The Project Gutenberg EBook of Comedies of Courtship, by Anthony Hope

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Title: Comedies of Courtship

Author: Anthony Hope

Release Date: April 4, 2008 [EBook #24985]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMEDIES OF COURTSHIP ***

COMEDIES OF COURTSHIP

By Anthony Hope

"It is a familiar fact that the intensity of a passion varies
with the proximity of the appropriate object."
Mr. Leslie Stephen, 'Science of Ethics'

"How the devil is it that fresh features
Have such a charm for us poor human creatures?"
Lord Byron, 'Don Juan'

Charles Scribner's Sons New York 1896

Copyright, 1896 Charles Scribner's Sons

Copyright, 1894, 1896, by Anthony Hope

NOTE

"The Wheel of Love," published in Scribner's Magazine during the past
year, and "The Lady of the Pool," both protected by American copyright,
are here printed for the first time in book form. The four other
stories appeared without their author's consent or knowledge, with
their titles changed beyond recognition, and combined with other
unauthorized material, in a small volume printed by an American firm.
They are here given for the first time in their proper form and by my
authority.

Anthony Hope.

CONTENTS

The Wheel of Love The Lady of the Pool The Curate of Poltons A
Three-Volume Novel The Philosopher in the Apple Orchard The Decree of
Duke Deodonato

THE WHEEL OF LOVE

CHAPTER I

THE VIRTUOUS HYPOCRITES

AT first sight they had as little reason for being unhappy as it is
possible to have in a world half full of sorrow. They were young and
healthy; half a dozen times they had each declared the other more than
common good-looking; they both had, and never knew what it was not to
have, money enough for comfort and, in addition that divine little
superfluity wherefrom joys are born. The house was good to look at and
good to live in; there were horses to ride, the river to go a-rowing
on, and a big box from Mudie's every week. No one worried them; Miss
Bussey was generally visiting the poor; or, as was the case at this
moment, asleep in her arm-chair, with Paul, the terrier, in hi