Produced by Afra Ullah, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The immortal Ainsworth." _Thackeray._ NOVELS BY WILLIAM HARRISON AINSWORTH _ROOKWOOD_ "Gives a vivid picture of the times and places with which he dealt." _The New York Herald._ THE RITTENHOUSE PRESS PHILADELPHIA [Illustration: DICK TURPIN CLEARS HORNSEY TOLL-GATE] PRINTED IN U.S.A. BY ARRANGEMENT WITH GEORGE BARRIE'S SONS Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Archaic and dialect spellings have been retained. Greek text appears as originally printed. A table of contents, though not present in the original publication, has been provided below: MEMOIR TO MY MOTHER PREFACE BOOK I. THE WEDDING RING I. The Vault II. The Skeleton Hand III. The Park IV. The Hall V. Sir Reginald Rookwood VI. Sir Piers Rookwood VII. The Return VIII. An Irish Adventurer IX. An English Adventurer X. Ranulph Rookwood XI. Lady Rookwood XII. The Chamber of Death XIII. The Brothers BOOK II. THE SEXTON I. The Storm II. The Funeral Oration III. The Churchyard IV. The Funeral V. The Captive VI. The Apparition BOOK III. THE GIPSY I. A Morning Ride II. A Gipsy Encampment III. Sybil IV. Barbara Lovel V. The Inauguration VI. Eleanor Mowbray VII. Mrs. Mowbray VIII. The Parting IX. The Philter X. Saint Cyprian's Cell XI. The Bridal XII. Alan Rookwood XIII. Mr. Coates XIV. Dick Turpin BOOK IV. THE RIDE TO YORK I. The Rendezvous at Kilburn II. Tom King III. A Surprise IV. The Hue and Cry V. The Short Pipe VI. Black Bess VII. The York Stage VIII. Roadside Inn IX. Excitement X. The Gibbet XI. The Phantom Steed XII. Cawood Ferry BOOK V. THE OATH I. The Hut on Thorne Waste II. Major Mowbray III. Handassah IV. The Dower of Sybil V. The Sarcophagus L'ENVOY NOTES _MEMOIR_