Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Note
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ASPHODEL

A Novel

BY THE AUTHOR OF

“LADY AUDLEY’S SECRET,” “ISHMAEL,”

ETC. ETC.

Stereotyped Edition

LONDON:

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

STATIONERS’ HALL COURT

1890.

[_All rights reserved_]

MISS BRADDON’S NOVELS.

NOW READY AT ALL BOOKSELLERS’ AND BOOKSTALLS, PRICE 2_s._ 6_d._ EACH, CLOTH GILT.

THE AUTHOR’S AUTOGRAPH EDITION OF MISS BRADDON’S NOVELS.

“No one can be dull who has a novel by Miss Braddon in hand. The most tiresome journey is beguiled, and the most wearisome illness is brightened, by any one of her books.”

“Miss Braddon is the Queen of the circulating libraries.”

_The World._

LONDON:
SIMPKIN & CO., LIMITED,
STATIONERS’ HALL COURT.
_And at all Railway Bookstalls, Booksellers’, and Libraries._

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. ‘AND SHE WAS FAIR AS IS THE ROSE IN MAY’ 5

II. ‘AND THIS WAS GLADLY IN THE EVENTIDE’ 15

III. ‘AND VOLATILE, AS AY WAS HIS USAGE’ 25

IV. ‘CURTEIS SHE WAS, DISCRETE, AND DEBONAIRE’ 41

V. ‘THOU LOVEST ME, THAT WOT I WEL CERTAIN’ 52

VI. ‘LOVE MAKETH ALL TO GONE MISWAY’ 64

VII. ‘HIS HERTE BATHED IN A BATH OF BLISSE’ 78

VIII. ‘GOD WOTE THAT WORLDLY JOY IS SONE AGO’ 89

IX. ‘OF COLOUR PALE AND DEAD WAS SHE’ 101

X. ‘AND SPENDING SILVER HAD HE RIGHT YNOW’ 111

XI. ‘YEVE ME MY DETH, OR THAT I HAVE A SHAME’ 123

XII. ‘AND TO THE DINNER FASTE THEY HEM SPEDDE’ 133

XIII. ‘AFTER MY MIGHT FUL FAYNE WOLD I YOU PLESE’ 144

XIV. ‘LOVE IS A THING, AS ANY SPIRIT, FREE’ 154

XV. ‘NOT FOR YOUR LINAGE, NE FOR YOUR RICHESSE’ 165

XVI. ‘NO MAN MAY ALWAY HAVE PROSPERITEE’ 174

XVII. ‘AND IN MY HERTE WONDREN I BEGAN’ 184

XVIII. ‘LOVE WOL NOT BE CONSTREINED BY MAISTRIE’ 194

XIX. ‘I DEME THAT HIRE HERTE WAS FUL OF WO’ 205

XX. ‘AL SODENLY SHE SWAPT ADOWN TO GROUND’ 216

XXI. ‘FOR WELE OR WO, FOR CAROLE, OR FOR DAUNCE’ 227

XXII. ‘FOR I WOL GLADLY YELDEN HIRE MY PLACE’ 239

XXIII. ‘AND COME AGEN, BE IT BY DAY OR NIGHT’ 250

XXIV. ‘AY FLETH THE TIME, IT WOL NO MAN ABIDE’ 260

XXV. ‘BUT I WOT BEST WHER WRINGETH ME MY SHO’ 271

XXVI. ‘FORBID A LOVE AND IT IS TEN TIMES SO WODE’ 285

XXVII. ‘I MAY NOT DON AS EVERY PLOUGHMAN MAY’ 295

XXVIII. ‘LOVE IS NOT OLD, AS WHAN THAT IT IS NEW’ 305

XXIX. ‘I MEANE WELL, BY GOD THAT SIT ABOVE’ 319

XXX. ‘THER WAS NO WIGHT, TO WHOM SHE DURSTE PLAIN’ 330

XXXI. ‘I WOLDE LIVE IN PEES, IF THAT I MIGHT’ 342

XXXII. ‘FOR LOVE AND NOT FOR HATE THOU MUST BE DED’ 349

XXXIII. ‘IS THERE NO GRACE? IS THERE NO REMEDIE?’ 358

XXXIV. ‘SENS LOVE HATH BROUGHT US TO THIS PITEOUS END’ 373

ASPHODEL