Chapter I: Front Matter

The Cock And Anchor

By

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Illustrated by Brinsley Le Fanu

Downey & Co. 12 York St. Covent Garden.

(1895)

NOTE.

"THE COCK AND ANCHOR: a Chronicle of Old Dublin City," was first published in Dublin in three volumes in 1845, with the joint imprints of William Curry, Junior, & Co., Dublin; Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, London; and Fraser & Co., Edinburgh. There is no author's name on the title-page of the original edition. The work has not since been reprinted under the title of "The Cock and Anchor;" but some years after its first appearance my father made several alterations (most of which are adhered to in the present edition) in the story, and it was re-issued in the Select Library of Fiction under the title of "Morley Court."

The novel has been out of print for a long period, and I have decided to republish it now under its original and proper title. I have made no changes in such dates as are mentioned here and there in the course of the narrative, but the reader should bear in mind that this "Chronicle of Old Dublin City" was written fifty years ago.

BRINSLEY SHERIDAN LE FANU.

_London, July, 1895._

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I.--THE "COCK AND ANCHOR" 1

II.--A BED IN THE "COCK AND ANCHOR" 6

III.--THE LITTLE MAN 10

IV.--A SCARLET HOOD 14

V.--O'CONNOR'S MOONLIGHT WALK 23

VI.--THE SOLDIER 28

VII.--THREE GRIM FIGURES 36

VIII.--THE WARNING 40

IX.--THE "BLEEDING HORSE" 44

X.--THE MASTER OF MORLEY COURT 51

XI.--THE OLD BEECH TREE WALK 62

XII.--THE APPOINTED HOUR 72

XIII.--THE INTERVIEW 75

XIV.--ABOUT A CERTAIN GARDEN AND A DAMSEL 83

XV.--THE TRAITOR 88

XVI.--SIGNOR PARUCCI ALONE 92

XVII.--DUBLIN CASTLE BY NIGHT 99

XVIII.--THE TWO COUSINS 106

XIX.--THE THEATRE 110

XX.--THE LODGING 116

XXI.--WHO APPEARED TO MARY ASHWOODE 122

XXII.--THE SPINET 125

XXIII.--THE DARK ROOM 131

XXIV.--A CRITIC 135

XXV.--THE COMBAT AND ITS ISSUE 140

XXVI.--THE HELL 143

XXVII.--THE DEPARTURE OF THE PEER 151

XXVIII.--THE THUNDER-STORM 154

XXIX.--THE CRONES 157

XXX.--SKY-COPPER COURT 163

XXXI.--THE USURER AND THE OAKEN BOX 168

XXXII.--THE DIABOLIC WHISPER 171

XXXIII.--HOW SIR HENRY ASHWOODE PLAYED AND PLOTTED 174

XXXIV.--THE "OLD ST. COLUMBKIL" 178

XXXV.--THE COUSIN AND THE BLACK CABINET 184

XXXVI.--JEWELS, PLATE, HORSES, DOGS 189

XXXVII.--THE RECKONING 191

XXXVIII.--STRANGE GUESTS AT THE MANOR 196

XXXIX.--THE BARGAIN 199

XL.--DREAMS 204

XLI.--A CERTAIN TRAVELLING ECCLESIASTIC 208

XLII.--THE SQUIRES 212

XLIII.--THE WILD WOOD 217

XLIV.--THE DOOM 222

XLV.--THE MAN IN THE CLOAK 226

XLVI.--THE DOUBLE CONFERENCE 231

XLVII.--THE "JOLLY BOWLERS" 236

XLVIII.--THE STAINED RUFFLES 241

XLIX.--OLD SONGS 246

L.--THE PRESS IN THE WALL 252

LI.--FLORA GUY 259

LII.--MARY ASHWOODE'S WALK 262

LIII.--THE DOUBLE FAREWELL 266

LIV.--THE TWO CHANCES 273

LV.--THE FEARFUL VISITANT 277

LVI.--EBENEZER SHYCOCK 280

LVII.--THE CHAPLAIN'S ARRIVAL AT MORLEY COURT 284

LVIII.--THE SIGNAL 290

LIX.--HASTE AND PERIL 296

LX.--THE UNTREASURED CHAMBER 299

LXI.--THE CART AND THE STRAW 302

LXII.--THE COUNCIL 308

LXIII.--PARTING 311

LXIV.--MISTRESS MARTHA AND BLACK M'GUINNESS 315

LXV.--THE CONFERENCE 319

LXVI.--THE BED-CHAMBER 322

LXVII.--THE EXPULSION 327

LXVIII.--THE FRAY 332

LXIX.--THE BOLTED WINDOW 337

LXX.--THE BARONET'S ROOM 341

LXXI.--THE FAREWELL 345

LXXII.--THE ROPE AND THE RIOT 349

LXXIII.--THE LAST LOOK 354

CONCLUSION 357

LIST OF FULL PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.

"Farewell, my lord," said Swift, abruptly _Frontispiece_

Threw himself luxuriously into a capacious
leather-bottomed chair _to face page_ 4

Again the conqueror crowed the shrill
note of victory " 34

Parucci approached the prostrate figure " 156

"Painted! varnished!" she screamed hysterically " 188

He made his way to the aperture " 223

Glide noiselessly behind Chancey " 293

Driven to bay ... he drew his sword " 338

His horse, snorting loudly, checked his pace " 354

THE "COCK AND ANCHOR."