G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
The Knickerbocker Press
1916
Copyright, 1916
BY
LESLIE MOORE
The Knickerbocker Press, New York
| CONTENTS | ||
| PAGE | ||
| Prologue | [1] | |
| CHAPTER | ||
| I.— | Concerning the Village of Malford | [5] |
| II.— | A Rumour | [17] |
| III.— | A Meeting | [20] |
| IV.— | A Black and White Goat | [25] |
| V.— | Mural Paintings | [39] |
| VI.— | Mrs. Trimwell | [46] |
| VII.— | Flights of Fancy | [56] |
| VIII.— | An Old Priest | [61] |
| IX.— | An Old-Time Tragedy | [74] |
| X.— | Corin Theorizes | [85] |
| XI.— | In an Old Church | [92] |
| XII.— | The Wickedness of Molly Biddulph | [105] |
| XIII.— | At Delancey Castle | [113] |
| XIV.— | A Point of View | [121] |
| XV.— | John Plays the Samaritan | [128] |
| XVI.— | Corin Discourses on Karma | [138] |
| XVII.— | A Rare Absurdity | [143] |
| XVIII.— | In Father Maloney’s Garden | [145] |
| XIX.— | A Bewitching | [152] |
| XX.— | A Vital Question | [156] |
| XXI.— | A Request | [161] |
| XXII.— | The Wonderful Woman | [162] |
| XXIII.— | The Cache | [167] |
| XXIV.— | David Dines at the Castl | [181] |
| XXV.— | John Makes a Discovery | [187] |
| XXVI.— | A Funny World | [192] |
| XXVII.— | The Old Oak | [199] |
| XXVIII.— | On the Terrace | [207] |
| XIXV.— | An Unexpected Letter | [216] |
| XXX.— | Elizabeth Arrives on the Scene | [222] |
| XXXI.— | In the Early Morning | [226] |
| XXXII.— | The Note of a Bell | [233] |
| XXXIII.— | The Green Ma | [235] |
| XXXIV.— | Elizabeth Gives Advice | [246] |
| XXXV.— | The Burden of Conventionality | [255] |
| XXXVI.— | Conspirators | [261] |
| XXXVII.— | Corin Takes a Walk | [269] |
| XXXVIII.— | Concerning an Argument | [277] |
| XXXIX.— | A Dumb Dog— | [288] |
| XL.— | Speaks— | [290] |
| XLI.— | At Some Length | [291] |
| XLII.— | A Question of Importance | [309] |
| XLIII.— | Molly Arranges Affairs | [316] |
| XLIV.— | An Odd Sensation | [320] |
| XLV.— | The Oak Falls | [323] |
| XLVI.— | Told in the Storm | [325] |
| XLVII.— | After the Rain | [328] |
| XLVIII.— | In Search | [331] |
| XLIX.— | The Fallen Oak | [345] |
| L.— | A Miracle | [347] |
| LI.— | And so the Story Ends | [352] |
The Wiser Folly
PROLOGUE
When the Delancey affair had been brought to a conclusion, it was not uninteresting to note the various opinions set forth regarding its happy termination.
Biddy, at once autocrat and indulger of at least three generations of juvenile Delanceys, maintained, and stoutly, it was entirely due to her own prayers to her patron saint. She took, so to speak, a monopoly of the business as far as any human agency was concerned. But, as one cannot, with any degree of modesty, parade one’s private devotions to the world at large, it was hardly probable that this view of the matter would be universal.
The village in general, with the exception of Mrs. Trimwell, laid the whole credit at the feet of Lady Mary Delancey. Doubtless this was on account of the wave of relief which had surged over it, and which exalted her ladyship, for the time being at least, to a pinnacle of almost giddy height.