Author of 'The Great Amulet,' 'Candles in the Wind,' Etc.
"One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward, Never doubted clouds would break; Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph; Held, we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better, Sleep--to wake." --ROBERT BROWNING.
Revised Edition, in Large Part Rewritten
William Blackwood and SonsEdinburgh and LondonMCMXVII
All Rights reserved
_THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO_ _MY SON CYRIL,_ _AND TO_ _Mrs ALAN BATTEN_ _IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ALL THAT IT OWES_ _TO HER GENEROUS HELP AND INTEREST._ _M. D._
AUTHOR'S NOTE.
In revising and partially rewriting my novel, 'Captain Desmond, V.C.,' Ihave been glad to make good the opportunity afforded me of bringing theAftermath nearer to my original conception than it was in its first form.The three short chapters now substituted for the one final scene aretherefore, in essence, no innovation. They represent more or less what Iconceived at the time, but suppressed through fear of making my book toolong; and thereby risked upsetting the balance of sympathy, which I hopethe fresh chapters may tend to restore.
M. D.
CONTENTS.
BOOK I.
CHAP. PAGE
I. JUDGE FOR YOURSELF 3
II. I WANT TO BE FIRST 13
III. THE BIG CHAPS 21
IV. ESPECIALLY WOMEN 30
V. AN EXPURGATED EDITION 39
VI. GENIUS OF CHARACTER 46
VII. BRIGHT EYES OF DANGER 55
VIII. STICK TO THE FRONTIER 66
IX. WE'LL JUST FORGET 80
X. A SQUARE BARGAIN 94
XI. YOU DON'T KNOW DESMOND 108
XII. NOW IT'S DIFFERENT 119
XIII. IT ISN'T FAIR 129
XIV. I SIMPLY INSIST 140
XV. GOOD ENOUGH, ISN'T IT? 151
XVI. SIGNED AND SEALED 156
BOOK II.
XVII. YOU WANT TO GO! 167
XVIII. LOVE THAT IS LIFE! 177
XIX. IT'S NOT MAJOR WYNDHAM 182
XX. THE DEVIL'S PECULIARITY? 196
XXI. I AM YOURS 207
XXII. THE CHEAPER MAN 213
XXIII. YOU GO ALONE 228
XXIV. I WANT LADYBIRD 234
XXV. THE MOONLIGHT SONATA 242
XXVI. STAND TO YOUR GUNS 249
XXVII. THE EXECRABLE UNKNOWN 259
XXVIII. YOU SHALL NOT--! 265
XXIX. THE UTTERMOST FARTHING 274
XXX. SHE SHALL UNDERSTAND 285
XXXI. THE LOSS OF ALL 298
XXXII. EVEN TO THE UTMOST 303
XXXIII. THE ONE BIG THING 313
XXXIV. C'ETAIT MA VIE 319
AFTERMATH 323
BOOK I.
"If we impinge, never so lightly, on the life of a fellow-mortal, the touch of our personality, like the ripple of a stone cast into a pond, widens and widens, in unending circles, through the aeons, till the far-off gods themselves cannot tell where action ceases."--KIPLING.