Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Pilar Somoza and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: "_She dragged off the engagement ring, and dashed it on the floor in front of his feet._" _See p._ 335.] PRINCE FORTUNATUS A Novel BY WILLIAM BLACK AUTHOR OF "A PRINCESS OF THULE" "MACLEOD OF DARE" "IN FAR LOCHABER" ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE 1905 CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. A REHEARSAL 5 II. THE GREAT GOD PAN 21 III. NINA 37 IV. COUNTRY AND TOWN 55 V. WARS AND RUMORS 78 VI. A DEPARTURE 90 VII. IN STRATHAIVRON 106 VIII. THE TWELFTH 123 IX. VENATOR IMMEMOR 142 X. AIVRON AND GEINIG 159 XI. THE PHANTOM STAG 174 XII. A GLOBE OF GOLD-FISH 192 XIII. A NEW EXPERIENCE 207 XIV. A MAGNANIMOUS RIVAL 225 XV. "LET THE STRUCKEN DEER GO WEEP" 243 XVI. AN AWAKENING 259 XVII. A CRISIS 276 XVIII. AN INVOCATION 294 XIX. ENTRAPPED 310 XX. IN DIRER STRAITS 326 XXI. IN A DEN OF LIONS, AND THEREAFTER 342 XXII. PRIUS DEMENTAT 359 XXIII. A MEMORABLE DAY 376 XXIV. FRIENDS IN NEED 393 XXV. CHANGES 410 XXVI. TOWARDS THE DAWN 425 XXVII. A REUNION 430 ILLUSTRATIONS. "SHE DRAGGED OFF THE ENGAGEMENT-RING, AND DASHED IT ON THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF HIS FEET" _Frontispiece._ "'YOU SAY AT YOUR FEET THAT I WEPT IN DESPAIR'" _Facing p._ 18 "WHEN THEY HAD FINISHED SUPPER, LIONEL MOORE LIT A CIGARETTE, AND HIS FRIEND A BRIAR-ROOT PIPE" " 34 "THEY PASSED IN THROUGH THE GATE, AND FOUND THE DOOR LEFT OPEN FOR THEM" " 64 "AND YET HERE WAS THIS GIRL WATCHING COOLLY AND CRITICALLY THE MOTION OF THE LINE" " 116 "CAUTIOUSLY OLD ROBERT CREPT DOWN. WHEN HE WAS CLOSE TO THE WATER, HE BARED HIS RIGHT ARM AND GRASPED THE GAFF BY THE HANDLE" " 170 "ROBERT GOT THE SMALL PARCELS AND THE DRINKING-CUPS OUT OF THE BAG, AND ARRANGED THEM ON THE WARM TURF" " 198 "AND NINA, HANGING SOME WAY BACK, COULD SEE THEM BEING PRESENTED TO MISS BURGOYNE" " 252 "'WHY, YOU SEEM TO KNOW EVERYBODY, MR. MOORE!' SHE SAID TO HIM, WITH A SMILE" " 264