E-text prepared by David Wilson, Chuck Greif, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 22398-h.htm or 22398-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/3/9/22398/22398-h/22398-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/3/9/22398/22398-h.zip) THE HEIRESS OF WYVERN COURT by E. SEARCHFIELD Author of "Claimed at Last" Illustrated [Illustration: "'GOOD MORNING, MADAME GICHE'" (p. 65).] Cassell and Company, Limited London, Paris, New York & Melbourne 1900 All Rights Reserved CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER I.--In the Railway Carriage--New Friends 9 " II.--Willett's Farm--Tea in the Dining-room 21 " III.--Dr. Willett--The Nutting Expedition--The Fire 35 " IV.--Oscar's Burnt Arm--Black Hole 47 " V.--Inna at the Owl's Nest--More Wrong Steps 61 " VI.--Inna's Firstfruits--On the Tor 73 " VII.--Oscar Lost--A Fruitless Search 86 " VIII.--At the Owl's Nest--The Song--The Surprise 96 " IX.--Oscar's Return--The Mystery Cleared--On the Tor Again 109 " X.--The Expedition to Swallow's Cliff--Caught by the Tide 119 " XI.--The Rescue--Cloudy Days--Good News at Last 133 " XII.--New Thoughts and Ways--The Heiress of Wyvern Court 146 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "'Good morning, Madame Giche'" Frontispiece "A donkey and cart came driving up" To face page 40 "It snapped, and he was gone" " 130 "Dick shook her by the hand" " 144 THE HEIRESS OF WYVERN COURT. CHAPTER I. IN THE RAILWAY CARRIAGE--NEW FRIENDS. "Well, little friend, and where do you hail from?" The speaker was a merry-faced, brown-eyed boy of eleven, with curly brown hair--just the school-boy all over. He had leaped into a railway carriage with cricket-bat, fishing-rod, and a knowing-looking little hamper, which he deposited on the seat beside him; then away went the snorting steam horse, train, people, and all, and out came this abrupt question. "Little friend" was a mite of a girl of nine, dressed in a homely blue serge frock and jacket, with blue velvet hat to match: a shy little midge of a grey-eyed maiden, with sunny brown curls twining about her forehead and rippling down upon her shoulders, nestling in one corner of the carriage--the sole occupant thereof until this merry questioner came to keep her company.