THE IMAGINARY MARRIAGE

Henry St. John Cooper


CONTENTS

[CHAPTER I. A MASTERFUL WOMAN]
[CHAPTER II. IN WHICH HUGH BREAKS THE NEWS]
[CHAPTER III. JOAN MEREDYTH, TYPIST]
[CHAPTER IV. FACE TO FACE]
[CHAPTER V. “PERHAPS I SHALL GO BACK”]
[CHAPTER VI. “THE ONLY POSSIBLE THING”]
[CHAPTER VII. MR. SLOTMAN ARRIVES AT A MISUNDERSTANDING]
[CHAPTER VIII. THE DREAM GIRL]
[CHAPTER IX. THE PEACEMAKER]
[CHAPTER X. “IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING”]
[CHAPTER XI. THE GENERAL CALLS ON HUGH]
[CHAPTER XII. “I TAKE NOT ONE WORD BACK”]
[CHAPTER XIII. THE GENERAL CONFESSES]
[CHAPTER XIV. THE BEGINNING OF THE TRAIL]
[CHAPTER XV. “TO THE MANNER BORN”]
[CHAPTER XVI. ELLICE]
[CHAPTER XVII. UNREST]
[CHAPTER XVIII. “UNGENEROUS”]
[CHAPTER XIX. THE INVESTIGATIONS OF MR. SLOTMAN]
[CHAPTER XX. “WHEN I AM NOT WITH YOU”]
[CHAPTER XXI. “I SHALL FORGET HER”]
[CHAPTER XXII. JEALOUSY]
[CHAPTER XXIII. “UNCERTAIN—COY”]
[CHAPTER XXIV. “—TO GAIN, OR LOSE IT ALL”]
[CHAPTER XXV. IN THE MIRE]
[CHAPTER XXVI. MR. ALSTON CALLS]
[CHAPTER XXVII. THE WATCHER]
[CHAPTER XXVIII. “HE DOES NOT LOVE ME NOW”]
[CHAPTER XXIX. “WHY DOES SHE TAKE HIM FROM ME?”]
[CHAPTER XXX. “WAITING”]
[CHAPTER XXXI. “IF YOU NEED ME”]
[CHAPTER XXXII. THE SPY]
[CHAPTER XXXIII. GONE]
[CHAPTER XXXIV. “FOR HER SAKE”]
[CHAPTER XXXV. CONNIE DECLARES]
[CHAPTER XXXVI. “HE HAS COME BACK”]
[CHAPTER XXXVII. THE DROPPING OF THE SCALES]
[CHAPTER XXXVIII. “HER CHAMPION”]
[CHAPTER XXXIX. “THE PAYING”]
[CHAPTER XL. “IS IT THE END?”]
[CHAPTER XLI. MR. RUNDLE TAKES A HAND]
[CHAPTER XLII. “WALLS WE CANNOT BATTER DOWN”]
[CHAPTER XLIII. “NOT TILL THEN WILL I GIVE UP HOPE”]
[CHAPTER XLIV. POISON]
[CHAPTER XLV. THE GUIDING HAND]
[CHAPTER XLVI. “—SHE HAS GIVEN!”]
[CHAPTER XLVII. “AS WE FORGIVE—”]
[CHAPTER XLVIII. HER PRIDE’S LAST FIGHT]

CHAPTER I
A MASTERFUL WOMAN

“Don’t talk to me, miss,” said her ladyship. “I don’t want to hear any nonsense from you!”

The pretty, frightened girl who shared the drawing-room at this moment with Lady Linden of Cornbridge Manor House had not dared to open her lips. But that was her ladyship’s way, and “Don’t talk to me!” was a stock expression of hers. Few people were permitted to talk in her ladyship’s presence. In Cornbridge they spoke of her with bated breath as a “rare masterful woman,” and they had good cause.

Masterful and domineering was Lady Linden of Cornbridge, yet she was kind-hearted, though she tried to disguise the fact.