Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber's note:

Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note.
Inconsistent hyphenation has been retained as it appears in
the original.

LOVER OR FRIEND

by

ROSA NOUCHETTE CAREY

Author of 'Nellie's Memories,' 'Not Like Other Girls,' Etc.

MacMillan and Co., Limited St. Martin's Street, London 1915

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THE NOVELS OF

ROSA NOUCHETTE CAREY

POPULAR EDITION

_Crown 8vo. Cloth extra. 3s. 6d. each._

NELLIE'S MEMORIES. WEE WIFIE. BARBARA HEATHCOTE'S TRIAL. ROBERT ORD'S ATONEMENT. WOOED AND MARRIED. HERIOT'S CHOICE. QUEENIE'S WHIM. MARY ST. JOHN. NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS. FOR LILIAS. UNCLE MAX. ONLY THE GOVERNESS. LOVER OR FRIEND? BASIL LYNDHURST. SIR GODFREY'S GRAND-DAUGHTERS. THE OLD, OLD STORY. THE MISTRESS OF BRAE FARM. MRS. ROMNEY AND "BUT MEN MUST WORK." OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. HERB OF GRACE. THE HIGHWAY OF FATE. RUE WITH A DIFFERENCE. A PASSAGE PERILOUS. AT THE MOORINGS. THE HOUSEHOLD OF PETER. NO FRIEND LIKE A SISTER. THE ANGEL OF FORGIVENESS. THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE HILL. THE KEY OF THE UNKNOWN.

MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD., LONDON.

* * * * *

LOVER OR FRIEND

MacMillan and Co., Limited London · Bombay · Calcutta Melbourne

The MacMillan Company New York · Boston · Chicago Dallas · San Francisco

The MacMillan Co. of Canada, Ltd. Toronto

Copyright _First Edition_ 1890 _Reprinted_ 1893, 1894, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1906, 1910, 1915

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

1. THE BLAKE FAMILY ARE DISCUSSED 1

2. AUDREY INTRODUCES HERSELF 9

3. THE BLAKE FAMILY AT HOME 18

4. MICHAEL 28

5. THE NEW MASTER 36

6. THE GRAY COTTAGE 47

7. KESTER'S HERO 56

8. 'I HOPE BETTER THINGS OF AUDREY' 67

9. MAT 78

10. PRISCILLA BAXTER 88

11. 'A GIRL AFTER MY OWN HEART' 97

12. MOLLIE GOES TO DEEP-WATER CHINE 107

13. GERALDINE GIVES HER OPINION 117

14. 'I AM SORRY YOU ASKED THE QUESTION' 126

15. MRS. BLAKE HAS HER NEW GOWN 137

16. MOLLIE LETS THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG 146

17. AMONG THE BRAIL LANES 155

18. ON A SCOTCH MOOR 165

19. YELLOW STOCKINGS ON THE TAPIS 174

20. 'THE LITTLE RIFT' 183

21. 'HE IS VERY BRAVE' 192

22. 'NO, YOU HAVE NOT SPARED ME' 202

23. 'DADDY, I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU' 210

24. 'I FELT SUCH A CULPRIT, YOU SEE' 222

25. MR. HARCOURT SPEAKS HIS MIND 232

26. HOW GERALDINE TOOK IT TO HEART 242

27. WHAT MICHAEL THOUGHT OF IT 252

28. MICHAEL TURNS OVER A NEW LEAF 261

29. TWO FAMILY EVENTS 269

30. 'I COULD NOT STAND IT ANY LONGER, TOM' 278

31. 'WILL YOU CALL THE GUARD?' 286

32. 'I DID NOT LOVE HIM' 295

33. 'SHALL YOU TELL HIM TO-NIGHT?' 305

34. 'I MUST THINK OF MY CHILD, MIKE' 313

35. 'OLIVE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE ANYTHING' 323

36. 'HOW CAN I BEAR IT?' 332

37. 'I SHALL NEVER BE FREE' 341

38. 'WHO WILL COMFORT HIM?' 351

39. 'YOU WILL LIVE IT DOWN' 360

40. MICHAEL ACCEPTS HIS CHARGE 368

41. 'THERE SHALL BE PEACE BETWEEN US' 378

42. 'WILL YOU SHAKE HANDS WITH YOUR FATHER?' 389

43. MICHAEL'S LETTER 399

44. MOLLIE GOES INTO EXILE 409

45. AUDREY RECEIVES A TELEGRAM 418

46. 'INASMUCH' 426

47. A STRANGE EXPIATION 435

48. ON MICHAEL'S BENCH 445

49. 'LET YOUR HEART PLEAD FOR ME' 456

50. BOOTY'S MASTER 464

51. 'LOVE'S AFTERMATH' 472

LOVER OR FRIEND?