E-text prepared by D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) THE LITTLE VANITIES OF MRS. WHITTAKER A Novel by JOHN STRANGE WINTER Author of "_Bootles' Baby_," "_The Truth-Tellers_," "_A Blaze of Glory_," "_Marty_," "_Little Joan_," "_Cherry's Child_," "_A Blameless Woman_," _etc._ Funk & Wagnalls Company New York and London 1904 Copyright, 1904, by Funk & Wagnalls Company [Published, June, 1904] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. REGINA BROWN 9 II. MRS. ALFRED WHITTAKER 17 III. YE DENE 26 IV. SKATING ON THIN ICE 35 V. THE S. R. W. 45 VI. REGINA'S VIEWS 54 VII. "LITTLE PIGLETS OF ENGLISH" 64 VIII. CANDID OPINIONS 73 IX. THE GIRLS' DOMAIN 83 X. A WEIGHTY BUSINESS 92 XI. AMBITIONS 101 XII. TWOPENNY DINNERS 110 XIII. DETAILS 119 XIV. DIAMOND EARRINGS 127 XV. A GOLDEN DAY 136 XVI. OTHER GODS 144 XVII. REGINA COMES TO A CONCLUSION 152 XVIII. THE FIRST LITTLE VANITIES 160 XIX. BROKEN-HEARTED MIRANDA 168 XX. FAMILY CRITICISM 176 XXI. DEAR DIEPPE 183 XXII. REGINA ON THE WARPATH 190 XXIII. THE DRESSING-ROOM 198 XXIV. RUMOR 208 XXV. POOR MOTHER 216 XXVI. THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW PATH 224 XXVII. ROUND EVERYWHERE 233 XXVIII. A REJUVENATED REGINA 241 XXIX. WARY AND PATIENT 247 XXX. DADDY'S HEART 255 XXXI. REGINA SETS FOOT ON THE DOWN GRADE 263 XXXII. WISE JULIA 270 XXXIII. GRASP YOUR NETTLE 277 XXXIV. A TRENCHANT QUESTION 284 XXXV. THE END OF IT ALL 292 The Little Vanities of Mrs. Whittaker CHAPTER I REGINA BROWN There are many who think that the unfamiliar is best. To begin my story properly, I must go back to the time when the Empress Eugenie had not started the vogue of the crinoline, when the Indian Mutiny had not stained the pages of history, and the Crimean War was as yet but a cloud the size of a man's hand on the horizon of the world--that is to say, to the very early fifties.