The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sylvia's Lovers, Vol. I, by Elizabeth Gaskell

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Title: Sylvia's Lovers, Vol. I

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

Posting Date: August 11, 2009 [EBook #4534]
Release Date: October, 2003
First Posted: February 4, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SYLVIA'S LOVERS, VOL. I ***

Produced by Charles Aldarondo. HTML version by Al Haines.

[Editor's Note:--The chapter numbering for volume 2 & 3 was changed
from the original in order to have unique chapter numbers for the
complete version, so volume 2 starts with chapter XV and volume 3
starts with chapter XXX.]

SYLVIA'S LOVERS.

BY

ELIZABETH GASKELL

Oh for thy voice to soothe and bless!
What hope of answer, or redress?
Behind the veil! Behind the veil!--Tennyson

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON:

M.DCCC.LXIII.

CONTENTS

I MONKSHAVEN
II HOME FROM GREENLAND
III BUYING A NEW CLOAK
IV PHILIP HEPBURN
V STORY OF THE PRESS-GANG
VI THE SAILOR'S FUNERAL
VII TETE-A-TETE.--THE WILL
VIII ATTRACTION AND REPULSION
IX THE SPECKSIONEER
X A REFRACTORY PUPIL
XI VISIONS OF THE FUTURE
XII NEW YEAR'S FETE
XIII PERPLEXITIES
XIV PARTNERSHIP

CHAPTER I

MONKSHAVEN

On the north-eastern shores of England there is a town called
Monkshaven, containing at the present day about fifteen thousand
inhabitants. There were, however, but half the number at the end of
the last century, and it was at that period that the events narrated
in the following pages occurred.

Monkshaven was a name not unknown in the history of England, and
traditions of its having been the landing-place of a throneless
queen were current in the town. At that time there had been a
fortified castle on the heights above it, the site of which was now
occupied by a deserted manor-house; and at an even earlier date than
the arrival of the queen and coeval with the most ancient remains of
the castle, a great monastery had stood on those cliffs, overlooking
the vast ocean that blended with the distant sky. Monks