Produced by Charles Bowen, from page scans provided by the Web Archive Transcriber's Notes: 1. Page scan source: http://www.archive.org/details/mirandabalconya00masogoog 2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe]. MIRANDA OF THE BALCONY MIRANDA OF THE BALCONY _A STORY_ BY A. E. W. MASON AUTHOR OF "THE COURTSHIP OF MORRICE BUCKLER," ETC. New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 1899 _All rights reserved_ Copyright, 1899, By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY _Norwood Press_ _J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith_ _Norwood, Mass., U.S.A_. CONTENTS CHAPTER I IN WHICH A SHORT-SIGHTED TAXIDERMIST FROM TANGIER MAKES A DISCOVERY UPON ROSEVEAR. CHAPTER II PRESENTS THE HERO IN THE UNHEROIC ATTITUDE OF A SPECTATOR. CHAPTER III TREATS OF A GENTLEMAN WITH AN AGREEABLE COUNTENANCE AND OF A WOMAN'S FACE IN A MIRROR. CHAPTER IV TREATS OF THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA. CHAPTER V WHEREIN CHARNOCK AND MIRANDA IMPROVE THEIR ACQUAINTANCESHIP IN A BALCONY. CHAPTER VI WHILE CHARNOCK BUILDS CASTLES IN SPAIN, MIRANDA RETURNS THERE. CHAPTER VII IN WHICH MAJOR WILBRAHAM DESCRIBES THE STEPS BY WHICH HE ATTAINED HIS MAJORITY AND GIVES MIRANDA SOME PARTICULAR INFORMATION. CHAPTER VIII EXPLAINS THE MYSTERY OF THE "TARIFA'S" CARGO. CHAPTER IX SHOWS THE USE WHICH A BLIND MAN MAY MAKE OF A DARK NIGHT. CHAPTER X M. FOURNIER EXPOUNDS THE ADVANTAGES WHICH EACH SEX HAS OVER THE OTHER. CHAPTER XI IN WHICH MIRANDA ADOPTS A NEW LINE OF CONDUCT AND THE MAJOR EXPRESSES SOME DISCONTENT. CHAPTER XII THE HERO, LIKE ALL HEROES, FINDS HIMSELF IN A FOG. CHAPTER XIII WHEREIN THE HERO'S PERPLEXITIES INCREASE. CHAPTER XIV MIRANDA PROFESSES REGRET FOR A PRACTICAL JOKE. CHAPTER XV IN WHICH THE MAJOR LOSES HIS TEMPER AND RECOVERS IT. CHAPTER XVI EXPLAINS WHY CHARNOCK SAW MIRANDA'S FACE IN HIS MIRROR. CHAPTER XVII SHOWS HOW A TOMBSTONE MAY CONVINCE WHEN ARGUMENTS FAIL. CHAPTER XVIII