Produced by Charles Aldarondo. HTML version by Al Haines. THYRZA by GEORGE GISSING CONTENTS I AMONG THE HILLS II THE IDEALIST III A CORNER OF LAMBETH IV THYRZA SINGS V A LAND OF TWILIGHT VI DISINHERITED VII THE WORK IN PROGRESS VIII A CLASP OF HANDS IX A GOLDEN PROSPECT X TEMPTING FORTUNE XI A MAN WITH A FUTURE XII LIGHTS AND SHADOWS XIII THYRZA SINGS AGAIN XIV MISTS XV A SECOND VISIT TO WALNUT TREE WALK XVI SEA MUSIC XVII ADRIFT XVIII DRAWING NEARER XIX A SONG WITHOUT WORDS XX RAPIDS XXI MISCHIEF AFOOT XXII GOOD-BYE XXIII CONFESSION XXIV THE END OF THE DREAM XXV A BIRD OF THE AIR XXVI IDEALIST AND HIS FRIEND XXVII FOUND XXVIII HOPE SURPRISED XXIX TOGETHER AGAIN XXX MOVEMENTS XXXI AN OLD MAN'S REST XXXII TOTTY'S LUCK XXXIII THE HEART AND ITS SECRET XXXIV A LOAN ON SECURITY XXXV THREE LETTERS XXXVI THYRZA WAITS XXXVII A FRIENDLY OFFICE XXXVIII THE TRUTH XXXIX HER RETURN XL HER REWARD XLI THE LIVING CHAPTER I AMONG THE HILLS There were three at the breakfast-table--Mr. Newthorpe, his daughter Annabel, and their visitor (Annabel's Cousin), Miss Paula Tyrrell. It was a small, low, soberly-furnished room, the walls covered with carelessly-hung etchings and water-colours, and with photographs which were doubtless mementoes of travel; dwarf bookcases held overflowings from the library; volumes in disorder, clearly more for use than ornament. The casements were open to let in the air of a July morning. Between the thickets of the garden the eye caught glimpses of sun-smitten lake and sheer hillside; for the house stood on the shore of Ullswater. Of the three breakfasting, Miss Tyrrell was certainly the one whose presence would least allow itself to be overlooked. Her appetite was hearty, but it scarcely interfered with the free flow of her airy talk, which was independent of remark or reply from her companions. Though it was not apparent in her demeanour, this young lady was suffering under a Calamity; her second 'season' had been ruined at its very culmination by a ludicrous _contretemps_ in the shape of an attack of measles. Just when she flattered herself that she had never looked so lovely, an instrument of destiny embraced her in the shape of an affectionate child, and lo! she was a fright. Her constitution had soon thrown off the evil thing, but Mrs. Tyrrell decreed her banishment for a time to the remote dwelling of her literary uncle. Once more Paula was lovely, and yet one could scarcely say that the worst was over, seeing that she was constrained to pass summer days within view of Helvellyn when she might have been in Piccadilly.