THE TALLANTS OF BARTON. A Tale of Fortune and Finance. BY JOSEPH HATTON, Author of “Bitter Sweets: a Love Story;” “Against the Stream,” etc., etc. “The wheel of Fortune turns incessantly round, and who can say within himself I shall to-day be uppermost?”--_Confucius._ IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: TINSLEY BROTHERS, 18, CATHERINE ST., STRAND. 1867. [_The Right of Translation is reserved._] LONDON: BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I.--WEDDING BELLS 1 II.--“YET OFT O’ER CREDULOUS YOUTH SUCH SIRENS TRIUMPH, AND LEAD THEIR CAPTIVE SENSE IN CHAINS AS STRONG AS ADAMANT.” 17 III.--COMING HOME 35 IV.--TRAVELLERS BY LAND AND SEA 49 V.--LORD AND LADY VERNER 60 VI.--IN WHICH DAME FORTUNE PLAYS OFF HER GRIM JOKE UPON LIONEL HAMMERTON 74 VII.--CONTAINS A LETTER FROM A DEAR FRIEND, AND TAKES THE READER ONCE MORE TO SEVERNTOWN 88 VIII.--PORTENDS A DEED OF VENGEANCE 101 IX.--GLANCES AT WILLIAMSON’S STORY, AND TERMINATES PAUL SOMERTON’S ADVENTURE 112 X.--“FROM GRAVE TO GAY” 119 XI.--EXPLANATIONS THAT CAME TOO LATE 128 XII.--“WHAT THE MOON SAW” 144 XIII.--IN WHICH THE SEVERNSHIRE CORONER HOLDS AN INQUEST 157 XIV.--THE CHIEF OF THE BRAZENCROOK POLICE MAKES A BOLD STROKE FOR THE GOVERNMENT REWARD 175 XV.--CONTAINS A CURIOUS ILLUSTRATION OF DETECTIVE PHILOSOPHY, AND IS AN IMPORTANT LINK IN THIS HISTORY 184 XVI.--“BAL. TO R. T., £300” 198 XVII.--IN THE FIRELIGHT 209 XVIII.--THE BEGINNING OF THE END 221 XIX.--IN WHICH SEVERAL PERSONS QUIT THE STAGE FOR EVER 245 XX.--CLOSING SCENES 262 CHAPTER I. WEDDING BELLS.