Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Mary Meehan and Distributed Proofreaders THE GOLDEN CALF _A Novel_ BY M.E. BRADDON AUTHOR OF 'LADY AUDLEY'S SECRET,' 'AURORA FLOYD,' 'VIXEN,' 'ISHMAEL,' ETC., ETC. [Illustration: "Ida stood with clasped hands, and lips moving dumbly in prayer."] CONTENTS CHAP. I. THE ARTICLED PUPIL II. 'I AM GOING TO MARRY FOR MONEY' III. AT THE KNOLL IV. WENDOVER ABBEY V. DR. RYLANCE ASSERTS HIMSELF VI. A BIRTHDAY FEAST VII. IN THE RIVER-MEADOW VIII. AT THE LOCK-HOUSE IX. A SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT X. A BAD PENNY XI. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT A DISCOUNT XII. THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES XIII. KINGTHORPE SOCIETY XIV. THE TRUE KNIGHT XV. MR. WENDOVER PLANS AN EXCURSION XVI. THICKER THAN WATER XVII. OUGHT SHE TO STAY? XVIII. AFTER A STORM COMES A CALM XIX. AFTER A CALM A STORM XX. WAS THIS THE MOTIVE? XXI. TAKING LIFE QUIETLY XXII. LADY PALLISER STUDIES THE UPPER TEN XXIII. 'ALL OUR LIFE is MIXED WITH DEATH' XXIV. 'FRUITS FAIL AND LOVE DIES AND TIME RANGES' XXV. 'MY SEED WAS YOUTH, MY CROP WAS ENDLESS CARE' XXVI. 'AND, IF I DIE, NO SOUL WILL PITY ME' XXVII. JOHN JARDINE SOLVES THE MYSTERY XXVIII. AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOUSE IS HIS CASTLE XXIX. 'AS ONE DEAD IN THE BOTTOM OF A TOMB' XXX. A FIERY DAWN XXXI. 'SOLE PARTNER AND SOLE PART OF ALL THESE JOYS' THE GOLDEN CALF CHAPTER I. THE ARTICLED PUPIL. 'Where is Miss Palliser?' inquired Miss Pew, in that awful voice of hers, at which the class-room trembled, as at unexpected thunder. A murmur ran along the desks, from girl to girl, and then some one, near that end of the long room which was sacred to Miss Pew and her lieutenants, said that Miss Palliser was not in the class-room. 'I think she is taking her music lesson, ma'am,' faltered the girl who had ventured diffidently to impart this information to the schoolmistress. 'Think?' exclaimed Miss Pew, in her stentorian voice. 'How can you think about an absolute fact? Either she is taking her lesson, or she is not taking her lesson. There is no room for thought. Let Miss Palliser be sent for this moment.' At this command, as at the behest of the Homeric Jove himself, half a dozen Irises started up to carry the ruler's message; but again Miss Pew's mighty tones resounded in the echoing class-room. 'I don't want twenty girls to carry one message. Let Miss Rylance go.'