Fair Margaret

Fair Margaret, by H. Rider Haggard

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Title: Fair Margaret
Author: H. Rider Haggard
Release Date: January, 2006 [EBook #9780] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on October 15, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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FAIR MARGARET
By
H. RIDER HAGGARD
Author of "King Solomons Mines" "She" "Jess" etc.
WITH 15 ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. R. SKELTON
London: HUTCHINSON & CO. Paternoster Row 1907.

CONTENTS
* CHAPTER I HOW PETER MET THE SPANIARD
* CHAPTER II JOHN CASTELL
* CHAPTER III PETER GATHERS VIOLETS
* CHAPTER IV LOVERS DEAR
* CHAPTER V CASTELL'S SECRET
* CHAPTER VI FAREWELL
* CHAPTER VII NEWS FROM SPAIN
* CHAPTER VIII D'AGUILAR SPEAKS
* CHAPTER IX THE SNARE
* CHAPTER X THE CHASE
* CHAPTER XI THE MEETING ON THE SEA
* CHAPTER XII FATHER HENRIQUES
* CHAPTER XIII THE ADVENTURE OF THE INN
* CHAPTER XIV INEZ AND HER GARDEN
* CHAPTER XV PETER PLAYS A PART
* CHAPTER XVI BETTY SHOWS HER TEETH
* CHAPTER XVII THE PLOT
* CHAPTER XVIII THE HOLY HERMANDAD
* CHAPTER XIX BETTY PAYS HER DEBTS
* CHAPTER XX ISABELLA OF SPAIN
* CHAPTER XXI BETTY STATES HER CASE
* CHAPTER XXII THE DOOM OF JOHN CASTELL
* CHAPTER XXIII FATHER HENRIQUES AND THE BAKER'S OVEN
* CHAPTER XXIV THE FALCON STOOPS
* CHAPTER XXV HOW THE MARGARET WON OUT TO SEA
ENVOI

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS;
"A DOVE, COMRADES!--A DOVE!"
CASTELL DECLARES HIMSELF A JEW
"YOU MEAN THAT YOU WISH TO MURDER ME"
MARGARET APPEARED DESCENDING THE BROAD OAK STAIRS
IN ANOTHER MOMENT THAT STEEL WOULD HAVE PIERCED HIS HEART
THE GALE CAUGHT HIM AND BLEW HIM TO AND FRO
"LADY," HE SAID, "THIS IS NO DEED OF MINE"
A CRUEL-LOOKING KNIFE AND A NAKED ARM PROJECTED THROUGH THE PANELLING
"MY NAME IS INEZ. YOU WANDER STILL, SE?OR"
"THERE ARE OTHERS WHERE THEY CAME FROM"
"TO-DAY I DARE TO HOPE THAT IT MAY BE OTHERWISE"
"WAY! MAKE WAY FOR THE MARCHIONESS OF MORELLA!"
"I CUT HIM DOWN, AND BY MISFORTUNE KILLED HIM"
"WE ARE PLAYERS IN A STRANGE GAME, MY LADY MARGARET"
"YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT ME FIRST, PETER"

FAIR MARGARET
CHAPTER I
HOW PETER MET THE SPANIARD
It was a spring afternoon in the sixth year of the reign of King Henry VII. of England. There had been a great show in London, for that day his Grace opened the newly convened Parliament, and announced to his faithful people--who received the news with much cheering, since war is ever popular at first--his intention of invading France, and of leading the English armies in person. In Parliament itself, it is true, the general enthusiasm was somewhat dashed when allusion was made to the finding of the needful funds; but the crowds without, formed for the most part of persons who would not be called upon to pay the money, did not suffer that side of the question to trouble them. So when their gracious liege appeared, surrounded by his glittering escort of nobles and men-at-arms, they threw their caps into the air, and shouted themselves hoarse.
The king himself, although he was still young in years, already a weary- looking man with a fine, pinched face, smiled a little sarcastically at their clamour; but, remembering how glad he should be to hear it who still sat upon a somewhat doubtful throne, said a few soft words, and sending for two or three of the leaders of the people, gave them his royal hand, and suffered certain children to touch his robe that they might be cured of the Evil. Then, having paused a while to receive petitions from poor folk, which he handed to one of his officers to be read, amidst renewed shouting he passed on to the great feast that was made ready in his palace of Westminster.
Among those who rode near to him was the ambassador, de Ayala, accredited to the English Court by the Spanish sovereigns, Ferdinand and Isabella, and his following of splendidly attired lords and secretaries. That Spain was much in favour there was evident from his place in the procession. How