Chapter I: Front Matter

Swords Reluctant

Published in London under the title of
"War and the Woman"

By
Max Pemberton
Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

"Peace hath her victories
No less renowned than war."
MILTON: _Sonnets_.

"I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to see my shadow in the sun."
SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._

G. W. Dillingham Company
Publishers New York

ENTERED FOR COPYRIGHT MAY 29TH, 1912
UNDER THE TITLE OF
WAR AND THE WOMAN

COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY
G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY
UNDER THE TITLE OF
SWORDS RELUCTANT

_Swords Reluctant_

TO
ANDREW CARNEGIE
NON EXERCITUS
NEQUE THESAURI PRÆSIDIA REGNI SUNT,
VERUM AMICI

_The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and
to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book
and to its purpose. While the characters in it are entirely
fictitious, the scheme for the Federation of Europe is wholly
due to Sir Max Waechter's initiative. This scheme has obtained
favour at the Courts of the Continent and is warmly approved by
many in this country, who realise how inseparably the Peace
question is allied to that of the national finance._

CONTENTS

Book I.--The Challenge

CHAPTER PAGE

1. GABRIELLE SILVESTER WRITES A LETTER 11

2. A MAN OF DESTINY 20

3. BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH 30

4. THE BEGINNING OF THE ODYSSEY 45

5. GENERAL D'ARNY AND HIS DAUGHTER 67

Book II.--The Players

1. A RACE FOR AN EMPEROR 81

2. LOUIS DE PALEOLOGUE 91

3. THE DAMNABLE MOUNTAINS 101

4. THE BURNING OF RANOVICA 114

5. A STRANGE VOYAGE 133

6. GOODWILL TOWARD MEN 156

Book III.--Aftermath

1. THE MEMORABLE WINTER 173

2. OF LOVE BUT NOT OF MARRIAGE 193

3. AFTER TEN DAYS 203

4. CINDERELLA 219

5. THE MAN OF THE MOMENT 234

Book IV.--Merely Men and Women

1. AFTER THE DEBACLE 247

2. THE SHADOW IS LIFTED 263

3. THE MARIGOLDS TO THE SUN 272

4. SURRENDER AND AFTERWARDS 284

5. TWO SHIPS UPON THE SEA 306