Chapter I: Front Matter

Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
file which includes the original illustrations.
See 48642-h.htm or 48642-h.zip:
(https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/48642/pg48642-images.html)
or
(https://www.gutenberg.org/files/48642/48642-h.zip)

Images of the original pages are available through
Internet Archive/American Libraries. See
https://archive.org/details/servantofpublic00hope

A SERVANT OF THE PUBLIC

* * * * * *

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

A MAN OF MARK
MR. WITT'S WIDOW
FATHER STAFFORD
A CHANGE OF AIR
HALF A HERO
THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
THE GOD IN THE CAR
THE DOLLY DIALOGUES
COMEDIES OF COURTSHIP
THE CHRONICLES OF COUNT ANTONIO
THE HEART OF PRINCESS OSRA
PHROSO
SIMON DALE
RUPERT OF HENTZAU
THE KING'S MIRROR
QUISANTÉ

* * * * * *

A SERVANT OF THE PUBLIC

by

ANTHONY HOPE

With Four Illustrations by Harold Percival, A.R.E.

Methuen & Co. 36 Essex Street W.C. London

First Published in 1905

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. MUDDOCK AND MEAD 1

II. FIRST IMPRESSIONS 15

III. AN ARRANGEMENT FOR SUNDAY 29

IV. BY WAY OF PRECAUTION 43

V. A DAY IN THE COUNTRY 55

VI. AWAY WITH THE RIBBONS! 70

VII. UNDER THE NOSEGAY 86

VIII. THE LEGITIMATE CLAIMANT 102

IX. RENUNCIATION: A DRAMA 118

X. THE LICENCE OF VIRTUE 133

XI. WHAT IS TRUTH? 149

XII. AT CLOSE QUARTERS 164

XIII. THE HEROINE FAILS 179

XIV. AS MR. FLINT SAID 194

XV. THE MAN UPSTAIRS 210

XVI. MORALITY SMILES 227

XVII. AT SEA AND IN PORT 243

XVIII. THE PLAY AND THE PART 257

XIX. COLLATERAL EFFECTS 270

XX. THE WAYS DIVIDE 286

XXI. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 301

XXII. OTHER WORLDS 316

XXIII. THE MOST NATURAL THING 332

XXIV. "A GOOD SIGHT" 348

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
"I SHOULD BE RATHER AFRAID NEVER TO CHANGE TO A
PERSON. IT WOULD MAKE HIM MEAN SO TERRIBLY MUCH
TO ME, WOULDN'T IT?" _Frontispiece_

"SOMEBODY'LL BE GLAD TO SEE ME, ANYHOW," HE ENDED,
WITH A LAUGH 224

THE CONTRACT PUNCTILIOUSLY SIGNED BY ALL THE
PARTIES AND WITNESSED BY JANET THE MAID ... THEY
HAD OPENED A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE 301

WALKED IN SILENCE SIDE BY SIDE 360

A Servant of the Public