THE CASTLE INN BY STANLEY J. WEYMAN Author of "A Gentleman of France," "Under the Red Robe," "The House of the Wolf," etc. ILLUSTRATED BY WALTER APPLETON CLARK 1898 CONTENTS CHAPTER I. A KNIGHT-ERRANT. CHAPTER II. A MISADVENTURE. CHAPTER III. TUTOR AND PUPILS--OLD STYLE. CHAPTER IV. PEEPING TOM OF WALLINGFORD. CHAPTER V. THE MEETING. CHAPTER VI. A FISH OUT OF WATER. CHAPTER VII. ACHILLES AND BRISEIS. CHAPTER VIII. THE OLD BATH ROAD. CHAPTER IX. ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON. CHAPTER X. MOTHER AND SON. CHAPTER XI. DR. ADDINGTON. CHAPTER XII. JULIA. CHAPTER XIII. A SPOILED CHILD. CHAPTER XIV. A GOOD MAN'S DILEMMA. CHAPTER XV. AMORIS INTEGRATIO. CHAPTER XVI. THE BLACK FAN. CHAPTER XVII. MR. FISHWICK, THE ARBITER. CHAPTER XVIII. THE PURSUIT. CHAPTER XIX. AN UNWILLING ALLY. CHAPTER XX. THE EMPTY POST-CHAISE. CHAPTER XXI. IN THE CARRIAGE. CHAPTER XXII. FACILIS DESCENSUS. CHAPTER XXIII. BULLY POMEROY. CHAPTER XXIV. CUTTING FOR THE QUEEN. CHAPTER XXV. LORD ALMERIC'S SUIT. CHAPTER XXVI. BOON COMPANIONS. CHAPTER XXVII. MR. FISHWICK'S DISCOVERY. CHAPTER XXVIII. A ROUGH AWAKENING. CHAPTER XXIX. MR. POMEROY'S PLAN. CHAPTER XXX. A GREEK GIFT. CHAPTER XXXI. THE INN AT CHIPPENHAM. CHAPTER XXXII. CHANCE MEDLEY. CHAPTER XXXIII. IN THE CARRIAGE. CHAPTER XXXIV. BAD NEWS. CHAPTER XXXV. DORMITAT HOMERUS. CHAPTER XXXVI. THE ATTORNEY SPEAKS. CHAPTER XXXVII. A HANDSOME ALLOWANCE. CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE CLERK OF THE LEASES. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS THE ANSWER WAS A BLINDING FLASH OF LIGHT AND A SHOT. 'TOMMY, WHO IS--THIS--FELLOW?' HE CRIED. 'YOUR LADYSHIP'S MOST HUMBLE SERVANT,' HE SAID. HE WOULD FALL SILENT IN JULIA'S COMPANY. 'AND DRINK HER, YOU ENVIOUS BEGGARS! DRINK HER!' ON THE THRESHOLD, ... STOOD MR. DUNBOROUGH. THE CASTLE INN CHAPTER I A KNIGHT-ERRANT About a hundred and thirty years ago, when the third George, whom our grandfathers knew in his blind dotage, was a young and sturdy bridegroom; when old Q., whom 1810 found peering from his balcony in Piccadilly, deaf, toothless, and a skeleton, was that gay and lively spark, the Earl of March; when _bore_ and _boreish_ were words of _haut ton_, unknown to the vulgar, and the price of a borough was 5,000_l_.; when gibbets still served for sign-posts, and railways were not and highwaymen were--to be more exact, in the early spring of the year 1767, a travelling chariot-and-four drew up about five in the evening before the inn at Wheatley Bridge, a short stage from Oxford on the Oxford road. A gig and a couple of post-chaises, attended by the customary group of stablemen, topers, and gossips already stood before the house, but these were quickly deserted in favour of the more important equipage. The drawers in their aprons trooped out, but the landlord, foreseeing a rich harvest, was first at the door of the carriage, and opened it with a bow such as is rarely seen in these days. 'Will your lordship please to alight?' he said. 'No, rascal!' cried one of those within. 'Shut the door!'