lord Oakburn's Daughters," "Trevlyn Hold," etc. etc. In Three Volumes. VOL. II. London: Tinsley Brothers, Catherine Street, Strand. 1865. All rights of Translation and Reproduction are reserved. London: Savill and Edwards, Printers, Chandos-Street, Covent-Garden. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. THE SCHOOL-BOY'S LOVE 1 II. THE TOUR OF DAVID DUNDYKE, ESQUIRE 20 III. A MEETING AT GRENOBLE 37 IV. A MYSTERY 65 V. HOME IN DESPAIR 87 VI. NEWS FOR WESTERBURY 102 VII. ROBERT CARR'S VISIT 118 VIII. GOING OVER TO SQUIRE CARR'S 137 IX. A STARTLED LUNCHEON-TABLE 153 X. A MISSIVE FOR SQUIRE CARR 175 XI. THE LAST OF ROBERT CARR 191 XII. MR. RICHARDS' MORNING CALL 214 XIII. A DISLIKE THAT WAS TO BEAR ITS FRUITS 230 XIV. THE EXAMINATION 251 XV. A NIGHT WITH THE GHOSTS 272 XVI. PERPLEXITY 294 XVII. A SHADOW OF THE FUTURE 315 MILDRED ARKELL. CHAPTER I. THE SCHOOL-BOY'S LOVE. A brilliant evening in July. The sun had been blazing all day with intense force, glittering on the white pavement of the streets, scorching the dry and thirsty earth; and it was not until his beams shone from the very verge of the horizon that the gay butterflies of humanity ventured to come forth.