ARNOLD BENNETT

CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD

London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne

First published 1923

Printed in Great Britain

CONTENTS

PART IPage

1.Riceyman Steps1

2.The Customer4

3.The Bookseller at Home9

4.Elsie14

5.The Gift21

6.Mrs. Arb's Case26

7.Under an Umbrella30

8.The Carving-knife33

9.Sunday Morning39

10.Riceyman Square43

11.Elsie's Home48

12.The Benefactress54

13.The Passion58

14.A Man's Private Life67

PART II

1.The Day Before77

2.Elsie's Retreat86

3.Waxworks90

4.Vacuum99

5.The Priestess103

6.The Next Day114

PART III

1.Early Morning123

2.After Breakfast127

3.International135

4.Afternoon140

5.Tea146

6.Evening155

PART IV

1.At the Window169

2.Elsie's Motive176

3.Charity182

4.No Verdict191

5.Midnight197

6.Henry's Plot201

7.The Night-call205

8.On the Landing213

9.Violet's Victory221

10.Departure227

PART V

1.The Promise235

2.The Refusal240

3.The Message of Violet244

4.Out of The Rain253

5.The Two Patients260

6.The Second Refusal264

7.Malaria270

8.A Climax274

9.The Kiss290

10.The Safe295

11.Prison300

12.Asleep304

13.Disappearance of T. T.'s308