The History of Sir Richard Calmady: A Romance
By Malet, Lucas
Classic work by Malet, Lucas.
Table of Contents
THE CLOWN CHAP. PAGE I. Acquainting the Reader with a Fair Domain and the Maker Thereof ...
THE BREAKING OF DREAMS I. Recording some Aspects of a Small Pilgrim's Progress 93 II. In which Our Hero Improves His Acquaintance with Many Things--Himself Inclu...
LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI I. In which Our Hero's World Grows Sensibly Wider 181 II. Telling How Dickie's Soul was Somewhat Sick, and How He Met Fair Women on...
A SLIP BETWIXT CUP AND LIP I. Lady Louisa Barking Traces the Finger of Providence 302 II. Telling How Vanity Fair Made Acquaintance with Richard Calmady ...
RAKE'S PROGRESS I. In which the Reader is Courteously Entreated to Grow Older by the Space of Some Four Years, and to Sail Southward Ho! Away ...
THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH I. Miss St. Quentin Bears Witness to the Faith that is in Her 544 II. Telling How, Once ...
ACQUAINTING THE READER WITH A FAIR DOMAIN AND THE MAKER THEREOF In that fortunate hour of English history, when the cruel sights and haunting insecurities of the Middle Ages had p...
In the gray of the summer evening, as the sunset faded and the twilight gathered, spreading itself tenderly over the pastures and corn-fields,--over the purple-green glooms of the ...
TOUCHING MATTERS CLERICAL AND CONTROVERSIAL Brockhurst had rarely appeared more blessed by spacious sunshine and stately cheerfulness than during the remaining weeks of that summe...
RAISING PROBLEMS WHICH IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS HISTORY TO RESOLVE It was not without a movement of inward thanksgiving that, the festivities connected with Sir Richard and Lady ...
IN WHICH JULIUS MARCH BEHOLDS THE VISION OF THE NEW LIFE He was aroused from these austere, yet, to him, inspiring reflections by the click of an opening door and the sound of wom...
ACCIDENT OR DESTINY, ACCORDING TO YOUR HUMOUR On the 18th of October that year, St. Luke's day, a man died, and this was the manner of his passing. There was nothing more to be d...
MRS. WILLIAM ORMISTON SACRIFICES A WINE-GLASS TO FATE Mrs. St. Quentin's health became increasingly fragile that autumn; and the weight of the sorrow which had fallen upon Brockhu...
ENTER A CHILD OF PROMISE After closing the door behind the two ladies, Ormiston paused by the near window and gazed out into the night. The dinner had been, in his opinion, far fr...
IN WHICH KATHERINE CALMADY LOOKS ON HER SON More than a week elapsed before Ormiston was called upon to redeem his promise. For Lady Calmady's convalescence was slow. An apathy he...
THE BIRDS OF THE AIR TAKE THEIR BREAKFAST Ormiston's first sensation on reentering his sister's room was one of very sensible relief. For Katherine leaned back against the pink br...
RECORDING SOME ASPECTS OF A SMALL PILGRIM'S PROGRESS It is an ill wind that blows nobody good, says the comfortable proverb. Which would appear to be but another manner of declari...
IN WHICH OUR HERO IMPROVES HIS ACQUAINTANCE WITH MANY THINGS--HIMSELF INCLUDED It came about in this wise. Roger Ormiston was expected at Brockhurst, after an absence of some year...
CONCERNING THAT WHICH, THANK GOD, HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY DAY The merry spring sky was clear, save in the south where a vast perspective of dappled cloud lay against it, leaving wind...
WHICH SMELLS VERY VILELY OF THE STABLE April softened into May, and the hawthorns were in blossom before Richard passed any other very note-worthy milestone on the road of persona...
IN WHICH DICKIE IS INTRODUCED TO A LITTLE DANCER WITH BLUSH-ROSES IN HER HAT "Her ladyship's inquired for you more than once, sir." This from Winter meeting the pony-carriage and ...
DEALING WITH A PHYSICIAN OF THE BODY AND A PHYSICIAN OF THE SOUL History repeats itself, and to Katherine just now came most unwelcome example of such repetition. She had foreseen...
AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT The day had been hot, though the summer was but young. A wealth of steady sunlight bathed the western front of the house. All was notably still, ...
