E-text prepared by Elaine Walker, Karen Dalrymple, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/c/) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 20328-h.htm or 20328-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/3/2/20328/20328-h/20328-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/3/2/20328/20328-h.zip) SIMON DALE by ANTHONY HOPE T. Nelson & Sons London and Edinburgh Paris: 189, rue Saint-Jacques Leipzig: 35-37 Königstrasse [Illustration: "It is only that a low laugh echoes distantly in my ear."] [Illustration] CONTENTS I. The Child of Prophecy 3 II. The Way of Youth 18 III. The Music of the World 33 IV. Cydaria revealed 49 V. I am forbidden to forget 65 VI. An Invitation to Court 84 VII. What came of Honesty 103 VIII. Madness, Magic, and Moonshine 122 IX. Of Gems and Pebbles 140 X. Je Viens, Tu Viens, Il Vient 160 XI. The Gentleman from Calais 180 XII. The Deference of His Grace the Duke 201 XIII. The Meed of Curiosity 222 XIV. The King's Cup 244 XV. M. de Perrencourt whispers 263 XVI. M. de Perrencourt wonders 283 XVII. What befell my Last Guinea 303 XVIII. Some Mighty Silly Business 324 XIX. A Night on the Road 345 XX. The Vicar's Proposition 362 XXI. The Strange Conjuncture of Two Gentlemen 378 XXII. The Device of Lord Carford 396 XXIII. A Pleasant Penitence 414 XXIV. A Comedy before the King 434 XXV. The Mind of M. de Fontelles 451 XXVI. I come Home 468 SIMON DALE CHAPTER I THE CHILD OF PROPHECY