Chapter I: Front Matter

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected.

—Bold text has been rendered as =bold text=.

THE TALK OF THE TOWN

VOL. I.

THE TALK OF THE TOWN

BY

JAMES PAYN

AUTHOR OF ‘BY PROXY’ ETC. ETC.

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. I.

_SECOND EDITION_

LONDON

SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE

1885

[_All rights reserved_]

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

CHAP. PAGE

I. AUNT MARGARET 1

II. OUT IN THE COLD 11

III. A RECITATION 28

IV. A REAL ENTHUSIAST 47

V. THE OLD SETTLE 66

VI. AN AUDACIOUS CRITICISM 87

VII. A COLLECTOR’S GRATITUDE 101

VIII. HOW TO GET RID OF A COMPANY 120

IX. AN UNWELCOME VISITOR 144

X. TWO POETS 158

XI. THE LOVE-LOCK 171

XII. A DELICATE TASK 183

XIII. THE PROFESSION OF FAITH 196

XIV. THE EXAMINERS 218

XV. AT VAUXHALL 230

XVI. A BOMBSHELL 246

XVII. THE MARE’S NEST 259

XVIII. ‘WHATEVER HAPPENS, I SHALL LOVE YOU, WILLIE’ 271

_ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. 1._

MISS MARGARET LIFTED HER EYES FROM HER
PLATE WITH A SMILE OF WELCOME _Frontispiece_

‘SCIENCE!’ INTERRUPTED THE ANTIQUARY,
VEHEMENTLY, ‘THAT IS THE ARGUMENT
OF THE ATHEIST AGAINST THE SCRIPTURES.’ _to face p._ 98

THE DILETTANTI ” 134

‘MAGGIE, MAGGIE, HERE IS A PRESENT FOR
YOU.’ ” 174

THE PROFESSION OF FAITH ” 206

VAUXHALL GARDENS ” 236

A VERY CHEERLESS PROCEEDING ” 262

THE TALK OF THE TOWN.