TELLING, INCIDENTALLY, OF A BROKEN-DOWN POSTBOY AND A COUNTRY FAIR The Brockhurst-mail phaeton waited, in the shade of the three large sycamores, before Appleyard's shop at Farley...
IN WHICH OUR HERO'S WORLD GROWS SENSIBLY WIDER In the autumn of 1862 Richard Calmady went up to Oxford. Not through ostentation, but in obedience to the exigencies of the case, hi...
TELLING HOW DICKIE'S SOUL WAS SOMEWHAT SICK, AND HOW HE MET FAIR WOMEN ON THE CONFINES OF A WOOD RICHARD CALMADY rode homeward through the autumn woods, and the aspect of them was...
IN WHICH RICHARD CONFIRMS ONE JUDGMENT AND REVERSES ANOTHER "How magnificently your imagination gallops when it once gets agoing. Here you are bearing away the spoils, when the si...
JULIUS MARCH BEARS TESTIMONY "So you really wish me to ask them both to come, Richard?" Lady Calmady stood on the tiger-skin before the Gun-Room hearth. Upon the said hearth a me...
TELLING HOW QUEEN MARY'S CRYSTAL BALL CAME TO FALL ON THE GALLERY FLOOR This world is unquestionably a vastly stimulating and entertaining place if you take it aright--namely, if ...
IN WHICH DICKIE TRIES TO RIDE AWAY FROM HIS OWN SHADOW, WITH SUCH SUCCESS AS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATED That same morning Richard was up and out early. Fog had followed on the ev...
WHEREIN THE READER IS COURTEOUSLY INVITED TO IMPROVE HIS ACQUAINTANCE WITH CERTAIN PERSONS OF QUALITY But Richard might have spared himself the trouble of erecting barriers agains...
RICHARD PUTS HIS HAND TO A PLOUGH FROM WHICH THERE IS NO TURNING BACK "Dearest mother, you look most deplorably tired." Richard sat before the large study table, piled up with le...
WHICH TOUCHES INCIDENTALLY ON MATTERS OF FINANCE As Richard had predicted the fog reappeared towards sun sunset. At first, as a frail mist, through which the landscape looked colo...
MR. LUDOVIC QUAYLE AMONG THE PROPHETS That same luncheon party at Brockhurst, if not notably satisfactory to the hosts, afforded much subsequent food for meditation to one at leas...
CONTAINING SAMPLES BOTH OF EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY LOVE Katherine stood in the central space of the great, state bedroom. It was just upon midnight, yet she still wore her jewels and...
LADY LOUISA BARKING TRACES THE FINGER OF PROVIDENCE The spirit of unrest, which had entered Brockhurst in the dim October weather, along with certain guests, did not--Lady Calmady...
TELLING HOW VANITY FAIR MADE ACQUAINTANCE WITH RICHARD CALMADY There was no refusing belief to the fact. The old, cloistered life at Brockhurst, for good or evil, was broken up. K...
IN WHICH KATHERINE TRIES TO NAIL UP THE WEATHERGLASS TO SET FAIR It is to be feared that intimate acquaintance with Lady Calmady's present attitude of mind would not have proved a...
A LESSON UPON THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT--"PARENTS OBEY YOUR CHILDREN" A family council was in course of holding in the lofty, white-and-gold boudoir, overlooking the Park, in Alber...
IPHIGENIA Chastened in spirit, verbally acquiescent, yet unconvinced, a somewhat pitiable sense of inadequacy upon him, Lord Fallowfeild traveled back to Westchurch that night. Tw...
IN WHICH HONORIA ST. QUENTIN TAKES THE FIELD It had been agreed that the marriage should take place, in the country, one day in the first week of August. This at Richard's request...
RECORDING THE ASTONISHING VALOUR DISPLAYED BY A CERTAIN SMALL MOUSE IN A CORNER As Honoria St. Quentin and the reluctant Shotover stepped, side by side, from the warmth and dimnes...
A MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT Brockhurst House had slumbered all day long in the steady warmth of the July sun. The last three weeks had been rainless, so that the short turf of t...
IN WHICH DICKIE SHAKES HANDS WITH THE DEVIL "My dear, this is quite unexpected." Lady Calmady's tone was one of quiet, innate joyousness. A gentle brightness pervaded her whole a...
IN WHICH THE READER IS COURTEOUSLY ENTREATED TO GROW OLDER BY THE SPACE OF SOME FOUR YEARS, AND TO SAIL SOUTHWARD HO! AWAY The southeasterly wind came fresh across the bay from th...
