OVER BEMERTON'S AN EASY-GOING CHRONICLE BY E. V. LUCAS "IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR HUMAN BEINGS NOT TO INFLUENCE EACH OTHER: WE ARE ALL LINKS IN A CHAIN."--_Observer's Corner_ New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1908 _All rights reserved_ COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1908. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. BY THE SAME AUTHOR Listener's Lure The Open Road The Friendly Town The Gentlest Art Fireside and Sunshine Character and Comedy The Ladies' Pageant A Wanderer in Holland A Wanderer in London Anne's Terrible Good-Nature CONTENTS CHAP. I. ONE TRAVELLER RETURNS AND FINDS A HOME IN WESTMINSTER II. INTRODUCING THE READER TO MR. AND MRS. WYNNE, A COUNTY CRICKETER, A SUFFRAGETTE, AN HEIR OF THE AGES, AND AN ANGEL III. THE HAUNTS OF MEN REVISITED AND THE FIRST BEMERTONIAN NUGGET IV. DESCRIBING MR. AND MRS. DUCKIE, ALF PINTO, BEATRICE, AND ERN V. MR. DABNEY OF _THE BALANCE_ LETS HIMSELF GO VI. MR. BEMERTON CONFERS UPON ME THE FREEDOM OF HIS TREASURY VII. RECALLS OLD STRUGGLES IN THE EARLY DAYS OF GRACE AND INTRODUCES A TYRANT FROM LUDLOW VIII. I MEET AN OLD FRIEND AND RECEIVE A LESSON IN PHILOSOPHY IX. HOW MRS. FRANK TRIED HER INNOCENT GAMES ON ONE OF THE GREAT ONES OF THE EARTH X. A HERO-WORSHIPPER AGAIN GLIMPSES HIS HERO, AFTER MANY YEARS XI. MR. BEMERTON'S FIRST BED BOOK BRINGS US INTO THE COMPANY OF QUAINT AND LEARNED GENTLEMEN XII. THESPIS SENDS ME TWO REPRESENTATIVES ON THE SAME DAY AND MONOPOLISES OUR ATTENTION XIII. I GO INTO BUSINESS _PRO TEM_, READ A GOOD POEM UNDER DIFFICULTY, AND LEARN SOMETHING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SECOND-HAND BOOKSELLER XIV. THE LINKEDNESS OF LIFE IS ILLUSTRATED, AND I BECOME A MONEY-LENDER XV. MR. DUCKIE, WITH HIS NAPKIN ON HIS ARM, SUGGESTS A SCHEME FOR HUMAN HAPPINESS XVI. MR. DABNEY OF _THE BALANCE_ MEETS MORE THAN HIS MATCH, AND FINDS A RESCUER XVII. IN WHICH, AFTER EXCEEDINGLY TEDIOUS TALK ABOUT THE WISE EXPENDITURE OF SUPERFLUOUS CASH, AN IDLER IS SET TO WORK XVIII. WE ASSIST AT A FUNCTION IN THE MODERN SMITHFIELD, BUT NOT QUITE TO THE DEATH XIX. SOME LATTER-DAY CHILDREN ARE PROVIDED WITH VERY CONGENIAL MATERIAL FOR LAUGHTER XX. AN UNEXPECTED CHEQUE LEADS TO PLANS OF TRAVEL, AND NAOMI AND I ACCEPT A RESPONSIBILITY XXI. WE ARE WHIRLED AWAY BY THE 2.20 FROM CHARING CROSS AND MEET THE QUEEN OF THE ADRIATIC XXII. MR. BEMERTON'S SECOND BED BOOK SOLACES ME WITH THE ODD AND HUMANE HUMOURS OF STUARTS AND TUDORS XXIII. MISS AZURE VERITY AND MR. DABNEY OF _THE BALANCE_ CONTINUE TO KEEP MY MIND TO A SINGLE SUBJECT XXIV. WITH MR. BEMERTON'S ASSISTANCE I TAKE REFUGE AMID A GALLANT COMPANY OF SEA DOGS XXV. I ASSIST AT TWO WEDDINGS AND HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTRASTING THE GRAVE AND THE GAY