The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Light of Scarthey, by Egerton Castle

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Light of Scarthey

Author: Egerton Castle

Release Date: July 12, 2008 [eBook #26045]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIGHT OF SCARTHEY***

E-text prepared by Audrey Longhurst, Karen Dalrymple, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)

THE LIGHT OF SCARTHEY

A Romance

by

EGERTON CASTLE

Author of
"The Pride of Jennico," "Young
April," etc.

"Take whichsoever way thou wilt--the ways are all alike;
But do thou only come--I bade my threshold wait thy coming.
From out my window one can see the graves, and on my life
The graves keep watch." _Luteplayer's Song._

New York
Frederick A. Stokes Company
MCM

Copyright, 1899,
by Frederick A. Stokes Company.
All rights reserved.

Fourth Edition.

I Dedicate
THIS BOOK TO THE
MEMORY OF
FREDERICK ANDREWS LARKING
OF THE ROCKS, EAST MALLING, KENT
THAT, SO LONG AS ANYTHING OF MINE SHALL ENDURE,
THERE MAY ENDURE ALSO
A RECORD OF OUR FRIENDSHIP AND OF
MY SORROW

PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.

_Among the works of every writer of Fiction there are generally one or
two that owe their being to some_ haunting _thought, long communed
with--a thought which has at last found a living shape in some story
of deed and passion._

_I say one or two advisedly: for the span of man's active life is
short and such haunting fancies are, of their essence, solitary. As a
matter of fact, indeed, the majority of a novelist's creations belong
to another class, must of necessity (if he be a prolific creator) find
their conception in more sudden impulses. The great family of the
"children of his brain" must be born of inspirations ever new, and in
alluring freshness go forth into the world surrounded by the
atmosphere of their author's present mood, decked in the colours of
his latest imaginings, strengthened by his latest passional
impressions and philosophical conclusions._

_In the latter category the lack of long intimate acquaintance between