Chapter I: Front Matter

THE VENETIANS

A Novel

BY THE AUTHOR OF

“LADY AUDLEY’S SECRET,” “VIXEN,”
“ISHMAEL,” Etc.

Stereotyped Edition

LONDON
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO.
LIMITED

STATIONERS’ HALL COURT
1893

[_All rights reserved_]

LONDON:
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. In the City by the Sea 1

II. After-thoughts 14

III. “Fairies!” 30

IV. “The Prelude to some Brighter World” 49

V. Teatime in Arcadia 56

VI. Why should he refrain? 67

VII. He would take his Time 83

VIII. A Face in the Crowd 92

IX. “Though Love, and Life, and Death should come and go” 99

X. “As Things that are not shall these Things be” 106

XI. “One Thread in Life worth spinning” 116

XII. “One born to love you, Sweet” 132

XIII. “The Time of Lovers is Brief” 137

XIV. As a Spirit from Dream to Dream 143

XV. “Love should be Absolute Love” 151

XVI. To Live Forgotten and Love Forlorn 164

XVII. “She was more Fair than Words can say” 179

XVIII. “The Shadow passeth when the Tree shall fall” 190

XIX. “He said, ‘She has a Lovely Face’” 196

XX. Peggy’s Chance 212

XXI. “From the Evil to come” 228

XXII. “So very Wilful” 235

XXIII. The Little Rift 244

XXIV. “Poor Kind Wild Eyes so dashed with Light Quick Tears” 257

XXV. “And every Gentle Passion Sick to Death” 268

XXVI. “Closer and closer swam the Thunder-cloud” 284

XXVII. “Thou mayst be False and yet I know it not” 298

XXVIII. In the Blue Chamber 303

XXIX. “’Tis not the Same now, never more can be” 311

XXX. A Double Exile 321

XXXI. “Oh tell her, Brief is Life, but Love is Long” 325

XXXII. “A Scene of Light and Glory” 333

XXXIII. “Both together, he her God, she his Idol” 335

THE VENETIANS.