


Produced by David Widger





EVAN HARRINGTON

By George Meredith




CONTENTS:

  BOOK 1.
  I.        ABOVE BUTTONS
  II.       THE HERITAGE OR THE SOY
  III.      THE DAUGHTERS OR THE SHEARS
  IV.       ON BOARD THE JOCASTA
  V.        THE FAMILY AND THE FUNERAL
  VI.       MY GENTLEMAN ON THE ROAD
  VII.      MOTHER AND SON

  BOOK 2.
  VIII.     INTRODUCES AN ECCENTRIC
  IX.       THE COUNTESS IN LOW SOCIETY
  X.        MY GENTLEMAN ON THE ROAD AGAIN
  XI.       DOINGS AT AN INN
  XII.      IN WHICH ALE IS SHOWN TO HAVE ONE QUALITY OF WINE
  XIII.     THE MATCH OF FALLOWFIELD AGAINST BECKLEY

  BOOK 3.
  XIV.      THE COUNTESS DESCRIBES THE FIELD OF ACTION
  XV.       A CAPTURE
  XVI.      LEADS TO A SMALL SKIRMISH BETWEEN ROSE AND EVAN
  XVII.     IN WHICH EVAN WRITES HIMSELF TAILOR
  XVIII.    IN WHICH EVAN CALLS HIMSELF GENTLEMAN

  BOOK 4.
  XIX.      SECOND DESPATCH OF THE COUNTESS
  XX.       BREAK-NECK LEAP
  XXI.      TRIBULATIONS AND TACTICS OF THE COUNTESS
  XXII.     IN WHICH THE DAUGHTERS OF THE GREAT MEL HAVE TO
            DIGEST HIM AT DINNER
  XXIII.    TREATS OF A HANDKERCHIEF
  XXIV.     THE COUNTESS MAKES HERSELF FELT
  XXV.      IN WHICH THE STREAM FLOWS MUDDY AND CLEAR

  BOOK 5.
  XXVI.     MRS. MEL MAKES A BED FOR HERSELF AND FAMILY
  XXVII.    EXHIBITS ROSE'S GENERALSHIP; EVAN'S PERFORMANCE ON THE SECOND
            FIDDLE; AND THE WRETCHEDNESS OF THE COUNTESS
  XXVIII.   TOM COGGLESBY'S PROPOSITION
  XXIX.     PRELUDE TO AN ENGAGEMENT
  XXX.      THE BATTLE OF THE BULL-DOGS.  PART I.
  XXXI.     THE BATTLE OF THE BULL-DOGS.  PART II.

  BOOK 6.
  XXXII.    IN WHICH EVAN'S LIGHT BEGINS TO TWINKLE AGAIN
  XXXIII.   THE HERO TAKES HIS RANK IN THE ORCHESTRA
  XXXIV.    A PAGAN SACRIFICE
  XXXV.     ROSE WOUNDED
  XXXVI.    BEFORE BREAKFAST
  XXXVII.   THE RETREAT FROM BECKLEY
  XXXVIII.  IN WHICH WE HAVE TO SEE IN THE DARK

  BOOK 7.
  XXXIX.    IN THE DOMAIN OF TAILORDOM
  XL.       IN WHICH THE COUNTESS STILL SCENTS GAME
  XLI.      REVEALS AN ABOMINABLE PLOT OF THE BROTHERS COGGLESBY
  XLII.     JULIANA
  XLIII.    ROSE
  XLIV.     CONTAINS A WARNING TO ALL CONSPIRATORS
  XLV.      IN WHICH THE SHOP BECOMES THE CENTRE OF ATTRACTION
  XLVI.     A LOVER'S PARTING
  XLVII.    A YEAR LATER THE COUNTESS DE SALDAR DE SANCORVO TO HER
            SISTER CAROLINE





CHAPTER I. ABOVE BUTTONS

Long after the hours when tradesmen are in the habit of
commencing business, the shutters of a certain shop in the town of
Lymport-on-the-Sea remained significantly closed, and it became known
that death had taken Mr. Melchisedec Harrington, and struck one off the
list of living tailors. The demise of a respectable member of this class
does not ordinarily create a profound sensation. He dies, and his equals
debate who is to be his successor: while the rest of them who have come
in contact with him, very probably hear nothing of his great launch and
final adieu till the winding up of cash-accounts; on which occasions we
may augur that he is not often blessed by one or other of the two great
parties who subdivide this universe. In the case of Mr. Melchisedec it
was otherwise. This had been a grand man, despite his calling, and
in the teeth of opprobrious epithets against his craft. To be both
generally blamed, and generally liked, evinces a peculiar construction
of mortal. Mr. Melchisedec, whom people in private called the great Mel,
had been at once the sad dog