E. F. BENSON

Author of "Limitations" "Dodo" "The Judgment Books" etc.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY G.P. JACOMB-HOOD

"And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press"

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS

NEW YORK AND LONDON

1898

"'COME AND SIT DOWN'"

THIS ROMANCE

DEALING WITH THE REGENERATION OF HER PEOPLE

IS DEDICATED BY PERMISSION

TO

HER MAJESTY

OLGA

QUEEN OF THE HELLENES

CONTENTS

PART I

THE VINEYARD

I.The House on the Road To Nauplia

II.The Coming of Nicholas Vidalis

III.The Story of a Brigand

IV.The Midnight Ordeal

V.Mitsos Picks Cherries for Maria

VI.The Song from the Darkness

VII.The Port Dues of Corinth

VIII.The Mending of the Monastery Roof

IX.The Singer from the Darkness

PART II

THE EVE OF THE GATHERING

I.Mitsos Meets His Cousins

II.Mitsos and Yanni find a Horse

III.Mitsos Has the Hysterics

IV.Yanni Pays a Visit to the Turk

V.The Vision at Bassae

VI.Three Little Men Fall Off their Horses

VII.Mitsos Disarranges a House-roof

VIII.The Message of Fire

PART III

THE TREADING OF THE GRAPES

I.Te Deum Laudamus

II.Two Silver Candlesticks

III.The Adventure of the Fire-ship

IV.The Training of the Troops

V.The Hornets' Nest at Valtetzi

VI.The Entry of Germanos

VII.The Rule of the Senate

VIII.The Song from Tripoli

IX.Private Nicholas Vidalis

X.The Fall of Tripoli

XI.Father and Daughter

XII.The Search for Suleima

XIII.Nicholas Goes Home

XIV.The House on the Road to Nauplia

ILLUSTRATIONS

"'COME AND SIT DOWN'" "'I AM FATHER ANDRÉA,' HE SHOUTED" "HALF CARELESSLY SHE THREW INTO THE BOAT THE ROSES SHE HAD PICKED" "SHE KISSED HIM LIGHTLY ON THE FOREHEAD" "MITSOS SURVEYED HIM WITH EASY INDIFFERENCE" "YANNI WAS STRUGGLING IN THE GRASP OF TWO MEN, THE GREEK AND THE TURK" "KATSI AND A FINE SELECTION OF COUSINS ACCOMPANIED THE TWO" "AFTER SUPPER MITSOS EXPOUNDED" "IN THE CENTRE OF THE GREAT CHAMBER STOOD ONE WHOM IT DAZZLED HIS EYES" TO LOOK UPON" "'AH, BUT IT IS GOOD TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN'" "MITSOS TORE UP GREAT HANDFULS OF UNDERGROWTH AND THREW THEM ON" "MIXED WITH THE NOISE OF THE SINGING, ROSE ONE GREAT SOB OF A THANKFUL PEOPLE BORN AGAIN" "BOTH THE BOYS, SEIZING THEIR OARS, ROWED FOR LIFE" "CASTING HIMSELF DOWN THERE, IN AN AGONY BITTER SWEET, HE PRAYED" "MITSOS, FLYING AT HIM LIKE A WILD-CAT" "BORNE IN A CHAIR ON THE SHOULDERS OF FOUR MONKS" "HE HAD CLAMBERED UP AND DROPPED DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE" "UNBUCKLING HIS SWORD, HE LAID IT ON THE TABLE" "YANNI WAS BY HIM WITH A BRILLIANT SMILE ON HIS FACE" "'WOULD YOU SLAY ME, FATHER?' SHE CRIED AGAIN" "BY AN EFFORT HE RAISED HIMSELF ON HIS ELBOW" "'SULEIMA!' CRIED MITSOS"

THE VINTAGE