THE RAKE'S PROGRESS THE RAKE'S PROGRESS BY MARJORIE BOWEN AUTHOR OF "THE VIPER OF MILAN," ETC. ETC. LONDON WILLIAM RIDER & SON, LIMITED 1912 Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. At the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh CONTENTS PART I CHAP. PAGE I MISS SUSANNAH CHRESSHAM OBSERVES 1 II ROSE LYNDWOOD 17 III THE SECOND LETTER TO MISS SELINA BOYLE 27 IV THE BARGAIN 41 V THE TRUE LOVE 51 VI THE FAREWELL 58 VII "ASPASIA" 67 VIII LAVINIA 78 IX MY LORD'S ADJUSTMENT 88 X A LADY SCORNED 98 PART II I THE SECOND HOME-COMING OF MARIUS LYNDWOOD 107 II BEDCHAMBER PLOTS 117 III THE BROTHERS 126 IV THE PARAGRAPH IN THE "GAZETTE" 137 V SIR FRANCIS INTERVENES 147 VI MARIUS ENTANGLED 156 VII MY LORD SPEAKS 166 VIII MARIUS APPEALS 176 IX MY LORD ACTS 187 X THE COUNTESS AT BAY 197 XI HONORIA INTERVENES 207 XII MARIUS ENSNARED 218 XIII MARIUS DECIDES 229 XIV THE DUEL 241 PART III I THE CONFESSION OF ROSE LYNDWOOD 252 II SELINA BOYLE 261 III A MAY NIGHT 270 IV SUSANNAH CHRESSHAM 281 V THE VISIT TO MY LORD 290 THE RAKE'S PROGRESS PART I CHAPTER I MISS SUSANNAH CHRESSHAM OBSERVES "You ask me about Rose--what can I say? Alas, that my talents should not be equal to your curiosity! My letters at best are feeble productions, and when I have a deliberate request to answer I swear my pen refuses its duty. 'Tell me about Rose,' you say. 'Our one meeting, two years ago, remains in my mind.' And you would know more of the most charming person you ever met--so I finish the sentence for you! "And rightly, I am sure. But, again, what can I say? I know too much, and not enough. "I have chosen a wet day to write to you and the afternoon hours when my duties are done, so that nothing interferes between us but my faltering pen. Aunt Agatha sits in the next room making knots. You see how I avoid the subject! And now how I valiantly strive faithfully to answer you.