THE CREAM OF THE JEST ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =BOOKS BY MR. CABELL= NOVELS: THE CREAM OF THE JEST THE SOUL OF MELICENT THE RIVET IN GRANDFATHER’S NECK THE CORDS OF VANITY THE EAGLE’S SHADOW TALES: THE CERTAIN HOUR CHIVALRY THE LINE OF LOVE GALLANTRY VERSES: FROM THE HIDDEN WAY GENEALOGIES: BRANCH OF ABINGDON BRANCHIANA THE MAJORS AND THEIR MARRIAGES ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE CREAM OF THE JEST ═══════════════ A Comedy of Evasions ═══════════════ BY JAMES BRANCH CABELL “_Le pays où je voulais aller, tu m’y as mené en songe, cette nuit, et tu étais belle ... ah! que tu étais belle!... Mais, comme je n’ai aimé que ton ombre, tu me dispenseras, chère tête, de remercier ta réalité._” NEW YORK ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY 1917 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ +Copyright, 1917, by+ ROBERT M. MCBRIDE & CO. ───────── ───────── Published September, 1917 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TO LOUISA NELSON “_At me ab amore tuo diducet nulla senectus._” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contents BOOK FIRST I INTRODUCES THE AGELESS WOMAN 3 II WHEREIN A CLERK APPRAISES A 11 FAIR COUNTRY III OF THE DOUBLE-DEALER’S TRAFFIC 15 WITH A KNAVE IV HOW THE DOUBLE-DEALER WAS OF 19 TWO MINDS V TREATS OF MAUGIS D’AIGREMONT’S 23 POTTAGE