“PIRACY” _The Author wishes it to be clearly understood that all the persons in this book, except Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Trevor, are entirely of the imagination._ “PIRACY” A ROMANTIC CHRONICLE OF THESE DAYS _by_ MICHAEL ARLEN Author of “The Romantic Lady,” “The London Venture,” etc. [Illustration] LONDON: 48 PALL MALL W. COLLINS SONS & CO. LTD. GLASGOW MELBOURNE AUCKLAND Copyright First Impression, October, 1922 Second “ November, 1922 Third “ November, 1922 Fourth “ December, 1922 Fifth “ January, 1923 Sixth “ May, 1924 Seventh “ July, 1924 Eighth “ August, 1924 _Manufactured in Great Britain_ TO MY MOTHER CONTENTS PROLOGUE PAGE THE DEPRESSION OF IVOR PELHAM MARLAY ON THE NIGHT OF THE FIRST OF MAY, 1921 1 BOOK THE FIRST AN IDEAL, SOME DETAILS, AND A LAPSE 17 BOOK THE SECOND THE FRIENDS 61 BOOK THE THIRD THE ANTAGONISTS 145 EPILOGUE THE IMAGE IN THE HEART 305 A typical sentence from an ancient copy-book, unearthed with many other curious relics of a polite age during recent excavations at the corner of Pall Mall and Saint James’s Street:-- “_When gentlefolk meet, compliments are exchanged._” PROLOGUE THE DEPRESSION OF IVOR PELHAM MARLAY ON THE NIGHT OF THE 1ST OF MAY, 1921 CHAPTER I 1 On the northern fringe of Soho there lies a not ill-favoured little street, about which play many grubby children and barrel-organs, and on whose pathways not even the most distinguished foreigner can look anything but a mere alien; while the veritable alien looks there, in the light of day, even more undesirable than in the shadows of the “night-club” into which, at about midnight, your passing attention might be beckoned. But you and I, in passing up that street in the failing light of evening, would be concerned with none of its alien banalities--except, of course, in so far as a hint of such may lie behind the wide and well-lit windows of the Hotel and Restaurant Mont Agel, at the far end of the street.