THE VICTORY [Illustration: “Took her little hand in his and raised it to his lips.” [Page 43]] _The_ VICTORY BY MOLLY ELLIOTT SEAWELL _Author of_ “The Sprightly Romance of Marsac,” “The Chateau of Montplasir,” etc. [Illustration] D. APPLETON AND COMPANY NEW YORK 1906 COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY _Published October, 1906_ To the Dear Memory of Henrietta CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I.--HARROWBY 1 II.--ANGELA 21 III.--THE POINT OF HONOR 39 IV.--LOVE IS A MIST 57 V.--THE HOUR OF FATE 74 VI.--THE QUAKING OF THE EARTH 88 VII.--THE PARTING 102 VIII.--THE MEETING 117 IX.--SPARTANS ALL! 132 X.--THE ARRIVAL OF THE STRANGERS 155 XI.--HOW THE DAYS WENT ON AT HARROWBY 173 XII.--THE IRON HAND OF WAR AND CIRCUMSTANCE 188 XIII.--WARP AND WOOF 210 XIV.--SNOWBOUND 232 XV.--THE HEGIRA 248 XVI.--THE TONGUE OF CALUMNY 264 XVII.--LIKE THE LITTLE TRIANON 282 XVIII.--THE VISITATIONS OF WAR 295 XIX.--“I CAN’T GET OUT!” SAID THE STARLING 309 XX.--A SOLDIER’S ERRAND 327 XXI.--DUST AND ASHES 349 XXII.--LOVE AND LIFE 367 XXIII.--THE AFTERMATH 398 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE “Took her little hand in his and raised it to his lips” _Frontispiece_ “And so Angela Vaughn became Neville Tremaine’s wife” 114 “He lay watching Angela with her quick-changing expression” 236 “‘Missis, I done brought Marse Richard back to you’” 350 THE VICTORY CHAPTER I HARROWBY