E-text prepared by D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 34996-h.htm or 34996-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/34996/pg34996-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34996/34996-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://www.archive.org/details/delafieldaffair00kelliala THE DELAFIELD AFFAIR by FLORENCE FINCH KELLY Author of "With Hoops of Steel," etc. With Four Illustrations in Color by Maynard Dixon Chicago A. C. McClurg & Co. 1909 Copyright A. C. McClurg & Co. 1909 Published March 6, 1909 THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. [Illustration: "HE SMILED DOWN AT HER GLOWING YOUNG FACE, AND HIS EYES SHONE WITH ADMIRATION" [Page 26]] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. VENGEANCE AVOWED 9 II. THE EVIL THAT MEN DO 32 III. MISTAKE, OR BLUNDER? 39 IV. THE POWERS CONFER 52 V. CHASTISEMENT CONDIGN 64 VI. A STERN CHASE 78 VII. TALK OF MANY THINGS 90 VIII. SPECTRES OF THE PAST 114 IX. PERILS IN THE NIGHT 136 X. BY A HAIR'S BREADTH 145 XI. BATTLING THE ELEMENTS 160 XII. THE FIRST SHOT 177 XIII. THE SECOND SHOT 192 XIV. THREE LETTERS 210 XV. VILLAINY UNMASKED 221 XVI. A DOUBLE BLUFF 238 XVII. SENTENCE OF DEATH 256 XVIII. PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS 278 XIX. THE WORD UNSPOKEN 299 XX. NARROWING THE QUEST 321 XXI. THE SILENT DUEL 345 XXII. REFLECTION AND REACTION 360 XXIII. LOVE TO THE RESCUE 380 XXIV. THE HEAVENS OPEN 397 XXV. FULFILMENT OF THE LAW 414 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE "He smiled down at her glowing young face, and his eyes shone with admiration" _Frontispiece_ "Upon man and beast the sand-storm beat bitterly" 168