Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See http://archive.org/details/romanceofhislife00choluoft +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Transcriber's note: | | | | Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). | | | | Small capitals in the original work are represented here | | as all capitals. | | | | Footnotes have been renumbered and moved to directly below | | the paragraph to which they belong. | | | | More Transcriber's Notes will be found at the end of this | | text. | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ THE ROMANCE OF HIS LIFE And Other Romances * * * * * _By MARY CHOLMONDELEY_ NOTWITHSTANDING: A Novel. MOTH AND RUST: together with GEOFFREY'S WIFE and THE PITFALL. THE LOWEST RUNG: together with THE HAND ON THE LATCH, ST. LUKE'S SUMMER AND THE UNDERSTUDY. UNDER ONE ROOF: A Family Record. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY. * * * * * THE ROMANCE OF HIS LIFE And Other Romances by MARY CHOLMONDELEY Author of "Red Pottage." London John Murray, Albemarle Street W. 1921 TO PERCY LUBBOCK Contents PAGE INTRODUCTION 11 THE ROMANCE OF HIS LIFE 25 THE DARK COTTAGE 55 THE GHOST OF A CHANCE 83 THE GOLDFISH 109 THE STARS IN THEIR COURSES 146 HER MURDERER 173 VOTES FOR MEN 200 THE END OF THE DREAM 216 Introduction IN PRAISE OF A SUFFOLK COTTAGE Most of these stories were written in a cottage in Suffolk. For aught I know to the contrary there may be other habitable dwellings in that beloved country of grey skies and tidal rivers, and cool sea breezes. There certainly are other houses in our own village, some larger, some smaller than mine, where pleasant neighbours manage to eat and sleep, and to eke out their existence. But, of course, though they try to hide it, they must all be consumed with envy of me, for a cottage to equal mine I have never yet come across, nor do I believe in its existence.