Produced by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net MOLLY BAWN By THE DUCHESS (Margaret Wolfe Hamilton) Author of "Phylis," "Airy Fairy Lilian," "Portia," Etc,. Etc. NEW YORK HURST AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS Transcriber's Note: The Table of Contents was not printed in this book. It has been created for the convenience of the reader. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. CHAPTER XX. CHAPTER II. CHAPTER XXI. CHAPTER III. CHAPTER XXII. CHAPTER IV. CHAPTER XXIII. CHAPTER V. CHAPTER XXIV. CHAPTER VI. CHAPTER XXV. CHAPTER VII. CHAPTER XXVI. CHAPTER VIII. CHAPTER XXVII. CHAPTER IX. CHAPTER XXVIII. CHAPTER X. CHAPTER XXIX. CHAPTER XI. CHAPTER XXX. CHAPTER XII. CHAPTER XXXI. CHAPTER XIII. CHAPTER XXXII. CHAPTER XIV. CHAPTER XXXIII. CHAPTER XV. CHAPTER XXXIV. CHAPTER XVI. CHAPTER XXXV. CHAPTER XVII. CHAPTER XXXVI. CHAPTER XVIII. CHAPTER XXXVII. CHAPTER XIX. CHAPTER XXXVIII. MOLLY BAWN. CHAPTER I. "On hospitable thoughts intent." "Positively he is coming!" says Mr. Massereene, with an air of the most profound astonishment. "_Who?_" asks Molly, curiously, pausing with her toast in mid-air (they are at breakfast), and with her lovely eyes twice their usual goodly size. Her lips, too, are apart; but whether in anticipation of the news or of the toast, it would be difficult to decide. "Is any one coming here?" "Even here. This letter"--regarding, with a stricken conscience, the elegant scrawl in his hand--"is from Tedcastle George Luttrell (he is evidently proud of his name), declaring himself not only ready but fatally willing to accept my invitation to spend a month with me." "A month!" says Molly, amazed. "And you never said a word about it, John." "A month!" says Letitia, dismayed. "What on earth, John, is any one to do with any one for a month down here?" "I wish I knew," replies Mr. Massereene, getting more and more stricken as he notices his wife's dejection, and gazing at Molly as though for inspiration. "What evil genius possessed me that I didn't say a fortnight? But, to tell you the honest truth, Letty, it never occurred to me that he might come." "Then why did you ask him?" says Letitia, as sharply as is possible for her. "When writing, you might have anticipated so much: people generally do."