My thanks are due to Mr. John Theodore Tussaud for assistance in the writing of chapter four, book three. Lastly, I should be ungrateful indeed, if I did not put down my sincere thanks to my secretary Miss Ethel Paczensky for all she has done for me during the making of this tale. The mere careful typewriting, revision and arrangement of a long story which is to be published in America and Europe, requires considerable skill. The fact that the loyal help and sympathy of a young and acute mind have been so devotedly at my service, merits more thanks and acknowledgment than can be easily conveyed in a foreword. G. T. CONTENTS PROLOGUE PAGE PART I A BOOK OF POEMS ARRIVES FOR DR. MORTON SIMS 3 PART II THE MURDERER 14 BOOK ONE LOTHIAN IN LONDON CHAPTER I UNDER THE WAGGON-ROOF. A DINNER IN BRYANSTONE SQUARE 37 II GRAVELY UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCE IN MRS. AMBERLEY'S DRAWING ROOM 58 III SHAME IN "THE ROARING GALLANT TOWN" 76 IV LOTHIAN GOES TO THE LIBRARY OF PURE LITERATURE 103 V "FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE WAS GOING TO HAVE A GIRL FRIEND" 121 BOOK TWO LOTHIAN IN NORFOLK I VIGNETTE OF EARLY MORNING. "GILBERT IS COMING HOME!" 145 II AN EXHIBITION OF DOCTOR MORTON SIMS AND DOCTOR MEDLEY, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF HOW LOTHIAN RETURNED TO MORTLAND ROYAL 165 III PSYCHOLOGY OF THE INEBRIATE, AND THE LETTER OF JEWELLED WORDS 204 IV DICKSON INGWORTH UNDER THE MICROSCOPE 237 V A QUARREL IN THE "MOST SELECT LOUNGE IN THE COUNTY" 246 VI AN _OMNES_ EXEUNT FROM MORTLAND ROYAL 269 BOOK THREE FRUIT OF THE DEAD SEA I THE GIRLS IN THE FOURTH STORY FLAT 283 II OVER THE RUBICON 295 III THIRST 318 IV THE CHAMBER OF HORRORS 330 V THE NIGHT JOURNEY FROM NICE WHEN MRS. DALY SPEAKS WORDS OF FIRE 353 VI GILBERT LOTHIAN'S DIARY 367 VII INGWORTH REDUX: TOFTREES COMPLACENS 394 VIII THE AMNESIC DREAM-PHASE 409 IX A STARTLING EXPERIENCE FOR "WOG" 436 EPILOGUE A YEAR LATER WHAT OCCURRED AT THE EDWARD HALL IN KINGSWAY 453 PROLOGUE PART I A BOOK OF POEMS ARRIVES FOR DR. MORTON SIMS "How many bards gild the lapses of time A few of them have ever been the food Of my delighted fancy." --_Keats._