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[Illustration: They made such a pretty picture that there was quite a burst of applause.
By ELIZABETH W. GRIERSON Author of ‘Children’s Tales from Scottish Ballads,’ ‘The Children’s Book of Edinburgh,’ &c.
LONDON AND EDINBURGH W. & R. CHAMBERS, LIMITED Philadelphia: J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 1907
Edinburgh: Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited.
CHAPTER PAGE I. WHAT BEGAN IT 1 II. AN INVITATION 11 III. GOING TO LONDON 19 IV. THE CHRISTMAS TREE 29 V. A FALSE STEP 40 VI. A GAME OF HIDE-AND-SEEK 54 VII. ANOTHER INVITATION 70 VIII. THE BROKEN WINDOWS 80 IX. THE MAN IN THE SUMMER-HOUSE 92 X. BURGLARS 103 XI. THE DOCTOR’S VISIT 121 XII. THE DARK SHADOW 135 XIII. A DREARY HOMECOMING 156 XIV. VIVIAN CONQUERS 166 XV. ANOTHER MYSTERY 179 XVI. A VAIN SEARCH 193 XVII. MADAME GENVIÈVE 203 XVIII. RUNNING AWAY 214 XIX. THE JOURNEY 223 XX. MONSIEUR THE VICOMTE DE CHOISIGNY 236 XXI. THE OPINION OF DR JULES 245 XXII. MR MAXWELL FINDS OUT THE TRUTH 254 XXIII. A HAPPY MEETING 265 XXIV. A FRESH BEGINNING 277 XXV. WESTWARD HO! 285
PAGE They made such a pretty picture that there was quite a burst of applause _Frontispiece._
They were a merry party as they walked across the snowy meadow to church 17
The children set to work and transformed the hall into a perfect bower 29
‘But what is that bundle of rags for?’ went on Vivian, putting up his hand to pull them down 59
Isobel lay down with a story-book on the schoolroom sofa, and soon fell into a heavy sleep 64
There, to his horror, looking through the gap, was a rough-looking man, with a stubbly beard, and a dirty white muffler twisted loosely round his neck 92
At last a tiny red speck appeared under the yellow lamp, and began to move slowly up the road 162
‘Thou lazy dreamer!’ she said, pulling him to his feet by the collar of his blue cotton blouse 205
He sank gratefully into the soft bed of straw which the kind countryman made up for him, and had fallen into a feverish sleep 231
‘Mother, oh mother!’ he cried.... ‘Can you forgive me?’ 266
‘COME on, Vivian. It is high time we were going home; you know we promised mother that we would come off the ice at half-past four.’