Produced by Annie McGuire. This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print archive. _Plashers Mead_ Compton Mackenzie PLASHERS MEAD [Illustration: GUY AND PAULINE] PLASHERS MEAD BY COMPTON MACKENZIE AUTHOR OF _CARNIVAL_ [Illustration] HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK & LONDON Copyright, 1915, by Harper & Brothers TO GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON G.C.B., D.S.O. AND THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE MEDITERRANEAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. AUTUMN SEPTEMBER: OCTOBER: NOVEMBER 3 II. WINTER DECEMBER: JANUARY: FEBRUARY 55 III. SPRING MARCH: APRIL: MAY 99 IV. SUMMER JUNE: JULY: AUGUST 155 V. ANOTHER AUTUMN SEPTEMBER: OCTOBER: NOVEMBER 205 VI. ANOTHER WINTER DECEMBER: JANUARY: FEBRUARY 253 VII. ANOTHER SPRING MARCH: APRIL: MAY 297 VIII. ANOTHER SUMMER JUNE: JULY: AUGUST 339 IX. EPIGRAPH GUY: PAULINE 371 AUTUMN SEPTEMBER The slow train puffed away into the unadventurous country; and the bees buzzing round the wine-dark dahlias along the platform were once again audible. The last farewell that Guy Hazlewood flung over his shoulder to a parting friend was more casual than it would have been had he not at the same moment been turning to ask the solitary porter how many cases of books awaited his disposition. They were very heavy, it seemed; and the porter, as he led the way towards the small and obscure purgatory through which every package for Shipcot must pass, declared he was surprised to hear these cases contained merely books. He would not go so far as to suggest that hitherto he had never faced the existence of books in such quantity, for the admission might have impugned official omniscience; yet there was in his attitude just as much incredulity mingled with disdain of useless learning as would preserve his dignity without jeopardizing the financial compliment his services were owed. "Ah, well," he decided, as if he were trying to smooth over Guy's embarrassment at the sight of these large packing-cases in the parcel-office. "You'll want something as'll keep you busy this winter--for you'll be the gentleman who've come to live down Wychford way?" Guy nodded. "And Wychford is mortal dead in winter. Time walks very lame there, as they say. And all these books, I suppose, were better to come along of the 'bus to-night?"