CONTENTS

[PART I.—THE OPENING ROUND]
CHAPTER PAGE
[I.] Two Haphazards[3]
[II.] The Outcome[14]
[III.] Ralph and April[23]
[IV.] A Kiss[35]
[V.] A Potential Diplomat[44]
[VI.] April’s Looking-Glass[59]
[VII.] A Sorry Business[67]
[PART II.—THE RIVAL FORCES]
[VIII.] A Fortunate Meeting[99]
[IX.] Hogstead[112]
[X.] Young Love[127]
[XI.] The Romance of Varnish[151]
[XII.] Marston and Marston[167]
[XIII.] Lilith of Old[175]
[XIV.] The Two Currents[196]
[PART III.—THE FIRST ENCOUNTERS]
[XV.] Success[209]
[XVI.] Lilith and Muriel[244]
[PART IV.—ONE WAY OR ANOTHER]
[XVII.] Three Years[253]
[XVIII.] Three Days[261]
[XIX.] The Lonely Unicorn[285]
[XX.] There’s Rosemary[304]
[XXI.] The Shedding of the Chrysalis[312]
[XXII.] An End and a Beginning[331]

PART I
THE OPENING ROUND

CHAPTER I
TWO HAPHAZARDS

IT began, I suppose, on a certain September afternoon, when Roland Whately traveled back to school by the three-thirty train from Waterloo. There were two afternoon trains to Fernhurst: one left London at three-thirty and arrived at a quarter to six; the other left at four-eighteen, stopped at every station between Basingstoke and Salisbury, waited twenty-five minutes at Templecombe for a connection, and finally reached Fernhurst at eight-twenty-three. It is needless to state that by far the greater part of the school traveled down by the four-eighteen—who for the sake of a fast train and a comfortable journey would surrender forty-eight minutes of his holidays?—and usually, of course, Roland accompanied the many.