Dramatic and all other rights
reserved

UNIVERSITY PRESS · JOHN WILSON
AND SON · CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.

CONTENTS

Chapter Page
I. In which Roger Egremont makes his Bow to
the World		[ 1]
II. Roger Egremont makes intimate Acquaintance
with two Persons, who exercise great but
widely differing Influences upon his Life,—to wit,
the Devil and Miss Bess Lukens		[ 25]
III. Once more at Egremont[ 49]
IV. Showing how Roger Egremont falls into Good
Company		[ 62]
V. The Easter Tuesday Masquerade on the Terrace,
and what came of it		[ 87]
VI. “Your Lover is ever in a bad Way when the
other Woman appears”		[ 121]
VII. In which Roger Egremont meets with both
Good and Ill Fortune		[ 148]
VIII. Wherein the Princess Michelle is put in the
Way of securing the Destiny of which she
has long dreamed		[ 172]
IX. “I wish you to come with me”[ 193]
X. Ho! for Orlamunde[ 217]
XI. The Journey, and some Confidences made by
Roger Egremont to the Princess Michelle		[ 235]
XII. “You have brought me to the Gate of Paradise,
and have shown me the Glory of the
Beauty within—and then have thrust me
away!”		[ 256]
XIII. The Palace of Monplaisir—the Abode of
the most High, most Mighty, and most
Puissant Prince of Orlamunde		[ 280]
XIV. Roger Egremont has a little Adventure in
a Garden at Neerwinden and becomes a
Major in the finest Brigade in the World		[ 301]
XV. In which an Egremont has the Happiness of
returning to his Native Land—and what
befell him there		[ 328]
XVI. Once more in the Saloon of the Swans[ 352]
XVII. In which Captain Roger Egremont acts as
Coachman, and Lieutenant-General the
Duke of Berwick as Footman		[ 375]
XVIII. Roger Egremont has his last Fight with
the Devil		[ 401]
XIX. If a Man giveth his Life for his Friends,
he can do no more		[ 424]
XX. “Hugo Stein is my Enemy, and I am his, as
long as we both shall live”		[ 452]
XXI. Wherein is set forth the Conclusion of a
Man who always feared God, and always
took his own Part		[ 479]

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
Roger walked around the other side of the bush... hat in hand[ Frontispiece]
“Here are pens, ink, and paper”[ 40]
Then, walking down the stairway, came the poorKing[ 218]
They wait to bid the Princess good-night[ 296]
Dicky whistled to Bold, who came and licked hishand[ 334]
Roger raised the pistol and fired[ 400]

THE
HOUSE OF EGREMONT

CHAPTER I
IN WHICH ROGER EGREMONT MAKES HIS BOW TO THE WORLD

THE fortunes of the House of Egremont had their first great bloom through the agency of a platter of beans; and through a platter of beans more than a hundred years later the elder branch was ousted from one of the greatest estates in England, became wanderers and gentlemen adventurers throughout Europe, fought in quarrels not their own, served sovereigns of foreign countries, knew the dazzling heights of glory, and fell into the mire of penury and disrepute. An Egremont had the ear of kings, and another Egremont mounted the gallows. They mated sometimes with princes and dukes, and sometimes they were thought fit to mate with the daughters of their gaolers. Some of them were great at play, and met and vanquished the best players of Europe on the field of the cloth of green; other Egremonts were ascetics and wore hair shirts next their skins, and fasted and prayed extremely. They seemed the favorite playthings of destiny, which had a showman’s way of exhibiting them in all the ups and downs, the glories and shames, of human vicissitudes.