STORM IN A TEACUP [Illustration] THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. TORONTO STORM IN A TEACUP BY EDEN PHILLPOTTS Author of “Old Delabole,” “Brunel’s Tower,” etc. New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1919 _All rights reserved_ COPYRIGHT, 1919 BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1919. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I BOW CREEK 1 II MAGIC PICTURES 8 III PRIORY FARM 14 IV A NEW VATMAN 26 V THE RAG HOUSE 30 VI THE MARTYR 40 VII THE BLUE MARK 51 VIII ASSAULT AND BATTERY 62 IX THE OLD PRIORY 73 X THE LETTER 87 XI LYDIA’S DAY 98 XII MEDORA’S NIGHT 113 XIII IN LONDON 122 XIV THE DRYING LOFTS 132 XV GOING UP CORKSCREW HILL 139 XVI AT “THE WATERMAN’S ARMS” 149 XVII TRAGEDY IN THE SIZING ROOM 159 XVIII NED HEARS MR. KNOX 170 XIX EMOTIONS OF MEDORA 181 XX PHILANDER’S FATE 192 XXI THE PROTEST 207 XXII A TEST FOR JORDAN KELLOCK 220 XXIII THE WISDOM OF PHILANDER 229 XXIV NED AND MEDORA 239 XXV THE EXPLANATION 249 XXVI THE STROKE 258 XXVII THE DOCTOR 271 XXVIII THE CONFESSION 279 XXIX THE BARGAIN 286 XXX FIRE BEACON HILL 297 STORM IN A TEACUP CHAPTER I BOW CREEK How musical are the place names on the tidal water of Dart. Tuckenhay and Greenway, Stoke Gabriel and Dittisham, Sharpham and Duncannon—a chime of bells to the native ear that knows them.