Phantom Fortune

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Phantom Fortune

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Phantom Fortune, A Novel, by M. E. Braddon This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Phantom Fortune, A Novel
Author: M. E. Braddon
Release Date: February 1, 2004 [EBook #10905]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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PHANTOM FORTUNE
A Novel
BY THE AUTHOR OF "LADY AUDLEY'S SECRET," "VIXEN," ETC. ETC. ETC.

CONTENTS
I. PENELOPE II. ULYSSES III. ON THE WRONG ROAD IV. THE LAST STAGE V. FORTY YEARS AFTER VI. MAULEVRIER'S HUMBLE FRIEND VII. IN THE SUMMER MORNING VIII. THERE IS ALWAYS A SKELETON IX. A CRY IN THE DARKNESS X. 'O BITTERNESS OF THINGS TOO SWEET' XI. 'IF I WERE TO DO AS ISEULT DID' XII. 'THE GREATER CANTLE OF THE WORLD IS LOST' XIII. 'SINCE PAINTED OR NOT PAINTED ALL SHALL FADE' XIV. 'NOT YET' XV. 'OF ALL MEN ELSE I HAVE AVOIDED THEE' XVI. 'HER FACE RESIGNED TO BLISS OR BALE' XVII. 'AND THE SPRING COMES SLOWLY UP THIS WAY' XVIII. 'AND COME AGEN, BE IT BY NIGHT OR DAY' XIX. THE OLD MAN ON THE FELL XX. LADY MAULEVRIER'S LETTER-BAG XXI. ON THE DARK BROW OF HELVELLYN XXII. WISER THAN LESBIA XXIII. 'A YOUNG LAMB'S HEART AMONG THE FULL-GROWN FLOCKS' XXIV. 'NOW NOTHING LEFT TO LOVE OR HATE' XXV. CARTE BLANCHE XXVI. 'PROUD CAN I NEVER BE OF WHAT I HATE' XXVII. LESBIA CROSSES PICCADILLY XXVIII. 'CLUBS, DIAMONDS, HEARTS, IN WILD DISORDER SEEN' XXIX. 'SWIFT, SUBTLE POST, CARRIER OF GRISLY CARE' XXX. 'ROSES CHOKED AMONG THORNS AND THISTLES' XXXI. 'KIND IS MY LOVE TO-DAY, TO-MORROW KIND' XXXII. WAYS AND MEANS XXXIII. BY SPECIAL LICENCE XXXIV. 'OUR LOVE WAS NEW, AND THEN BUT IN THE SPRING' XXXV. 'ALL FANCY, PRIDE, AND FICKLE MAIDENHOOD' XXXVI. A RASTAQUOUèRE XXXVII. LORD HARTFIELD REFUSES A FORTUNE XXXVIII. ON BOARD THE 'CAYMAN' XXXIX. IN STORM AND DARKNESS XL. A NOTE OF ALARM XLI. PRIVILEGED INFORMATION XLII. 'SHALL IT BE?' XLIII. 'ALAS, FOR SORROW IS ALL THE END OF THIS' XLIV. 'OH, SAD KISSED MOUTH, HOW SORROWFUL IT IS!' XLV. 'THAT FELL ARREST WITHOUT ALL BAIL' XLVI. THE DAY OF RECKONING
[Illustration: H. French, del.) (T. Symmons, sc. "The old man sat looking at Mary in silence for some moments."--Page 171.]
CHAPTER I.
PENELOPE.
People dined earlier forty years ago than they do now. Even that salt of the earth, the elect of society, represented by that little great world which lies between the narrow circle bounded by Bryanstone Square on the north and by Birdcage Walk on the south, did not consider seven o'clock too early an hour for a dinner party which was to be followed by routs, drums, concerts, conversazione, as the case might be. It was seven o'clock on a lovely June evening, and the Park was already deserted, and carriages were rolling swiftly along all the Westend squares, carrying rank, fashion, wealth, and beauty, political influence, and intellectual power, to the particular circle in which each was destined to illumine upon that particular evening.
Stateliest among London squares, Grosvenor--in some wise a wonder to the universe as newly lighted with gas--grave Grosvenor, with its heavy old Georgian houses and pompous porticoes, sparkled and shone, not alone with the novel splendour of gas, but with the light of many wax candles, clustering flower-like in silver branches and girandoles, multiplying their flame in numerous mirrors; and of all the houses in that stately square none had a more imposing aspect than Lord Denyer's dark red brick mansion, with stone dressings, and the massive grandeur of an Egyptian mausoleum.
Lord Denyer was an important personage in the political and diplomatic world. He had been ambassador at Constantinople and at Paris, and had now retired on his laurels, an influence still, but no longer an active power in the machine of government. At his house gathered all that was most brilliant in London society. To be seen at Lady Denyer's, evening parties was the guinea stamp of social distinction; to dine with Lord Denyer was an opening in life, almost as valuable as University honours, and more difficult of attainment.
It was during the quarter of an hour before dinner that a group of persons, mostly personages, congregated round Lord Denyer's chimney-piece, naturally trending towards the social hearth, albeit it was the season for roses and lilies rather than of fires, and the hum of the city was floating in upon the breath of the warm June evening through the five tall windows which opened upon Lord Denyer's balcony.
The ten or twelve persons assembled seemed only