Into my bosom, O Beloved, is fallen the flower with the tear at its heart. Unto thee, O fair among God’s flowers, white among his angels, strong among his saints, unto thee, with the thorn in thy side, and the star on thy forehead, unto thee do I dedicate this ray from a life of which thou art the light.

CONTENTS

Part I
CHAPTERPAGE
[I.]URSULA1
[II.]THE DOMINÉ6
[III.]HOME10
[IV.]THE VAN HELMONTS18
[V.]LE PREMIER PAS—QUI COÛTE25
[VI.]UNCONSCIOUS RIVALS34
[VII.]HARRIET’S ROMANCE43
[VIII.]THE TRYST53
[IX.]OTTO’S WOOING63
[X.]AN INDELIBLE STAIN74
[XI.]ONE HOUR OF HAPPINESS83
[XII.]“AN OLD MAID’S LOVE”94
[XIII.]FOR LIFE OR DEATH105
[XIV.]A SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT113
[XV.]DONNA É MOBILE119
[XVI.]A FOOL AND HIS FOLLY127
Part II
[XVII.]BROTHERLY HATE136
[XVIII.]THE DUTY OF THE PARENT142
[XIX.]FORFEITS ALL ROUND151
[XX.]MYNHEER MOPIUS’S PARTY159
[XXI.]BARON VAN HELMONT169
[XXII.]GERARD’S SHARE174
[XXIII.]TOPSY REXELAER187
[XXIV.]MASKS AND FACES195
[XXV.]CORONETS AND CROSSES208
[XXVI.]FREULE LOUISA216
[XXVII.]PEACE AND GOOD-WILL224
[XXVIII.]THE SECOND MRS. MOPIUS231
[XXIX.]THE BLOT ON THE SNOW236
[XXX.]CHRISTMAS EVE243
[XXXI.]“WHOSOEVER SHALL SMITE THEE—”250
[XXXII.]THE GREAT PEACE257
Part III
[XXXIII.]INTRIGUE267
[XXXIV.]THE NEW LIFE276
[XXXV.]“MRS. GERARD”281
[XXXVI.]THE DEAD-AWAKE291
[XXXVII.]POLITICS297
[XXXVIII.]THE OLD BLOT308
[XXXIX.]THE COUNSELLOR316
[XL.]THE NEW BAILIFF323
[XLI.]THUNDER IN THE TROPICS335
[XLII.]THE FINGER OF SCORN351
[XLIII.]ARRESTED358
[XLIV.]AFRAID371
[XLV.]THE HOME-COMING OF THE HERO377
[XLVI.]THE FATAL KNIFE388
[XLVII.]TRIUMPHANT393
[XLVIII.]A WIFE FOR GERARD402
[XLIX.]FACE TO FACE WITH HERSELF407

ILLUSTRATIONS

[“HE STUDIED HIMSELF IN THE GLASS”]Frontispiece
[“‘CONFOUND YOU! GET OUT OF THE WAY, CAN’T YOU?’”]Facingpage4
[“‘GIRD UP YOUR LOINS!’ CRIED THE DOMINÉ”]““26
[“‘OH, I’M SO SORRY,’ SHE CRIED”]““36
[“THE GIRLS WALKED ON IN SILENCE”]““58
[“‘THE TRAM!’ EXCLAIMED URSULA, HALF RISING”]““108
[“‘THERE HAS BEEN NO QUARREL THAT I KNOW OF, MEVROUW’”]““120
[“‘NO ONE MORE SORRY THAN YOURSELF!’ BURST IN GERARD”]““138
[“HE WENT FORWARD WITH HIS FINGERS AT HIS COLLAR-STUD”]““156
[“‘IT SEEMS TOO CRUEL TO DIE AND LEAVE IT ALL’”]““168
[“THERE WAS SUCH A CROWD IN THE CENTRAL ROOM”]““192
[“‘OH, THEY ARE ALL THAT,’ CRIED OTTO, FACING ROUND”]““212
[“‘I SHOULD WISH TO—PAY SEVEN FLORINS MORE PER WEEK’”]““222
[“SHE SANK DOWN BESIDE THE CRADLE, HIDING AWAY FROM HIM”]““238
[“GERARD THRUST THE GLOVE INTO HIS POCKET”]““254
[“‘GOOD-BYE, MR. MOPIUS; MY COMPLIMENTS TO MEVROUW!’”]““276
[“‘DO YOU KNOW, YOU BOY, WHO COMES FOR CHILDREN THAT STEAL?’”]““284
[“‘COME UP-STAIRS,’ SHE REITERATED”]““292
[“‘I SUPPOSE YOU DON’T REMEMBER ME, MADAME’”]““314
[“THEY BEGAN CALMLY CARVING A PASSAGE THROUGH THE DENSE OBSTRUCTION”]““348
[“SUBSTANTIAL HOUSEWIVES WHISPERED BEHIND HER BACK, ‘FIE! FIE!’”]““352
[“THE CARRIAGE HALTED BY THE CHURCH”]““382
[“‘IT SHALL BE FIVE THOUSAND FLORINS IF IT’S A PENNY, MY LADY’”]““400
[“‘I AM COME TO MAKE CONFESSION AND THEN TO LEAVE YOU’”]““412

MY LADY NOBODY