Chapter I: Preface

The ten years' partnership of myself and my late friend Mr. James Rice has been terminated by death. I am persuaded that nothing short of death would have put an end to a partnership which was conducted throughout with perfect accord, and without the least difference of opinion. The long illness which terminated fatally on April 25th of this year began in January of last year. There were intervals during which he seemed to be recovering and gaining strength; he was, indeed, well enough in the autumn to try change of air by a visit to Holland; but he broke down again very shortly after his return: though he did not himself suspect it, he was under sentence of death, and for the last six months of his life his downward course was steady and continuous.

Almost the last act of his in our partnership was the arrangement, with certain country papers and elsewhere, for the serial publication of this novel, the subject and writing of which were necessarily left entirely to myself.

The many wanderings, therefore, which I undertook last summer in Stepney, Whitechapel, Poplar, St. George's in the East, Limehouse, Bow, Stratford, Shadwell, and all that great and marvellous unknown country which we call East London, were undertaken, for the first time for ten years, alone. They would have been undertaken in great sadness had one foreseen the end. In one of these wanderings I had the happiness to discover Rotherhithe, which I afterward explored with carefulness; in another, I lit upon a certain Haven of Rest for aged sea-captains, among whom I found Captain Sorensen; in others I found many wonderful things, and conversed with many wonderful people. The "single-handedness," so to speak, of this book would have been a mere episode in the history of the firm, a matter of no concern or interest to the general public, had my friend recovered. But he is dead; and it therefore devolves upon me to assume the sole responsibility of the work, for good or bad. The same responsibility is, of course, assumed for the two short stories, "The Captain's Room," published at Christmas last, and "They Were Married," published as the summer number of the _Illustrated London News_. The last story was, in fact, written after the death of my partner; but as it had already been announced, it was thought best, under the circumstances, to make no change in the title.

I have been told by certain friendly advisers that this story is impossible. I have, therefore, stated the fact on the title-page, so that no one may complain of being taken in or deceived. But I have never been able to understand why it is impossible.

WALTER BESANT.

UNITED UNIVERSITIES' CLUB, _August 19, 1882_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE
PROLOGUE--IN TWO PARTS, 9

I.--NEWS FOR HIS LORDSHIP, 26

II.--A VERY COMPLETE CASE, 40

III.--ONLY A DRESSMAKER, 46

IV.--UNCLE BUNKER, 56

V.--THE CARES OF WEALTH, 67

VI.--A FIRST STEP, 76

VII.--THE TRINITY ALMSHOUSE, 88

VIII.--WHAT HE GOT BY IT, 99

IX.--THE DAY BEFORE THE FIRST, 108

X.--THE GREAT DAVENANT CASE, 116

XI.--THE FIRST DAY, 124

XII.--SUNDAY AT THE EAST END, 133

XIII.--ANGELA'S EXPERIMENT, 142

XIV.--THE TENDER PASSION, 153

XV.--A SPLENDID OFFER, 161

XVI.--HARRY'S DECISION, 169

XVII.--WHAT LORD JOCELYN THOUGHT, 176

XVIII.--THE PALACE OF DELIGHT, 182

XIX.--DICK THE RADICAL, 191

XX.--DOWN ON THEIR LUCK, 197

XXI.--LADY DAVENANT, 205

XXII.--DANIEL FAGG, 214

XXIII.--THE MISSING LINK, 223

XXIV.--LORD JOCELYN'S TROUBLES, 229

XXV.--AN INVITATION, 238

XXVI.--LORD DAVENANT'S GREATNESS, 247

XXVII.--THE SAME SIGNS, 257

XXVIII.--HARRY FINDS LIBERTY, 260

XXIX.--THE FIGURE-HEADS, 276

XXX.--THE PROFESSOR'S PROPOSAL, 285

XXXI.--CAPTAIN COPPIN, 292

XXXII.--BUNKER AT BAY, 303

XXXIII.--MR. BUNKER'S LETTER, 310

XXXIV.--PROOFS IN PRINT, 316

XXXV.--"THEN WE'LL KEEP COMPANY," 323

XXXVI.--WHAT WILL BE THE END? 333

XXXVII.--TRUTH WITH FAITHFULNESS, 338

XXXVIII.--I AM THE DRESSMAKER, 347

XXXIX.--THRICE HAPPY BOY, 356

XL.--SWEET NELLY, 363

XLI.--BOXING-NIGHT, 371

XLII.--NOT JOSEPHUS, BUT ANOTHER, 378

XLIII.--O MY PROPHETIC SOUL! 387

XLIV.--A FOOL AND HIS MONEY, 397

XLV.--LADY DAVENANT'S DINNER-PARTY, 402

XLVI.--THE END OF THE CASE, 413

XLVII.--A PALACE OF DELIGHT, 418

XLVIII.--MY LADY SWEET, 425

XLIX.--"UPROUSE YE THEN, MY MERRY, MERRY MEN," 432

All Sorts and Conditions of Men