Produced by Mary Meehan and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net VERA NEVILL; OR, POOR WISDOM'S CHANCE. _A NOVEL_. BY MRS. H. LOVETT CAMERON Author of "Pure Gold," "In a Grass Country," etc., etc. PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. 1893. "No. Vain, alas! th' endeavour From bonds so sweet to sever. Poor Wisdom's Chance Against a glance Is now as weak as ever." _Moore's Melodies_. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Vicar's Family CHAPTER II. Kynaston Hall CHAPTER III. Fanning Dead Ashes CHAPTER IV. The Lay Rector CHAPTER V. "Little Pitchers" CHAPTER VI. A Soiree at Walpole Lodge CHAPTER VII. Evening Reveries CHAPTER VIII. The Member for Meadowshire CHAPTER IX. Engaged CHAPTER X. A Meeting on the Stairs CHAPTER XI. An Idle Morning CHAPTER XII. The Meet at Shadonake CHAPTER XIII. Peacock's Feathers CHAPTER XIV. Her Wedding Dress CHAPTER XV. Vera's Message CHAPTER XVI. "Poor Wisdom" CHAPTER XVII. An Unlucky Love-Letter CHAPTER XVIII. Lady Kynaston's Plans CHAPTER XIX. What She Waited For CHAPTER XX. A Morning Walk CHAPTER XXI. Maurice's Intercession CHAPTER XXII. Mr. Pryme's Visitors CHAPTER XXIII. A White Sunshade CHAPTER XXIV. Her Son's Secret CHAPTER XXV. St. Paul's, Knightsbridge CHAPTER XXVI. The Russia-Leather Case CHAPTER XXVII. Dinner at Ranelagh CHAPTER XXVIII. Mrs. Hazeldine's "Long Eliza" CHAPTER XXIX. A Wedding Tour CHAPTER XXX. "If I could Die!" CHAPTER XXXI. An Eventful Drive CHAPTER XXXII. By the Vicarage Gate CHAPTER XXXIII. Denis Wilde's Love CHAPTER XXXIV. A Garden Party CHAPTER XXXV. Shadonake Bath CHAPTER XXXVI. At Peace VERA NEVILL OR POOR WISDOM'S CHANCE. CHAPTER I. THE VICAR'S FAMILY. With that regal indolent air she had So confident of her charm. Owen Meredith. Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. Shakespeare. Amongst the divers domestic complications into which short-sighted man is prone to fall there is none which has been more conclusively proved to be an utter and egregious failure than that family arrangement which, for lack of a better name, I will call a "composite household." No one could have spoken upon this subject with greater warmth of feeling, nor out of the depths of a more painful experience, than could the Rev. Eustace Daintree, sometime vicar of the parish of Sutton-in-the-Wold.