Chapter I: Front Matter

NOVELS BY HUGH WALPOLE

_STUDIES IN PLACE_
THE WOODEN HORSE
MARADICK AT FORTY
THE GODS AND MR. PERRIN

_TWO PROLOGUES_
THE PRELUDE TO ADVENTURE
FORTITUDE

_THE RISING CITY_
1. THE DUCHESS OF WREXE
2. THE GREEN MIRROR
(_In preparation_)

MARADICK
AT FORTY

_A Transition_
BY
HUGH WALPOLE
Author of the “Fortitude” “The Duchess of Wrexe” etc.

. . . . Bless us, all the while
How sprucely we are dressed out, you and I!
A second, and the angels alter that.
_How it strikes a contemporary._

NEW YORK
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY

TO THE
MARQUIS D’ALCEDO

CONTENTS
PART I
THE ROOM OF THE MINSTRELS

I The Place 11

II In Which Our Hero and the Place Meet
Once Again 13

III In Which the Admonitus Locorum Begins to
Have Fun with Two Entirely Respectable
Members of Society 28

IV In Which the Aforesaid Admonitus Leads
the Aforesaid Members of Society a Dance 53

V Maradick Makes a Promise and Meets an
Itinerant Optimist 79

VI Supper with Janet Morelli 103

VII Maradick Learns that “Getting a View”
May Have Its Dangers as Well as Its
Rewards 125

VIII They All Eat Chicken in the Gorse and Fly
Before the Storm 136

PART II
PUNCH

IX Morelli Breaks Some Crockery and Plays a
Little Music 167

X In Which Everyone Feels the After Effect
of the Picnic 196

XI Of Love—and Therefore to be Skipped by All
Those Who are Tired of the Subject 216

XII Our Middle-aged Hero is Burdened by Responsibility
but Boldly Undertakes the Adventure 230

XIII More of the Itinerant Optimist; Alice du
Cane Asks Maradick a Favour 256

XIV Maradick in a New Rôle—He Afterwards
Sees Tony’s Face in a Mirror 279

XV Why It Is to be the Twenty-seventh, and
what the Connexion was Between Janet’s
Being Frightened and Toby’s Joining
the Great Majority 297

PART III
THE TOWER

XVI Mrs. Lester, Too, Would Like It to be the
Twenty-seventh, but Maradick Is Afraid
of the Devil 325

XVII Morning and Afternoon of the Twenty-
seventh—Tony, Maradick, Janet, and Miss
Minns Have a Ride After the Wedding 343

XVIII Afternoon and Evening of the Twenty-
seventh—Maradick Goes to Church and
Afterwards Pays a Visit to Morelli 368

XIX Night of the Twenty-seventh—Maradick and
Mrs. Lester 387

XX Maradick Tells the Family, Has Breakfast
with His Wife, and Says Good-bye to Some
Friends 402

XXI Six Letters 421

XXII The Place 427