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THE NEST OF THE SPARROWHAWK - A ROMANCE OF THE XVIIth CENTURY BY THE BARONESS ORCZY AUTHOR OF THB SCARLET PIMPERNEL. ETC. -- CONTENTS PART I CHAPTm PAGE I . THE HOUSE OF A KENTISH SQUIRE . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . I1 ON A JULY AFTERNOON 13 I11 . THE EXILE 21 IV . GRINDING POVERTY . . . . . 29 V . THE LEGAL ASPECT 41 . . . . . V1 . UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ELMS . 52 WITHIN THE GATES 70 V11 . THE STRANGER V111 . PRINCE AMD DORLANS . . . 77 IX . SECRET SERVICE . . . . . . 84 X . AVOWED ENMITY . . . . . . 96 XI . SURRENDER . . . . . . . . 107 XI1 . A WOMANS HEART . . . . . l14 XI11 . AN IDEA 121 . . . . . . . . PART I1 .... ....... ....... ........ ......... XIV . THE HOUSE IN LONDON 133 XV . A GAME OF PRIMERO 142 XVI . A CONFLICT 150 XVII . Rus IN URBE 157 XVIII . THE TRAP 171 XIX . DISQRACE .......... 185 XX . MY LORD PROTECTORU PATROL 194 . PART I11 .... . . . . . . . . . . XXI IN THE MEANWHILE 213 XXII . BREAKING THE NEWS 222 CONTENTS . . ,.l ., XXIV. NOVEMBER THE 20 .I 1.1 1.1 XXV. AN INTERLUDE . . . l.l XXIII. THE ABSENT FRIEND . . . . . XXVI. THE OUTCAST XXVII. LADY SUES FORTUNE XXVIII. HUSBAND AND WIFE ,., . . XXIX. GOOD-BYE . . . . . . . XXX. ALL BECAUSE OF THE TINDER-BOX XXXI. THE ASSIGNATION . . . . XXXII. THE PATH NEAR THE CLIFFS ,.. PART IV XXXIII. THE DAY AFTER . . ,. . ., . . . 0, XXXIV. AFTERWARDS 1.1 I. .I XXXV. THE SMITHS FORGE .. . . XXXVI. THE GIRL-WIFE . . . .. XXXVII. THE OLD WOMAN ,. . . . .I XXXVIII. THE VOICE OF THE DEAD . . . XXXIX. THE HOME-COMING OF ADAM LAM- BERT . . . . . . . . .. XL. EDITHAS RETURN . . .i ..I . ,. XLI. THEIR NAME . . . . ,.. . .. XLII. THE RETURN . . I., 1.1 . . XLIII. THE SANDS OF EPPLE . ., . ., . XLIV. THE EPILOGUE .I . I. ., . PART I The Nest of the Sparrowhawk CHAPTER I THE HOUSE OF A KENTISH SQUIRE ASTER HYMN-OF-PRAISE BUSY folded M his hands before him ere he spoke Nay but I tell thee, woman, that the Lord hath no love for such frivolities and alack but tis a sign of the times that an English Squire should favor such evil ways. Evil ways The Lord love you, Master Hymn- of-Praise, and pray do you call half an hour at the skittle alley evil ways 3 Aye, evil it is to indulge our sinful bodies in such recreation as doth not tend to the glorification of the Lord and the sanctification of our immortal souls. He who sermonized thus unctuously and with eyes fixed with stern disapproval on the buxom wench before him, was a man who had passed the meridian of life not altogether-it may be surmised-without having indulged in some recreations which had not always the sanctification of his own immortal soul for their primary object. The bulk of his figure testified that he was not averse to good cheer, and there was a certain hidden twinkle underlying the 8evere expression of his eyes as they rested on the a pretty face and round figure of 34istress Charity that did not necessarily tend to the glorification of the Lord. Apparently, however, the admonitions of Master Hymn-of-Praise made but a scanty impression on the young girls mind, for she regarded him with a mixture of amusement and contempt as she shrugged her plump shoulders and said with sud- s den irrelevance Have you had your dinner yet, Master Busy Tis sinful to address a single Christian person as if he or she were several, retorted the man sharply. But Ill tell thee in confidence, mistress, that I have not partaken of a single drop more com- forting than cold water the whole of to-day. Mis- tress de Chavasse mixed the sack-posset with her own hands this morning, and locked it in the cellar, of which she hath rigorously held the key. Ten minutes ago when she placed the bowl on this table, she called my attention to the fact that the de- lectable beverage came to within three inches of the brim...