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  CHARLES IN THE BALACLAVA CHARGE.

  _Drawn by R. Caton Woodville._

  _Ravenshoe._ _Page 355._]

  RAVENSHOE

  by

  HENRY KINGSLEY

  New Edition--Third Thousand

  With a Frontispiece by R. Caton Woodville

  LondonWard, Lock and Bowden, LimitedWarwick House, Salisbury Square, E.C.New York and Melbourne1894

  [All rights reserved]

  To

  MY BROTHER,

  CHARLES KINGSLEY,

  I DEDICATE THIS TALE,IN TOKEN OF A LOVE WHICH ONLY GROWS STRONGERAS WE BOTH GET OLDER.

  PREFACE.

  The language used in telling the following story is not (as I hope thereader will soon perceive) the Author's, but Mr. William Marston's.

  The Author's intention was, while telling the story, to develop, in theperson of an imaginary narrator, the character of a thoroughlygood-hearted and tolerably clever man, who has his fingers (as he wouldsay himself) in every one's pie, and who, for the life of him, cannotkeep his own counsel--that is to say, the only person who, by anypossibility, could have collected the mass of family gossip which makesup this tale.

  Had the Author told it in his own person, it would have been told withless familiarity, and, as he thinks, you would not have laughed quite sooften.

  CONTENTS.

  PAGE

  CHAPTER IAN ACCOUNT OF THE FAMILY OF RAVENSHOE 1

  CHAPTER II.SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE FOREGOING 10

  CHAPTER III.IN WHICH OUR HERO'S TROUBLES BEGIN 14

  CHAPTER IV.FATHER MACKWORTH 20

  CHAPTER V.RANFORD 23

  CHAPTER VI.THE "WARREN HASTINGS" 34

  CHAPTER VII.IN WHICH CHARLES AND LORD WELTER DISTINGUISHTHEMSELVES AT THE UNIVERSITY 44

  CHAPTER VIII.JOHN MARSTON 50

  CHAPTER IX.ADELAIDE 57

  CHAPTER X.LADY ASCOT'S LITTLE NAP 63

  CHAPTER XI.GIVES US AN INSIGHT INTO CHARLES'S DOMESTIC RELATIONS,AND SHOWS HOW THE GREAT CONSPIRATORSOLILOQUISED TO THE GRAND CHANDELIER 69

  CHAPTER XII.CONTAINING A SONG BY CHARLES RAVENSHOE, AND ALSOFATHER TIERNAY'S OPINION ABOUT THE FAMILY 79

  CHAPTER XIII.THE BLACK HARE 86

  CHAPTER XIV.LORD SALTIRE'S VISIT, AND SOME OF HIS OPINIONS 92

  CHAPTER XV.CHARLES'S "LIDDELL AND SCOTT" 99

  CHAPTER XVI.MARSTON'S ARRIVAL 104

  CHAPTER XVII.IN WHICH THERE IS ANOTHER SHIPWRECK 107

  CHAPTER XVIII.MARSTON'S DISAPPOINTMENT 114

  CHAPTER XIX.ELLEN'S FLIGHT 121

  CHAPTER XX.RANFORD AGAIN 124

  CHAPTER XXI.CLOTHO, LACHESIS, AND ATROPOS 131

  CHAPTER XXII.THE LAST GLIMPSE OF OXFORD 139

  CHAPTER XXIII.THE LAST GLIMPSE OF THE OLD WORLD 142

  CHAPTER XXIV.THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE NEW WORLD 146

  CHAPTER XXV.FATHER MACKWORTH BRINGS LORD SALTIRE TO BAY, AND WHAT CAME OF IT 152

  CHAPTER XXVI.THE GRAND CRASH 160

  CHAPTER XXVII.THE COUP DE GRACE 167

  CHAPTER XXVIII.FLIGHT 176

  CHAPTER XXIX.CHARLES'S RETREAT UPON LONDON 180

  CHAPTER XXX.MR. SLOANE 185

  CHAPTER XXXI.LIEUTENANT HORNBY 190

  CHAPTER XXXII.SOME OF THE HUMOURS OF A LONDON MEWS. 194

  CHAPTER XXXIII.A GLIMPSE OF SOME OLD FRIENDS 200

  CHAPTER XXXIV.IN WHICH FRESH MISCHIEF IS BREWED 203

  CHAPTER XXXV.IN WHICH AN ENTIRELY NEW, AND, AS WILL BE SEENHEREAFTER, A MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTER ISINTRODUCED 211

  CHAPTER XXXVI.THE DERBY 219

  CHAPTER XXXVII.LORD WELTER'S MENAGE 227

  CHAPTER XXXVIII.THE HOUSE FULL OF GHOSTS 235

  CHAPTER XXXIX.CHARLES'S EXPLANATION WITH LORD WELTER 242

  CHAPTER XL.A DINNER PARTY AMONG SOME OLD FRIENDS 246

  CHAPTER XLI.CHARLES'S SECOND EXPEDITION TO ST. JOHN'S WOOD 252

  CHAPTER XLII.RAVENSHOE HALL, DURING ALL THIS 261

  CHAPTER XLIII.THE MEETING 270

  CHAPTER XLIV.ANOTHER MEETING 275

  CHAPTER XLV.HALF A MILLION 285

  CHAPTER XLVI.TO LUNCH WITH LORD ASCOT 288

  CHAPTER XLVII.LORD HAINAULT'S BLOTTING-BOOK 302

  CHAPTER XLVIII.IN WHICH CUTHBERT BEGINS TO SEE THINGS IN A NEW LIGHT 309

  CHAPTER XLIX.THE SECOND COLUMN OF "THE TIMES" OF THIS DATE, WITH OTHER MATTERS 317

  CHAPTER L.SHREDS AND PATCHES 320

  CHAPTER LI.IN WHICH CHARLES COMES TO LIFE AGAIN 327

  CHAPTER LII.WHAT LORD SALTIRE AND FATHER MACKWORTH SAIDWHEN THEY LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDOW 335

  CHAPTER LIII.CAPTAIN ARCHER TURNS UP 343

  CHAPTER LIV.CHARLES MEETS HORNBY AT LAST 349

  CHAPTER LV.ARCHER'S PROPOSAL 358

  CHAPTER LVI.SCUTARI 369

  CHAPTER LVII.WHAT CHARLES DID WITH HIS LAST EIGHTEEN SHILLINGS 374

  CHAPTER LVIII.THE NORTH SIDE OF GROSVENOR SQUARE 379

  CHAPTER LIX.LORD ASCOT'S CROWNING ACT OF FOLLY 391

  CHAPTER LX.THE BRIDGE AT LAST 400

  CHAPTER LXI.SAVED 411

  CHAPTER LXII.MR. JACKSON'S BIG TROUT 415

  CHAPTER LXIII.IN WHICH GUS CUTS FLORA'S DOLL'S CORNS 420

  CHAPTER LXIV.THE ALLIED ARMIES ADVANCE ON RAVENSHOE 423

  CHAPTER LXV.FATHER MACKWORTH PUTS THE FINISHING TOUCH ONHIS GREAT PIECE OF EMBROIDERY 427
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  CHAPTER LXVI.GUS AND FLORA ARE NAUGHTY IN CHURCH, AND THEWHOLE BUSINESS COMES TO AN END 438

  RAVENSHOE.