The Sign of the Spider By: Bertram Mitford (1855-1914)
First Page: THE SIGN OF THE SPIDER BY BERTRAM MITFORD AUTHOR OF "A VELDT OFFICIAL," "'TWIXT SNOW AND FIRE" DODD MEAD AND COMPANY 1897 COPYRIGHT, 1896, BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY. [Illustration: "DON'T FIRE THIS WAY ... KEEP THE FOOLS IN HAND."] CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. "SWEET HOME," 1 II. ADAM'S FIRST WIFE, 11 III. "BEWARE SUCH UNHOLY SPELLS," 26 IV. THE LAND OF PROMISE, 41 V. KING SCRIP, 54 VI. "PIRATE" HAZON, 67 VII. "THE WHOLE SOUL PRISONER ..." 82 VIII. DARK DAYS, 94 IX. HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL, 106 X. PREPARATION, 120 XI. "AT THE TWELFTH HOUR," 130 XII. "THE DARK PLACES OF THE EARTH," 145 XIII. THE MAN HUNTER, 155 XIV. A DREAM, 163 XV. AN AWAKENING, 174 XVI. AN ANGEL UNAWARES, 184 XVII. DISSENSIONS, 195 XVIII. TWO PERILS, 205 XIX. THE SIGN, 215 XX. TO WHAT END! 223 XXI. "THE STRONG WIND THAT BURNS FROM THE NORTH," 235 XXII. THE SHADOW OF THE MYSTERY, 246 XXIII. LINDELA, 257 XXIV. AS FROM THE DEAD, 268 XXV. HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND, 279 XXVI. THE PLACE OF THE HORROR, 290 XXVII. THE HORROR, 301 XXVIII. "ONLY A SAVAGE!" 313 XXIX. "A DEEP A SOLITARY GRAVE," 324 XXX. "GOOD BYE, MY IDEAL!" 334 XXXI. CONCLUSION, 348 THE SIGN OF THE SPIDER. CHAPTER I. "SWEET HOME!" She was talking at him. This was a thing she frequently did, and she had two ways of doing it. One was to talk at him through a third party when they two were not alone together; the other to convey moralizings and innuendo for his edification when they were as in the present case. Just now she was extolling the superabundant virtues of somebody else's husband, with a tone and meaning which were intended to convey to Laurence Stanninghame that she wished to Heaven one twentieth part of them was vested in hers. He was accustomed to being thus talked at. He ought to be, seeing he had known about thirteen years of it, on and off. But he did not like it any the better from force of habit. We doubt if anybody ever does. However, he had long ceased to take any notice, in the way of retort, no matter how acrid the tone, how biting the innuendo. Now, pushing back his chair from the breakfast table, he got up, and, turning to the mantelpiece, proceeded to fill a pipe. His spouse, exasperated by his silence, continued to talk at his back. The sickly rays of the autumn sun struggled feebly through the murk of the suburban atmosphere, creeping half ashamedly over the well worn carpet, then up to the dingy wall paper, whose dinginess had this redeeming point, that it toned down what otherwise would have been staring, crude, hideous. The furniture was battered and worn, and there was an atmosphere of dustiness, thick laid, grimy, which seemed inseparable from the place... Continue reading book >>

The Sign of the Spider By: Bertram Mitford (1855-1914)

First Page:

THE SIGN OF THE SPIDER

BERTRAM MITFORD

AUTHOR OF "A VELDT OFFICIAL," "'TWIXT SNOW AND FIRE"

DODD MEAD AND COMPANY 1897

DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY.

[Illustration: "DON'T FIRE THIS WAY ... KEEP THE FOOLS IN HAND."]

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. "SWEET HOME," 1

II. ADAM'S FIRST WIFE, 11

III. "BEWARE SUCH UNHOLY SPELLS," 26

IV. THE LAND OF PROMISE, 41

V. KING SCRIP, 54

VI. "PIRATE" HAZON, 67

VII. "THE WHOLE SOUL PRISONER ..." 82

VIII. DARK DAYS, 94

IX. HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL, 106

X. PREPARATION, 120

XI. "AT THE TWELFTH HOUR," 130

XII. "THE DARK PLACES OF THE EARTH," 145

XIII. THE MAN HUNTER, 155

XIV. A DREAM, 163

XV. AN AWAKENING, 174

XVI. AN ANGEL UNAWARES, 184

XVII. DISSENSIONS, 195

XVIII. TWO PERILS, 205

XIX. THE SIGN, 215

XX. TO WHAT END! 223

XXI. "THE STRONG WIND THAT BURNS FROM THE NORTH," 235

XXII. THE SHADOW OF THE MYSTERY, 246

XXIII. LINDELA, 257

XXIV. AS FROM THE DEAD, 268

XXV. HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND, 279

XXVI. THE PLACE OF THE HORROR, 290

XXVII. THE HORROR, 301

XXVIII. "ONLY A SAVAGE!" 313

XXIX. "A DEEP A SOLITARY GRAVE," 324

XXX. "GOOD BYE, MY IDEAL!" 334

XXXI. CONCLUSION, 348

THE SIGN OF THE SPIDER.

CHAPTER I.

"SWEET HOME!"

She was talking at him.

This was a thing she frequently did, and she had two ways of doing it. One was to talk at him through a third party when they two were not alone together; the other to convey moralizings and innuendo for his edification when they were as in the present case.

Just now she was extolling the superabundant virtues of somebody else's husband, with a tone and meaning which were intended to convey to Laurence Stanninghame that she wished to Heaven one twentieth part of them was vested in hers.

He was accustomed to being thus talked at. He ought to be, seeing he had known about thirteen years of it, on and off. But he did not like it any the better from force of habit. We doubt if anybody ever does. However, he had long ceased to take any notice, in the way of retort, no matter how acrid the tone, how biting the innuendo. Now, pushing back his chair from the breakfast table, he got up, and, turning to the mantelpiece, proceeded to fill a pipe. His spouse, exasperated by his silence, continued to talk at his back.

The sickly rays of the autumn sun struggled feebly through the murk of the suburban atmosphere, creeping half ashamedly over the well worn carpet, then up to the dingy wall paper, whose dinginess had this redeeming point, that it toned down what otherwise would have been staring, crude, hideous. The furniture was battered and worn, and there was an atmosphere of dustiness, thick laid, grimy, which seemed inseparable from the place... Continue reading book >>

Genres for this book
Adventure
Fiction
History
Literature

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