WHEREIN TIME IS DISCOVERED TO HAVE WORKED CHANGES Helen, however, did not stay to debate as to the state of her affections. She had had more than enough of reflection of late. Now...
HELEN DE VALLORBES APPREHENDS VEXATIOUS COMPLICATIONS Four gowns lay outspread upon the indigo-purple, embroidered coverlet of the bed. The afterglow of an orange and crimson suns...
"MATER ADMIRABILIS" "There, there, my good soul, don't blubber. Hysterics won't restore Lady Calmady to health, or bring Sir Richard back to England, home, and duty, or be a ha'po...
EXIT CAMP About twenty minutes later the young lady, still booted and spurred, opened the door which leads from the Chapel-Room into Lady Calmady's bedchamber. As she did so a gen...
IN WHICH M. PAUL DESTOURNELLE HAS THE BAD TASTE TO THREATEN TO UPSET THE APPLE-CART Helen de Vallorbes rose from her knees and slipped out from under the greasy and frayed half-cu...
SPLENDIDE MENDAX Unpunctuality could not be cited as among Madame de Vallorbes' offenses. Yet, on the morning in question, she was certainly very late for the twelve o'clock break...
IN WHICH HELEN DE VALLORBES LEARNS HER RIVAL'S NAME "I hear Morabita sings, in _Ernani_, at the San Carlo on Friday night. Do you care to go, Helen?" The question, though asked c...
CONCERNING THAT DAUGHTER OF CUPID AND PSYCHE WHOM MEN CALL VOLUPTAS The furniture, though otherwise of the customary proportions, had all been dwarfed. This had been achieved in s...
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION Sullenly, persistently, the rain came down. In the harbour the wash was just sufficient to make the raveled fruit-baskets, the shredded vegetables, t...
IN WHICH DICKIE GOES TO THE END OF THE WORLD AND LOOKS OVER THE WALL The opera box, which Richard Calmady had rented along with the Villa Vallorbes, was fifth from the stage on th...
IN WHICH MISS ST. QUENTIN BEARS WITNESS TO THE FAITH THAT IS IN HER Honoria divested herself of her traveling-cap, thrust her hands into the pockets of her frieze ulster, and thus...
TELLING HOW, ONCE AGAIN, KATHERINE CALMADY LOOKED ON HER SON The bulletin received at Turin was sufficiently disquieting. Richard had had a relapse. And when at Bologna, just as t...
CONCERNING A SPIRIT IN PRISON Upon those moments of rapture followed days of trembling, during which the sands of Richard Calmady's life ran very low, and his brain wandered in de...
DEALING WITH MATTERS OF HEARSAY AND MATTERS OF SPORT One raw, foggy evening, early in the following December, the house at Newlands presented an unusually animated scene. On the g...
TELLING HOW DICKIE CAME TO UNTIE A CERTAIN TAG OF RUSTY, BLACK RIBBON Yet, as those gray, midwinter weeks went on to Christmas, and the coming of the New Year, it became undeniabl...
A LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART Richard drew himself up on to the wide, cushioned bench below the oriel-window. The February day was windless and very bright. And although, in shelte...
WHEREIN TWO ENEMIES ARE SEEN TO CRY QUITS Godfrey Ormiston scudded along the terrace, past the dining-room windows, at the top of his speed, and Miss St. Quentin followed him at a...
CONCERNING THE BROTHERHOOD FOUNDED BY RICHARD CALMADY, AND OTHER MATTERS OF SOME INTEREST It was still very sultry. All the windows of the red drawing-room stood wide open. Outsid...
TELLING HOW LUDOVIC QUAYLE AND HONORIA ST. QUENTIN WATCHED THE TROUT RISE IN THE LONG WATER Some hour and a half later Miss St. Quentin passed down the flight of stone steps, lead...
CONCERNING A DAY OF HONEST WARFARE AND A SUNSET HARBINGER NOT OF THE NIGHT BUT OF THE DAWN That episode, upon the bridge spanning the Long Water, brought Richard would-be saint, R...
IN WHICH RICHARD CALMADY BIDS THE LONG-SUFFERING READER FAREWELL The midsummer dusk had fallen, drawing its soft, dim mantle over the face of the land. The white light walked the ...