Chapter I: Front Matter

GREAT POSSESSIONS

by

MRS. WILFRID WARD

Author of "One Poor Scruple," "Out of Due Time," etc.

G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London The Knickerbocker Press 1909 Copyright, 1909 by G. P. Putnam's Sons The Knickerbocker Press, New York

CONTENTS

BOOK I

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE AMAZING WILL 1

II. IN THE EVENING 13

III. "AS YOU HOPE TO BE FORGIVEN" 21

IV. THE WICKED WOMAN IN FLORENCE 32

V. "YOUR MOTHER'S DAUGHTER" 42

VI. MOLLY COMES OF AGE 55

VII. EDMUND GROSSE CONTINUES TO INTERFERE 68

VIII. AT GROOMBRIDGE CASTLE 78

IX. A LITTLE MORE THAN KIND 91

X. THE PET VICE 98

XI. THE THIN END OF A CLUE 109

XII. MOLLY'S NIGHT-WATCH 120

XIII. SIR DAVID'S MEMORY 126

BOOK II

XIV. MOLLY IN THE SEASON 136

XV. A POOR MAN'S DEATH 151

XVI. MOLLY'S LETTER TO HER MOTHER 165

XVII. THE BLIND CANON 173

XVIII. MADAME DANTERRE'S ANSWER 180

XIX. LADY ROSE'S SCRUPLE 187

XX. THE HEIRESS OF MADAME DANTERRE 194

BOOK III

XXI. AN INTERLUDE OF HAPPINESS 213

XXII. SOMETHING LIKE EVIDENCE 220

XXIII. THE USES OF DELIRIUM 231

XXIV. MRS. DELAPORT GREEN IN THE ASCENDANT 238

XXV. MOLLY AT COURT 243

XXVI. EDMUND IS NO LONGER BORED 249

XXVII. MOLLY'S APPEAL 256

XXVIII. DINNER AT TWO SHILLINGS 266

XXIX. THE RELIEF OF SPEECH 272

XXX. THE BIRTH OF A SLANDER 280

XXXI. THE NURSING OF A SLANDER 285

BOOK IV

XXXII. ROSE SUMMONED TO LONDON 294

XXXIII. BROWN HOLLAND COVERS 304

XXXIV. THE WRATH OF A FRIEND 312

XXXV. THE CONDEMNATION OF MARK 322

XXXVI. MENE THEKEL PHARES 330

XXXVII. MARK ENTERS INTO TEMPTATION 339

XXXVIII. NO SHADOW OF A CLOUD 350

XXXIX. "WITHOUT CONDITION OR COMPROMISE" 357

GREAT POSSESSIONS