Produced by Bernd Meyer, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: Very slowly Sir Harry obeyed, swearing frightfully. _Frontispiece._ _See page 104._] THE HONOURABLE MR. TAWNISH BY JEFFERY FARNOL AUTHOR OF "THE BROAD HIGHWAY," AND "THE AMATEUR GENTLEMAN" WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARLES E. BROCK BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1913 _Copyright_, 1913, BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. ---------- _All rights reserved_ Published, October, 1913 THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. TO DOROTHY THE BEST AND GENTLEST OF SISTERS THE TRUEST AND BRAVEST OF COMRADES I DEDICATE THIS BOOK JEFFREY FARNOL LONDON, August 28, 1913 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I Introducing Mr. Tawnish, and what befell at "The Chequers" 1 II Of the further astonishing conduct of the said Mr. Tawnish 39 III Of a Flight of Steps, a Stirrup, and a Stone 70 IV Of how We fell in with a Highwayman at the Cross Roads 87 V Concerning the true Identity of our Highwayman 113 VI Of the Dawning of Christmas Day 123 VII Which deals, among other Matters, with the Ring of Steel 132 VIII Wherein the Truth of the old Adage is made manifest--to wit: All's well that ends well 152 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Very slowly, Sir Harry obeyed, swearing frightfully _Frontispiece_ "I believe I have the felicity of addressing Sir John Chester?" PAGE 12 "Oh! Ha! Hum!" says Bentley, "Did Jack tell you all that, Pen?" 80 "Father," says she, "this is my husband--and I am proud to tell you so 159