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A HERO OF ROMANCE
[Illustration: "Perhaps you don't know who I am?" (_Page_ 155.)]
_A Hero of Romance_.] [_Frontispiece_.
A HERO OF ROMANCE
BY
RICHARD MARSH
_Author of "The Datchel Diamonds," "The Crime and the Criminal_" _etc., etc_.
ILLUSTRATED BY HAROLD COPPING
LONDON
WARD, LOCK & CO. LIMITED
NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE
Contents
CHAP.
I Punishment at Mecklemburg House.
II Tutor Baiting.
III At Mother Huffham's.
IV A Little Drive.
V An Evening at Washington Villa.
VI Afterwards.
VII The Return of the Wanderer.
VIII Preparing for Flight.
IX The Start.
X Another Little Drive.
XI The Original Badger.
XII A "Doss" House.
XIII In Petersham Park.
XIV In Trouble.
XV Out of the Frying-pan into the Fire.
XVI The Captain's Room.
XVII Two Men and a Boy.
XVIII The Boat-train.
XIX To Jersey with a Thief.
XX Exit Captain Tom.
XXI The Disadvantages of not Being Able to Speak French.
XXII The End of the Journey.
XXIII The Land of Golden Dreams.
Chapter I
PUNISHMENT AT MECKLEMBURG HOUSE
It was about as miserable an afternoon as one could wish to see. May is the poet's month, but there was nothing of poetry about it then. True, it was early in the month, but February never boasted weather of more unmitigated misery. At half-past two it was so dark in the schoolroom of Mecklemburg House that one could with difficulty see to read. Outside a cold drizzling rain was falling, a shrieking east wind was rattling the windows in their frames, and a sullen haze was hiding the leaden sky. As unsatisfactory a specimen of the English spring as one could very well desire.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Hero of Romance by Richard Marsh
- 2: Master Bertie Bailey was kept in
- 3: And Master Bertie Bailey knew it too
- 4: He knew something more than Bertie did
- 5: It looked as though Bertie would win the game
- 6: Bertie continued to rub his ear
- 7: Mecklemburg House Collegiate School was a case in point
- 8: At Mecklemburg House the grey mare was the better horse
- 9: Shane jealously put it behind his back
- 10: Griffin threw the book to some one else before Mr
- 11: Shane repeated his stock phrase
- 12: Shane's position at Mecklemburg House was a case in point
- 13: Shane leaned his head against the window pane and cried
- 14: Although sevenpence might do very well for one
- 15: Fletcher had forbidden the boys to deal with Mrs
- 16: Suggested the virtuously minded Griffin
- 17: Huffman held him at arm's length
- 18: Ellis started as though he had received an electric shock
- 19: Bertie met his eyes with a sullen stare
- 20: Huffman was still holding Bailey firmly in his grasp
- 21: Bailey thrust his hands in his pockets
- 22: And fairly lifting Wheeler off his legs
- 23: A waterproof rug drawn high above his knees
- 24: Bailey looked up at the speaker
- 25: Bertie listened open eyed and open mouthed
- 26: Wheeler poked Bailey in the side with his elbow
- 27: To come to feast from worse than famine
- 28: Shall I tell you what I learnt at school
- 29: I hate your huggermuggering existence
- 30: They did not know where Griqualand West was
- 31: Bankes addressed himself again to Bailey
- 32: But Bailey trudged steadily on in front
- 33: Ellis slipped his arm through his
- 34: I know whoever else calls this a spree
- 35: Dick Ellis renewed his journeying
- 36: Have you ever heard of Mecklemburg House
- 37: The front gate of Mecklemburg House stood wide open
- 38: Would strip Mecklemburg House of every movable it contained
- 39: Fletcher swallowed one or two mouthfuls
- 40: When did Booker say he would distrain
- 41: Fletcher interposed a question
- 42: Fletcher replied to the wanderer
- 43: Continued the outraged Griffin
- 44: Journeying from dream to dream
- 45: There were points about Dick Turpin which struck his fancy
- 46: And something of Robinson Crusoe
- 47: Mecklemburg House ceased to exist
- 48: I want you to lend me that sevenpence of yours
- 49: Sevenpence might be bought too dearly
- 50: And I've spent sevenpence already
- 51: Bertie marched away with the one and fivepence in his pocket
