Not, I repeat, that any great part of the reward for such writing can come from without. According to Robert Etheridge Townsend, "a man writes admirable prose not at all for the sake of having it read, but for the more sensible reason that he enjoys playing solitaire"--a not un-Cabellian saying. And, even of the reward from without, it may be questioned whether the really indispensable part ever comes from the multitude. A lady with whose more candid opinions the writer of this is more frequently favored nowadays than of old has said: "Every time I hear of somebody who has wanted one of these books without being able to get it, or who, having got it, has conceded it nothing better than the disdain of an ignoramus, I feel as if I must forthwith get out the copy and read it through again and again, until I have read it once for every person who has rejected it or been denied it." One may feel reasonably sure that it is this kind of solicitude, rather than any possible sanction from the crowd, which would be thought of by the author of this book as "the exact high prize through desire of which we write". WILSON FOLLETT. CHESHIRE, CONNECTICUT _May, 1920_ CONTENTS: THE PROLOGUE I HE SITS OUT A DANCE II HE LOVES EXTENSIVELY III HE EARNS A STICK-PIN IV HE TALKS WITH CHARTERIS V HE REVISITS FAIRHAVEN AND THE PLAY VI HE CHATS OVER A HEDGE VII HE GOES MAD IN A GARDEN VIII HE DUELS WITH A STUPID WOMAN IX HE PUTS HIS TONGUE IN HIS CHEEK X HE SAMPLES NEW EMOTIONS XI HE POSTURES AMONG CHIMNEY-POTS XII HE FACES HIMSELF AND REMEMBERS XIII HE BAITS UPON THE JOURNEY XIV HE PARTICIPATES IN A BRAVE JEST XV HE DECIDES TO AMUSE HIMSELF XVI HE SEEKS FOR COPY XVII HE PROVIDES COPY XVIII HE SPENDS AN AFTERNOON IN ARDEN XIX HE PLAYS THE IMPROVIDENT FOOL XX HE DINES OUT, IMPEDED BY SUPERSTITIONS XXI HE IS URGED TO DESERT HIS GALLEY XXII HE CLEANS THE SLATE XXIII HE REVILES DESTINY AND CLIMBS A WALL XXIV HE RECONCILES SENTIMENT AND REASON XXV HE ADVANCES IN THE ATTACK ON SELWOODE XXVI HE ASSISTS IN THE DIVERSION OF BIRDS XXVII HE CALLS, COUNSELS, AND CONSIDERS XXVIII HE PARTICIPATES IN SUNDRY CONFIDENCES XXIX HE ALLOWS THE MERITS OF IMPERFECTION XXX HE GILDS THE WEATHER-VANE THE EPILOGUE: WHICH SUGGESTS THAT SECOND THOUGHTS-- THE PROLOGUE _"In the house and garden of his dream he saw a child moving, and could divide the main streams at least of the winds that had played on him, and study so the first stage in that mental journey."_ _The Prologue: Which Deals with the Essentials_ _1--Writing_