Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. THE FOOL ERRANT BEING THE MEMOIRS OF FRANCIS-ANTONY STRELLEY, ESQ. CITIZEN OF LUCCA EDITED BY MAURICE HEWLETT AUTHOR OF "THE QUEEN'S QUAIR," "NEW CANTERBURY TALES," "RICHARD YEA-AND-NAY," "LITTLE NOVELS OF ITALY," ETC., ETC. Published July, 1905. To J. M. BARRIE AFFECTIONATELY CONTENTS INTRODUCTION I. MY EXORDIUM: A JUSTIFICATORY PIECE II. AURELIA AND THE DOCTOR III. MY DANGEROUS PROGRESS IV. FATAL AVOWAL V. DISASTER VI. I COMMENCE PILGRIM VII. I AM MISCONCEIVED AT THE HOSPITAL VIII. THE PEDLAR OF CRUCIFIXES IX. I AM HUMILIATED, LIFTED UP, AND LEFT CURIOUS X. I FALL IN AGAIN WITH FRA PALAMONE XI. I EXERCISE COMMON SENSE, IMAGINATION AND CHARITY XII. I SEEK--AND FIND XIII. HAVING EMPTIED MY POCKET, I OFFER MY HAND, BUT RESERVE MY HEART XIV. MY HAPPY DAYS; THEIR UNHAPPY END XV. I AM IN BONDAGE XVI. VIRGINIA AND I FALL OUT, BUT ARE RECONCILED XVII. ERCOLE AT THE FAIR XVIII. FRA PALAMONE BREAKS THE LAW, AND I MY CHAIN XIX. I AM AGAIN MISCONCEIVED XX. SURPRISING CHANGE IN MY FORTUNES XXI. MY DIVERSIONS: COUNT GIRALDI XXII. I WORK FOR AURELIA, AND HEAR OF HER XXIII. AURELIA FORGIVES XXIV. VIRGINIA VEXES XXV. I PREPARE FOR BLISS XXVI. I DISAPPOINT MY FRIENDS XXVII. I SLAY A MAN XXVIII. VIRGINIA ON HER METTLE XXIX. I TAKE SANCTUARY XXX. I MARRY AND GO TO LUCCA XXXI. MY ADVENTURES AT THE INN XXXII. WE LIVE HAPPILY IN LUCCA XXXIII. TREACHERY WORKS AGAINST US XXXIV. I FALL IN WITH THE PLAYERS XXXV. TEMPTED IN SIENA, BELVISO SAVES ME XXXVI. MY UNREHEARSED EFFECT AND ITS MIDNIGHT SEQUEL XXXVII. I COMMIT A DOUBLE MURDER XXXVIII. AN UNEXPECTED MESSENGER LIFTS ME UP XXXIX. VIRGINIA DECLINES THE HEIGHTS XL. I GET RID OF MY ENEMY AND PART FROM MY FRIEND XLI. I RETURN TO FLORENCE AND THE WORLD OF FASHION XLII. I STAND AT A CROSS-ROAD XLIII. AGITATIONS AT THE VILLA SAN GIORGIO XLIV. I CONFRONT MY ENEMIES XLV. THE MEETING XLVI. THE DISCOVERY XLVII. THE FINAL PROOF XLVIII. THE LAST INTRODUCTION The top-heavy, four-horsed, yellow old coach from Vicenza, which arrived at Padua every night of the year, brought with it in particular on the night of October 13, 1721, a tall, personable young man, an Englishman, in a dark blue cloak, who swang briskly down from the coupe and asked in stilted Italian for "La sapienza del Signer Dottor' Lanfranchi." From out of a cloud of steam--for the weather was wet and the speaker violently hot--a husky voice replied, "Eccomi--eccomi, a servirla." The young man took off his hat and bowed. "Have I the honour to salute so much learning?" he asked courteously. "Let me present myself to my preceptor as Mr. Francis Strelley of Upcote."