- 52: I can't walk all the way to Braintree in Essex
- 53: One and fivepence doesn't go far
- 54: With his luggage on the roof of the vehicle
- 55: And comported himself generally like a juvenile madman
- 56: Among the moonlit desks and forms he put his boots on
- 57: He turned his face towards Cobham
- 58: For Cobham calls itself a town
- 59: When Bertie heard them first he started
- 60: Bertie paused for a moment to consider
- 61: As Bertie vouchsafed no answer
- 62: On the sum of one and fivepence
- 63: There's East Molesey right ahead
- 64: But Bertie condescended to pay no heed
- 65: The Ditton ferry boat made its first appearance
- 66: Bertie was content to watch the proceedings
- 67: But Bertie cared for none of these things
- 68: Badger to whom the circus belongs
- 69: Before Bertie quite knew what was happening
- 70: The chance question brought Bertie back to recollection
- 71: And I do believe you've robbed me
- 72: Whose name appeared to be Sam Slater
- 73: Jenkins held the steaming tumbler towards him
- 74: Bertie positively scowled at the lady
- 75: Jenkins and Sam obediently went
- 76: And you go straight to this here Upton
- 77: Jenkins was apparently speechless
- 78: Before Bertie had perceived her design
- 79: Past Ham Common into Petersham
- 80: Yet the lanky youth looked like winning
- 81: But at Kew Bridge he pulled up
- 82: Sir you shall have it for threepence
- 83: Bertie thought it particularly cheerless then
- 84: You take a message for me to Thurloe Square
- 85: But I don't know Thurloe Square
- 86: He went out by the Piccadilly gate
- 87: Bertie was like a plaything in his hands
- 88: The policeman proceeded to haul Bertie off with him again
- 89: So that the policeman had to assist him
- 90: Bertie was instantly snatched from his grasp
- 91: It was the friendly workman urging Bertie to flight
- 92: Bertie picked himself up at leisure
- 93: Never heard tell of Sackville Street before
- 94: This inquiry was Greek to Bertie
- 95: Bertie hung his head still lower
- 96: What he meant Bertie failed to understand
- 97: Bertie dimly wondering what was going to happen next
- 98: Epicures have it that a steak fried is a steak spoiled
- 99: The woman's suggestion seemed to startle Freddy
- 100: Freddy waited while he undressed
- 101: Had found Bertie wrapt in slumber
- 102: Suppose it came to penal servitude for life
- 103: But what followed was rather more aggravating still
- 104: Bertie was conscious that the long
- 105: Bertie felt that it was a bad thing just then
- 106: Rosenheim seemed to understand
- 107: Rosenheim who addressed him first
- 108: Rosenheim to Captain Loftus was actually a relief
- 109: The busy thoroughfare into which the cabman turned was
- 110: Bertie needed no explanation in words
- 111: Almost without intending it Bertie watched him
- 112: Started from Windsor to London
- 113: Bertie felt that his heart had ceased to beat
- 114: But Bertie was in agony The train began to slow
- 115: A strength which Bertie had not got
- 116: Bertie offered no remonstrance
- 117: Bertie stammered out a negative
- 118: But Bertie only clutched the tighter
- 119: A hopeless past and a hopeless future
- 120: For he walked quickly down the jetty
- 121: Brieuc about the time the mail boat entered Jersey
- 122: Two first class tickets for Constantinople
- 123: Dockyard labourers looking at all those
- 124: Gabble went the old crone's tongue
- 125: And the old crone had cleared the things away
- 126: Landerneau is a junction on the line which runs to Nantes
- 127: Bertie returned to his bed to ponder
- 128: Bertie first a most uncomfortable first
- 129: Not because he had pushed Bertie over
- 130: Nearly all that night Bertie went wandering on
- 131: Bertie went over the same ground more than once
- 132: Bertie wandered among the wilds of Finistere
- 133: Bertie was magnified into a giant
- 134: His name was Baudry Jean Baudry
- 135: And the two gorgeous gendarmes from the St
- 136: Baudry perceived this fact at once
- 137: And sabots are not good things for running
- 138: Yates had known the youngster well