The Project Gutenberg eBook, Affairs of State, by Burton E. Stevenson

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Title: Affairs of State

Author: Burton E. Stevenson

Release Date: December 7, 2003 [eBook #10397]

Language: English

Chatacter set encoding: US-ASCII

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AFFAIRS OF STATE***

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AFFAIRS OF STATE

Being an Account of Certain Surprising Adventures Which

Befell an American Family in the Land of Windmills

BY

BURTON E. STEVENSON

AUTHOR OF "THE MARATHON MYSTERY," "THE HOLLADAY CASE," ETC.

With Illustrations by F. VAUX WILSON

1906

TO G. H. T.:

OLD FRIEND

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. THE WILES OF WOMANKIND

II. THE ROLE OF GOOD ANGEL

III. DISTINGUISHED ARRIVALS AT WEET-SUR-MER

IV. AN ADVENTURE AND A RESCUE

V. TELLIER TAKES A HAND

VI. THE PATH GROWS CROOKED

VII. AN APPEAL FOR AID

VIII. PRIDE HAS A FALL

IX. PELLETAN'S SKELETON

X. AN INTRODUCTION AND A PROMENADE

XI. THE PRINCE GAINS AN ALLY

XII. EVENTS OF THE NIGHT

XIII. THE SECOND PROMENADE

XIV. A BEARDING OF THE LION

XV. "BE BOLD, BE BOLD"

XVI. A PRINCE AND HIS IDEALS

XVII. THE DUCHESS TO THE RESCUE

XVIII. MAN'S PERFIDY

XIX. AN AMERICAN OPINION OF EUROPEAN MORALS

XX. THE DOWAGER'S BOMBSHELL

XXI. PARDON

ILLUSTRATIONS

"EEF MONSIEUR PLEASE"

"IT WAS MY GREAT GOOD FORTUNE," SAID THE STRANGER, BOWING, "TO BE OF
SERVICE TO A COMPATRIOT"

"OH!" SHE CRIED, WITH A LITTLE START, "THERE HE IS NOW, ALMOST NEAR
ENOUGH TO HEAR!"

"WHAT IS IT?" SHE DEMANDED. "DON'T YOU SEE WE ARE ALL WAITING?"

AFFAIRS OF STATE

CHAPTER I

The Wiles of Womankind

Archibald Rushford, tall, lean, the embodiment of energy, stood at the
window, hands in pockets, and stared disgustedly out at the dreary vista
of sand-dunes and bathing-machines, closed in the distance by a stretch
of gray sea mounting toward a horizon scarcely discernible through the
drifting mist which hung above the water.

"Though why you wanted to come here at all," he continued, presumably
addressi