The Master of the Ceremonies
Early morning at Saltinville, with the tide down, and the calm sea shimmering like damasked and deadened silver in the sunshine. Here and there a lugger was ashore, delivering its take of iris-hued mackerel to cart and basket, as a busy throng stood round, some upon the sands, some knee-deep in water, and all eager to obtain a portion of the fresh fish that fetched so good a price amongst the visitors to the town.
The trawler was coming in, too, with its freight of fine thick soles and turbot, with a few gaily-scaled red mullet; and perhaps a staring-eyed John Dory or two, from the trammel net set overnight amongst the rocks: all choice fish, these, to be bought up ready for royal and noble use, for London would see no scale of any of the fish caught that night.
The unclouded sun flashed from the windows of the houses on the cliff, giving them vivid colours that the decorator had spared, and lighting up the downs beyond, so that from the sea Saltinville looked a very picture of all that was peaceful and bright. There were no huge stucco palaces to mar the landscape, for all was modest as to architecture, and as fresh as green and stone-coloured paint applied to window-frame, veranda and shutter could make it. Flowers of variety were not plentiful, but great clusters of orange marigolds flourished bravely, and, with broad-disked sunflowers, did no little towards giving warmth of colour to the place. There had been no storms of late—no windy nights when the spray was torn from the tops of waves to fly in showers over the houses, and beat the window-panes, crusting them afterwards with a coat of dingy salt. The windows, then, were flashing in the sun; but all the same, by six o’clock, Isaac Monkley, the valet, body-servant, and footman-in-ordinary to Stuart Denville, Esquire, MC, was busy, dressed in a striped jacket, and standing on the very top of a pair of steps, cloth in one hand and wash-leather in the other, carefully cleaning windows that were already spotless. For there was something in the exterior of the MC’s house that suggested its tenant. Paint, glass, walls, and doorstep were so scrupulously clean that they recalled the master’s face, and seemed to have been clean-shaven but an hour before.
George Manville Fenn
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Volume One—Chapter One.
Volume One—Chapter Two.
Volume One—Chapter Three.
Volume One—Chapter Four.
Volume One—Chapter Five.
Volume One—Chapter Six.
Volume One—Chapter Seven.
Volume One—Chapter Eight.
Volume One—Chapter Nine.
Volume One—Chapter Ten.
Volume One—Chapter Eleven.
Volume One—Chapter Twelve.
Volume One—Chapter Thirteen.
Volume One—Chapter Fourteen.
Volume One—Chapter Fifteen.
Volume One—Chapter Sixteen.
Volume One—Chapter Seventeen.
Volume One—Chapter Eighteen.
Volume One—Chapter Nineteen.
Volume One—Chapter Twenty.
Volume One—Chapter Twenty One.
Volume One—Chapter Twenty Two.
Volume One—Chapter Twenty Three.
Volume One—Chapter Twenty Four.
Volume One—Chapter Twenty Five.
Volume One—Chapter Twenty Six.
Volume One—Chapter Twenty Seven.
Volume Two—Chapter One.
Volume Two—Chapter Two.
Volume Two—Chapter Three.
Volume Two—Chapter Four.
Volume Two—Chapter Five.
Volume Two—Chapter Six.
Volume Two—Chapter Seven.
Volume Two—Chapter Eight.
Volume Two—Chapter Nine.
Volume Two—Chapter Ten.
Volume Two—Chapter Eleven.
Volume Two—Chapter Twelve.
Volume Two—Chapter Thirteen.
Volume Two—Chapter Fourteen.
Volume Two—Chapter Fifteen.
Volume Two—Chapter Sixteen.
Volume Two—Chapter Seventeen.
Volume Two—Chapter Eighteen.
Volume Two—Chapter Nineteen.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty One.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty Two.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty Three.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty Four.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty Five.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty Six.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty Seven.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty Eight.
Volume Two—Chapter Twenty Nine.
Volume Two—Chapter Thirty.
Volume Two—Chapter Thirty One.
Volume Three—Chapter One.
Volume Three—Chapter Two.
Volume Three—Chapter Three.
Volume Three—Chapter Four.
Volume Three—Chapter Five.
Volume Three—Chapter Six.
Volume Three—Chapter Seven.
Volume Three—Chapter Eight.
Volume Three—Chapter Nine.
Volume Three—Chapter Ten.
Volume Three—Chapter Eleven.
Volume Three—Chapter Twelve.
Volume Three—Chapter Thirteen.
Volume Three—Chapter Fourteen.
Volume Three—Chapter Fifteen.
Volume Three—Chapter Sixteen.
Volume Three—Chapter Seventeen.
Volume Three—Chapter Eighteen.
Volume Three—Chapter Nineteen.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty One.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty Two.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty Three.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty Four.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty Five.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty Six.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty Seven.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty Eight.
Volume Three—Chapter Twenty Nine.