Chapter I: Front Matter

THE

TALLANTS OF BARTON.

A Tale of Fortune and Finance.

BY

JOSEPH HATTON,

Author of “Bitter Sweets: a Love Story;” “Against the Stream,”
etc., etc.

“The wheel of Fortune turns incessantly round, and who can say within
himself I shall to-day be uppermost?”--_Confucius._

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

LONDON:

TINSLEY BROTHERS, 18, CATHERINE ST., STRAND.

1867.

[_The Right of Translation is reserved._]

LONDON:

BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I.--WEDDING BELLS 1

II.--“YET OFT O’ER CREDULOUS YOUTH SUCH SIRENS
TRIUMPH, AND LEAD THEIR CAPTIVE SENSE
IN CHAINS AS STRONG AS ADAMANT.” 17

III.--COMING HOME 35

IV.--TRAVELLERS BY LAND AND SEA 49

V.--LORD AND LADY VERNER 60

VI.--IN WHICH DAME FORTUNE PLAYS OFF HER GRIM
JOKE UPON LIONEL HAMMERTON 74

VII.--CONTAINS A LETTER FROM A DEAR FRIEND, AND
TAKES THE READER ONCE MORE TO SEVERNTOWN 88

VIII.--PORTENDS A DEED OF VENGEANCE 101

IX.--GLANCES AT WILLIAMSON’S STORY, AND TERMINATES
PAUL SOMERTON’S ADVENTURE 112

X.--“FROM GRAVE TO GAY” 119

XI.--EXPLANATIONS THAT CAME TOO LATE 128

XII.--“WHAT THE MOON SAW” 144

XIII.--IN WHICH THE SEVERNSHIRE CORONER HOLDS
AN INQUEST 157

XIV.--THE CHIEF OF THE BRAZENCROOK POLICE MAKES
A BOLD STROKE FOR THE GOVERNMENT REWARD 175

XV.--CONTAINS A CURIOUS ILLUSTRATION OF DETECTIVE
PHILOSOPHY, AND IS AN IMPORTANT
LINK IN THIS HISTORY 184

XVI.--“BAL. TO R. T., £300” 198

XVII.--IN THE FIRELIGHT 209

XVIII.--THE BEGINNING OF THE END 221

XIX.--IN WHICH SEVERAL PERSONS QUIT THE STAGE
FOR EVER 245

XX.--CLOSING SCENES 262