THE ORDEAL OF RICHARD FEVEREL By George Meredith 1905 CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE INMATES OF RAYNHAM ABBEY CHAPTER II. THE FOURTEENTH BIRTHDAY TO TRY THE STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM CHAPTER III. THE MAGIAN CONFLICT CHAPTER IV. ARSON CHAPTER V. ADRIAN PLIES HIS HOOK CHAPTER VI. JUVENILE STRATAGEMS CHAPTER VII. DAPHNE’S BOWER CHAPTER VIII. THE BITTER CUP CHAPTER IX. A FINE DISTINCTION CHAPTER X. RICHARD PASSES THROUGH HIS PRELIMINARY ORDEAL CHAPTER XI. THE LAST ACT OF THE BAKEWELL COMEDY IS CLOSED IN A LETTER CHAPTER XII. THE BLOSSOMING SEASON CHAPTER XIII. THE MAGNETIC AGE CHAPTER XIV. AN ATTRACTION CHAPTER XV. FERDINAND AND MIRANDA CHAPTER XVI. UNMASKING OF MASTER RIPTON THOMPSON CHAPTER XVII. GOOD WINE AND GOOD BLOOD CHAPTER XVIII. THE SYSTEM ENCOUNTERS THE WILD OATS SPECIAL PLEA CHAPTER XIX. A DIVERSION PLAYED ON A PENNY WHISTLE CHAPTER XX. CELEBRATES THE TIME-HONOURED TREATMENT OF A DRAGON BY THE HERO CHAPTER XXI. RICHARD IS SUMMONED TO TOWN TO HEAR A SERMON CHAPTER XXII. INDICATES THE APPROACHES OF FEVER CHAPTER XXIII. CRISIS IN THE APPLE-DISEASE CHAPTER XXIV. OF THE SPRING PRIMROSE AND THE AUTUMNAL CHAPTER XXV. IN WHICH THE HERO TAKES A STEP CHAPTER XXVI. RECORDS THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE HERO CHAPTER XXVII. CONTAINS AN INTERCESSION FOR THE HEROINE CHAPTER XXVIII. PREPARATIONS FOR ACTION WERE CONDUCTED UNDER THE APRIL OF LOVERS CHAPTER XXIX. IN WHICH THE LAST ACT OF THE COMEDY TAKES THE PLACE OF THE FIRST CHAPTER XXX. CELEBRATES THE BREAKFAST CHAPTER XXXI. THE PHILOSOPHER APPEARS IN PERSON CHAPTER XXXII. PROCESSION OF THE CAKE CHAPTER XXXIII. NURSING THE DEVIL CHAPTER XXXIV. CONQUEST OF AN EPICURE CHAPTER XXXV. CLARE’S MARRIAGE CHAPTER XXXVI. A DINNER-PARTY AT RICHMOND CHAPTER XXXVII. MRS. BERRY ON MATRIMONY CHAPTER XXXVIII. AN ENCHANTRESS CHAPTER XXXIX. THE LITTLE BIRD AND THE FALCON: A BERRY TO THE RESCUE! CHAPTER XL. CLARE’S DIARY CHAPTER XLI. AUSTIN RETURNS CHAPTER XLII. NATURE SPEAKS CHAPTER XLIII. AGAIN THE MAGIAN CONFLICT CHAPTER XLIV. THE LAST SCENE CHAPTER XLV. LADY BLANDISH TO AUSTIN WENTWORTH CHAPTER I Some years ago a book was published under the title of “The Pilgrim’s Scrip.” It consisted of a selection of original aphorisms by an anonymous gentleman, who in this bashful manner gave a bruised heart to the world. He made no pretension to novelty. “Our new thoughts have thrilled dead bosoms,” he wrote; by which avowal it may be seen that youth had manifestly gone from him, since he had ceased to be jealous of the ancients. There was a half-sigh floating through his pages for those days of intellectual coxcombry, when ideas come to us affecting the embraces of virgins, and swear to us they are ours alone, and no one else have they ever visited: and we believe them. For an example of his ideas of the sex he said: “I expect that Woman will be the last thing civilized by Man.” Some excitement was produced in the bosoms of ladies by so monstrous a scorn of them.