The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Brass Bottle, by F. Anstey

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Title: The Brass Bottle

Author: F. Anstey

Release Date: December 16, 2009 [eBook #30689]

Language: English

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

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BRASS BOTTLE***

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THE BRASS BOTTLE

by

F. ANSTEY

First Published, October, 1900

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. HORACE VENTIMORE RECEIVES A COMMISSION 1

II. A CHEAP LOT 12

III. AN UNEXPECTED OPENING 18

IV. AT LARGE 31

V. CARTE BLANCHE 36

VI. EMBARRAS DE RICHESSES 51

VII. "GRATITUDE--A LIVELY SENSE OF FAVOURS TO COME" 62

VIII. BACHELOR'S QUARTERS 75

IX. "PERSICOS ODI, PUER, APPARATUS" 85

X. NO PLACE LIKE HOME! 107

XI. A FOOL'S PARADISE 115

XII. THE MESSENGER OF HOPE 132

XIII. A CHOICE OF EVILS 143

XIV. "SINCE THERE'S NO HELP, COME, LET US KISS
AND PART!" 158

XV. BLUSHING HONOURS 174

XVI. A KILLING FROST 182

XVII. HIGH WORDS 193

XVIII. A GAME OF BLUFF 204

THE EPILOGUE 222

THE BRASS BOTTLE

CHAPTER I

HORACE VENTIMORE RECEIVES A COMMISSION

"This day six weeks--just six weeks ago!" Horace Ventimore said, half
aloud, to himself, and pulled out his watch. "Half-past twelve--what was
I doing at half-past twelve?"

As he sat at the window of his office in Great Cloister Street,
Westminster, he made his thoughts