The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Master Mummer, by E. Phillips Oppenheim

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Title: The Master Mummer

Author: E. Phillips Oppenheim

Release Date: February 23, 2009 [EBook #28161]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The Master Mummer

By E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM

Author of "Anna, the Adventuress," "A Prince of Sinners,"
"The Betrayal," Etc.

WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS

_A. L. BURT COMPANY_
_Publishers New York_

_Copyright_, 1904,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

_All rights reserved_

[Illustration: "Let the boy have his chance," said Allan.]

The Master Mummer

Book I

CHAPTER I

Sheets of virgin manuscript paper littered my desk, the smoke of much
uselessly consumed tobacco hung about the room in a little cloud. Many a
time I had dipped my pen in the ink, only to find myself a few minutes
later scrawling ridiculous little figures upon the margin of my
blotting-pad. It was not at all an auspicious start for one who sought
immortality.

There came a growl presently from the other side of the room, where
Mabane, attired in a disreputable smock, with a short black pipe in the
corner of his mouth, was industriously defacing a small canvas. Mabane
was tall and fair and lean, with a mass of refractory hair which was the
despair of his barber; a Scotchman with keen blue eyes, and humorous
mouth amply redeeming his face from the plainness which would otherwise
have been its lot. He also was in search of immortality.

"Make a start for Heaven's sake, Arnold," he implored. "To look at you
is an incitement to laziness. The world's full of things to write about.
Make a choice and have done with it. Write something, even if you have
to tear it up afterwards."

I turned round in my chair and regarded Mabane reproachfully.

"Get on with your pot-