Produced by Barry Abrahamsen and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) MRS. ESSINGTON ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: Frontispiece] MRS. ESSINGTON The Romance of a House-party BY ESTHER AND LUCIA CHAMBERLAIN WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY HENRY HUTT [Illustration: Publisher’s Logo] NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1905 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright, 1905, by THE CENTURY CO. ------- Published May, 1905 THE DE VINNE PRESS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE HOUSE-PARTY EXPLAINS ITSELF, AND GETS INTO A 3 FOG II JULIA STEPS OUT OF IT, AND ANSWERS A QUESTION 24 III MRS. ESSINGTON RUNS AWAY FROM HERSELF 44 IV LONGACRE RUNS AFTER 54 V THE PURSUER IS CAPTURED 77 VI THAIR PUTS IN HIS FINGER; CISSY HER FOOT 101 VII THE HOUSE-PARTY IN THE STORM 118 VIII LONGACRE TRAPS HIMSELF 139 IX MRS. ESSINGTON SAYS “NO” 162 X THE MAD RIDING 171 XI THE WHITE DARKNESS 190 XII MRS. ESSINGTON SAYS “YES” 205 XIII THAIR CONGRATULATES 229 XIV THE QUEEN’S COURTESY 236 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Mrs. Essington Frontispiece PAGE “‘Oh, it’s been wretched!’” 92 “Her skirts held high above her pretty, 116 preposterous shoes” “‘For God’s sake—don’t cry!’” 154 “‘Are you ready?’” 174 “Such a strange Julia!” 232