Our Admirable Betty A Romance   By: Jeffery Farnol (1878-1952)

A ROMANCE

BY

JEFFERY FARNOL

AUTHOR OF

"THE BROAD HIGHWAY" "THE MONEY MOON" "THE AMATEUR GENTLEMAN" "THE HON. MR. TAWNISH" "THE CHRONICLES OF THE IMP" "BELTANE THE SMITH" "THE DEFINITE OBJECT"

LONDON & EDINBURGH

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & CO. LTD.

By the Same author.

Crown 8vo.

THE BROAD HIGHWAY THE MONEY MOON THE AMATEUR GENTLEMAN

THE HONOURABLE MR. TAWNISH Fcap, 4to. Illustrated in Colour by C. E. BROCK.

THE CHRONICLES OF THE IMP BELTANE THE SMITH THE DEFINITE OBJECT

LONDON & EDINBURGH SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON AND COMPANY LIMITED

TO

MY MOTHER

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. CONCERNING THE MAJOR'S CHERRIES II. INTRODUCING THE RAVISHER OF THE SAME III. WHICH TELLS HOW THE MAJOR CLIMBED A WALL IV. CONCERNING THE BUTTONS OF THE RAMILLIE COAT V. HOW SERGEANT ZEBEDEE TRING BEGAN TO WONDER VI. WHICH DESCRIBES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A POACHER VII. WHICH RELATES HOW THE POACHER ESCAPED VIII. OF PANCRAS, VISCOUNT MERIVALE IX. WHICH IS A VERY BRIEF CHAPTER X. INTRODUCING DIVERS FINE GENTLEMEN XI. IN WHICH LADY BELINDA TALKS XII. THE VISCOUNT DISCOURSES ON SARTORIAL ART XIII. OF INDIGNATION, A WOOD, AND A GIPSY XIV. SOME DESCRIPTION OF A KISS XV. WHEREIN IS MUCH TALK BUT LITTLE ACTION XVI. HOW MR. DALROYD SAW A GHOST AND THE SERGEANT AN APPARITION XVII. HOW MY LADY BETTY WROTE A LETTER XVIII. HOW MAJOR D'ARCY RECOVERED HIS YOUTH XIX. HOW THE MAJOR LOST HIS YOUTH AGAIN XX. HOW THE MAJOR RAN AWAY XXI. OF CRIMINATIONS XXII. WHICH RELATES HOW SERGEANT ZEBEDEE TRING QUELLED SCANDAL WITH A PEWTER POT XXIII. DESCRIBES A TRIUMPH AND A DEFEAT XXIV. DEALS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WITH TREASONABLE MATTERS XXV. IN WHICH THE GHOST IS LAID XXVI. OF BACCHUS AND THE MUSES XXVII. HOW THE SERGEANT RECOUNTED AN OLD STORY XXVIII. THE MAJOR COMES TO A RESOLUTION XXIX. TELLS HOW LADY BETTY DID THE SAME XXX. CONCERNING CHARLES, EARL OF MEDHURST XXXI. WHICH DESCRIBES SOMETHING OF MY LADY BETTY'S GRATITUDE XXXII. FLINT AND STEEL XXXIII. DESCRIBING SOMETHING OF COQUETRY AND A DAWN XXXIV. HOW MR. DALROYD MADE A PLAN AND LOCKED HIS DOOR XXXV. HOW THE SERGEANT TOOK WARNING OF A WITCH XXXVI. HOW THEY RODE TO INCHBOURNE XXXVII. OF ROGUES AND PLOTS XXXVIII. HOW THE MAJOR MADE HIS WILL XXXIX. WHICH IS A QUADRUPLE CHAPTER XL. OF THE ONSET AT THE HAUNTED MILL XLI. CONCERNING HIGHWAYMEN AND THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE XLII. WHICH DESCRIBES A DUEL XLIII. HOW THEY DRANK A NEW TOAST XLIV. SOME ACCOUNT OF A HIGHWAYMAN XLV. CERTAIN ADVENTURES OF THE RAMILLIE COAT XLVI. FURTHER INTIMATE ADVENTURES OF THE RAMILLIE COAT XLVII. OF A FEMININE COUNCIL OF WAR XLVIII. OF THE INSUBORDINATION OF SERGEANT ZEBEDEE TRING XLIX. OF A JOURNEY BY NIGHT L. WHICH TELLS OF ANOTHER DAWN

OUR ADMIRABLE BETTY

CHAPTER I

CONCERNING THE MAJOR'S CHERRIES

"The Major, mam, the Major has a truly wonderful 'ead!" said Sergeant Zebedee Tring as he stood, hammer in hand, very neat and precise from broad shoe buckles to smart curled wig that offset his square, bronzed face.

"Head, Sergeant, head!" retorted pretty, dimpled Mrs. Agatha, nodding at the Sergeant's broad back.

"'Ead mam, yes!" said the Sergeant, busily nailing up a branch of the Major's favourite cherry tree. "The Major has a truly wonderful 'ead, regarding which I take liberty to ob serve as two sword cuts and a spent bullet have in nowise affected it, Mrs. Agatha, mam, which is a fact as I will maintain whenever and wherever occasion demands, as in dooty bound mam, dooty bound."

"Duty, Sergeant, duty!"