The Survivor

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The Survivor

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Title: The Survivor
Author: E.Phillips Oppenheim

Release Date: November 10, 2005 [eBook #17040]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
SURVIVOR***
E-text prepared by MRK

THE SURVIVOR

by
E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM

CONTENTS
I. THE SERMON THAT WAS NEVER PREACHED II. A STRANGE
BETROTHAL III. THE MAN WHO WAS IN A HURRY IV. EXIT
MR. DOUGLAS GUEST V. HOW THE ADDRESS WAS LOST VI.
THE YOUNG MAN FROM THE COUNTRY HEARS SOME VII. A
NIGHT IN HELL--AND NEXT DAY VIII. THE AUTHOR OF "NO
MAN'S LAND" IX. THE EDITOR OF THE "IBEX" RECEIVES A
STRANGE LETTER X. A WOMAN OF WHIMS XI. DOUGLAS
GUEST GETS HIS "CHANCE" XII. THE MAN WHO NEARLY
WENT UNDER XIII. THE FIRST TASTE OF FAME XIV. A
VISITOR FROM SCOTLAND YARD XV. EMILY DE REUSS
TELLS A LIE XVI. JOAN STRONG, AVENGER XVII. A PLAIN
QUESTION AND A WARNING XVIII. THE TASTE OF THE
LOTUS XIX. A MAN WITHOUT A PAST XX. CICELY ASKS A
QUESTION XXI. THE REBELLION OF DREXLEY XXII.
DREXLEY SPEAKS OUT XXIII. CICELY S SECRET XXIV. THE
COUNTESS, THE COUSIN, AND THE CRITIC XXV. A TRAGIC
INTERRUPTION XXVI. A VISITOR FOR DOUGLAS JESSON
XXVII. FELLOW-CRIMINALS XXVIII. THE LITTLE FIGURE IN
BLACK XXIX. JOAN STRONG FINDS HER BROTHER XXX.
DAVID AND JOAN XXXI. DREXLEY FORESEES DANGER
XXXII. A SUPPER AT THE "MILAN," AND A MEETING XXXIII.
A MISUNDERSTANDING XXXIV. THE WOOING OF CICELY
XXXV. THE NET OF JOAN'S VENGEANCE XXXVI. A SCENE AT
THE CLUB XXXVII. CICELY MAKES HER CHOICE XXXVIII.
"SHE WAS A WOMAN: I WAS A COWARD" XXXIX. A
JOURNEY AND A WEDDING XL. A CALL BEFORE THE
CURTAIN

THE SURVIVOR

CHAPTER I
THE SERMON THAT WAS NEVER PREACHED
A little party of men and women on bicycles were pushing their
machines up the steep ascent which formed the one street of Feldwick
village. It was a Sunday morning, and the place was curiously empty.
Their little scraps of gay conversation and laughter--they were men and
women of the smart world--seemed to strike almost a pagan note in a
deep Sabbatical stillness. They passed the wide open doors of a red
brick chapel, and several of the worshippers within turned their heads.
As the last two of the party went by, the wheezings of a harmonium
ceased, and a man's voice came travelling out to them. The lady rested
her hand upon her host's arm. "Listen," she whispered.
Her host, Lord of the Manor, Lord Lieutenant of the County, and tenth
Earl of Cumberland, paused readily enough and leaned his machine
against a kerbstone. Bicycling was by no means a favourite pursuit of
his, and the morning for the time of year was warm.
"Dear lady," he murmured, "shall we go a little nearer and listen to the
words of grace? Anything for a short rest."
She leaned her own bicycle against the wall. From where she was she
could catch a sideway glimpse of a tall, slight figure standing up before
the handful of people.
"I should like to go inside," she said, indifferently. "Would they think it
an intrusion?"
"Certainly not," he answered, with visions of a chair before him. "As a
matter of fact, I have a special invitation to become a member of that
flock--temporarily, at any rate."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"The land here" he answered, "is not entailed, and they are very
anxious to buy this little bit and own their chapel. I had a letter from a

worthy farmer and elder, Gideon Strong, on the matter yesterday. He
wound up by expressing a wish that I might join them in their service
one morning. This is their service, and here we are. Come!"
They crossed the street, and, to the obvious amazement of the little
congregation, stood in the doorway. A gaunt shepherd, with
weather-marked face and knotted fingers, handed them clumsily a
couple of chairs. Some of the small farmers rose and made a clumsy
obeisance to their temporal lord. Gideon Strong, six feet four, with
great unbent shoulders, and face as hard and rugged as iron, frowned
them down, and showed no signs of noticing his presence. Elsewhere
he would have been one of the first, proud man though he was, to stand
bareheaded before the owner of his farm and half a county, but in the
house of God, humble little