Chapter I: Front Matter

THE HEART OF A WOMAN

BY BARONESS ORCZY

AUTHOR OF "THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL," "PETTICOAT RULE," ETC.

HODDER & STOUGHTON NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY

Copyright, 1911, By George H. Doran Company

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I.--WHICH TELLS OF A VERY COMMONPLACE INCIDENT 3 II.--ONCE MORE THE OBVIOUS 14 III.--AND NOW ALMOST LIKE A DREAM 17 IV.--NOTHING REALLY TANGIBLE 32 V.--JUST AN OBVIOUS DUTY 39 VI.--JUST A DISAGREEABLE OLD MAN 46 VII.--THE PART PLAYED BY A FIVE-POUND NOTE 50 VIII.--AND THUS THE SHADOW DESCENDED 59 IX.--WHICH TELLS OF THE INEVITABLE RESULT 65 X.--LIFE MUST GO ON JUST THE SAME 72 XI.--AND THERE ARE SOCIAL DUTIES TO PERFORM 84 XII.--SHALL A MAN ESCAPE HIS FATE? 92 XIII.--THEY HAVE NO HEART 95 XIV.--THE TALE HAD TO BE TOLD 105 XV.--AND MANY MUST BE QUESTIONED 112 XVI.--AND THE PUPPETS DANCED 120 XVII.--AND WHAT OF THE SECRET? 125 XVIII.--IT WOULD NOT DO, YOU KNOW 132 XIX.--NOT ALL ABOUT IT 138 XX.--AND THAT'S THE TRUTH 149 XXI.--HAVE ANOTHER CIGAR 156 XXII.--THEN THE MIRACLE WAS WROUGHT 167 XXIII.--WHY ALL THIS MYSTERY? 179 XXIV.--A HERD OF CACKLING GEESE 183 XXV.--THE FOG WAS DENSE, I COULDN'T RIGHTLY SEE 191 XXVI.--THE NEXT WITNESS, PLEASE 199 XXVII.--AND PEOPLE WENT OUT TO LUNCHEON 205 XXVII.--WHICH TELLS OF AN UNEXPECTED TURN OF EVENTS 216 XXIX.--THE WORLD IS SO LARGE 223 XXX.--AND THEN EVERY ONE WENT HOME 233 XXXI.--AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT CARE 237 XXXII.--A MAN MUST ACT AS HE THINKS BEST 244 XXXIII.--IF YOU WOULD ONLY LET YOURSELF GO 249 XXXIV.--WHICH SPEAKS ONLY OF FAREWELLS 261 XXXV.--WHICH TELLS OF PICTURES IN THE FIRE 268 XXXVI.--PEOPLE DON'T DO THAT SORT OF THING 274 XXXVII.--IT IS ONE HUMAN LIFE AGAINST THE OTHER 287 XXXVIII.--THE HAND OF DEATH WAS ON HIM TOO 292 XXXIX.--A MERE WOMAN FIGHTING FOR THE THING SHE LOVED 300 XL.--AND THUS HER HOUR HAD COME 310 XLI.--WHICH TELLS OF THE CONTENTS OF THE NOTE BOOK 313 XLII.--WHICH TELLS ONCE MORE OF COMMONPLACE INCIDENTS 319

THE HEART OF A WOMAN

BARONESS ORCZY