ROUND THE CORNER _On veut essayer de peindre à la postérité, non les actions d'un seul homme, mais l'esprit des hommes dans le siècle le plus éclairé qui fut jamais._--SIÈCLE DE LOUIS XIV. _BY THE SAME AUTHOR_ PETER HOMUNCULUS LITTLE BROTHER ROUND THE CORNER BEING THE LIFE AND DEATH OF FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER FOLYAT, BACHELOR OF DIVINITY AND FATHER OF A LARGE FAMILY BY GILBERT CANNAN NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY MCMXIII _TO MY MOTHER_ _We were happy, you and I, In the days so long gone by, When you gave me of the store Of rich legendary lore, Part saga, and part truth, Of the days of your own youth. Ah! The world was golden then! How we scorned the world of men In the days so long gone by! We were happy, you and I._ _First published_ 1913 CONTENTS PAGE A LITTLE PREFACE vii I. FRANCIS OBLIGES 1 II. THE CURATE MARRIES 9 III. ST. WITHANS 19 IV. FERN SQUARE 29 V. HOSTILITIES 40 VI. FREDERIC'S FRIENDS 50 VII. YOUNG WOMEN 58 VIII. SERGE 71 IX. INTERIOR 83 X. SUNDAY SUPPER 95 XI. ART AND DRAMA 107 XII. ANNETTE 119 XIII. IMBROGLIO 131 XIV. WHITE BEARD AND GREY 143 XV. WALKING HOME 156 XVI. MRS. FOLYAT DISSECTED 170 XVII. FREDERIC SNARED 177 XVIII. EXCURSION 186 XIX. GERTRUDE 200 XX. EDUCATION 210 XXI. MRS. ENTWISTLE'S HEART 218 XXII. LOVE 227 XXIII. BENNETT TELLS HIS MOTHER 241 XXIV. ANNETTE TELLS HER FATHER 247 XXV. LAWRIEAN PHILOSOPHY 260 XXVI. MINNA'S CHOICE 266 XXVII. GERTRUDE MAKES THE BEST OF IT 274 XXVIII. MOTHER AND DAUGHTER 280 XXIX. DISCUSSION 288 XXX. FREDERIC IN THE TOILS 295 XXXI. NEWS FROM MINNA 309 XXXII. THE CUTTING OF A KNOT 323 XXXIII. THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER 334 XXXIV. NUNC DIMITTIS 341 A LITTLE PREFACE Care I for the limbs, the thews, the stature, bulk and big assemblance of a man? Give me the spirit. HENRY IV, Part II.