The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lion's Skin, by Rafael Sabatini

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Title: The Lion's Skin

Author: Rafael Sabatini

Posting Date: July, 2001
Release Date: December 23, 2008 [EBook #2702]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LION'S SKIN ***

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THE LION'S SKIN

By Rafael Sabatini

I. THE FANATIC

II. AT THE "ADAM AND EVE"

III. THE WITNESS

IV. Mr. GREEN

V. MOONSHINE

VI. HORTENSIA'S RETURN

VII. FATHER AND SON

VIII. TEMPTATION

IX. THE CHAMPION

X. SPURS TO THE RELUCTANT

XI. THE ASSAULT-AT-ARMS

XII. SUNSHINE AND SHADOW

XIII. THE FORLORN HOPE

XIV. LADY OSTERMORE

XV. LOVE AND RAGE

XVI. Mr. GREEN EXECUTES HIS WARRANT

XVII. AMID THE GRAVES

XVIII. THE GHOST OF THE PAST

XIX. THE END OF LORD OSTERMORE

XX. Mr. CARYLL'S IDENTITY

XXI. THE LION'S SKIN

XXII. THE HUNTERS

XXIII. THE LION

THE LION'S SKIN

CHAPTER I. THE FANATIC

Mr. Caryll, lately from Rome, stood by the window, looking out over the
rainswept, steaming quays to Notre Dame on the island yonder. Overhead
rolled and crackled the artillery of an April thunderstorm, and Mr.
Caryll, looking out upon Paris in her shroud of rain, under her pall of
thundercloud, felt himself at harmony with Nature. Over his heart,
too, the gloom of storm was lowering, just as in his heart it was still
little more than April time.

Behind him, in that chamber furnished in dark oak and leather of a reign
or two ago, sat Sir Richard Everard at a vast writing-table all a-litter
with books and papers; and Sir Richard watched his adoptive son with
fierce, melancholy eyes, watched him until he grew impatient of this
pause.

"Well?" demanded the old baronet harshly. "Will you undertake it,
Justin, now that the chance has come?" And he added: "You'll never
hesitate if you are the man I have sought to make you."

Mr. Caryll turned slowly. "It is because I am the man that you--that God
and you--have made me that I do hesitate."

His voice was quiet and pleasantly modulated, and he spoke English with
the faintest slur--perceptible, perhaps,