



Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed
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SINISTER STREET

BY

COMPTON MACKENZIE

AUTHOR OF "CARNIVAL," "YOUTH'S ENCOUNTER," ETC.

NEW YORK

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

1919

COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY




CONTENTS

BOOK ONE

DREAMING SPIRES

CHAPTER                           PAGE

I. THE FIRST DAY 3

II. THE FIRST WEEK                  32

III. THE FIRST TERM                 47

IV. CHEYNE WALK                     63

V. YOUTH'S DOMINATION               84

VI. GRAY AND BLUE                  110

VII. VENNER'S                      143

VIII. THE OXFORD LOOKING-GLASS     165

IX. THE LESSON OF SPAIN            183

X. STELLA IN OXFORD                209

XI. SYMPATHY                       225

XII. 202 HIGH                      245

XIII. PLASHERS MEAD                269

XIV. 99 ST. GILES                  288

XV. THE LAST TERM                  308

XVI. THE LAST WEEK                 319

XVII. THE LAST DAY                 333


BOOK TWO

ROMANTIC EDUCATION

CHAPTER                           PAGE

I. OSTIA DITIS                     349

II. NEPTUNE CRESCENT               371

III. THE CAFE D'ORANGE             401

IV. LEPPARD STREET                 427

V. THE INNERMOST CIRCLE            481

VI. TINDERBOX LANE                 496

VII. THE GATE OF IVORY             552

VIII. SEEDS OF POMEGRANATE         583

IX. THE GATE OF HORN               602

X. THE OLD WORLD                   652

EPILOGICAL LETTER TO
JOHN NICOLAS MAVROGORADATO         655




BOOK ONE

DREAMING SPIRES

    Bright memories of young poetic pleasure
      In free companionship, the loving stress
    Of all life-beauty, lull'd in studious leisure,
      When every Muse was jocund with excess
      Of fine delight and tremulous happiness;
    The breath of an indolent unbridled June,
    When delicate thought fell from the dreamy moon:
      But now strange care, sorrow, and grief oppress.

      ROBERT BRIDGES.




CHAPTER I

THE FIRST DAY


Michael felt glad to think he would start the adventure of Oxford from
Paddington. The simplicity of that railway station might faintly
mitigate alarms which no amount of previous deliberation could entirely
disperse. He remembered how once he had lightly seen off a Cambridge
friend from Liverpool Street and, looking back at the suburban tumult of
the Great Eastern Railway, he was grateful for the simplicity of
Paddington.

Michael had been careful that all his heavy luggage should be sent in
advance; and he had shown himself gravely exacting toward Alan in this
matter of luggage, writing several times to remind him of his promise
not to appear on the platform with more than a portmanteau of moderate
size and a normal kit-bag. Michael hoped this precaution would prevent
at any rate the porters from commenting upon the freshness of him and
his friend.

"Oxford train?" inquired a porter, as the hansom pulled up. Michael
nodded, and made up his mind to show his esteem when he tipped this
promethean.

"Third class?" the porter went on. Michael mentally doubled the tip, for
he had neglected to assure himself beforehand about the etiquette of
class, and nothing could have suited so well his self-consciousness as
this information casually yielded.

"Let me see, you didn't have any golf-clubs, did you, sir?" asked the
porter.

Michael shook his head regretfully, for as he looked hurriedly up and
down the platform in search of Alan, he perceived golf-clubs everywhere,
and when at last he saw him, actually even he had a golf-bag slung over
his shoulder.

"I never knew you played golf," said Michael indignantly.

"I don't. These are the governor's. He's given up playing," Alan
explained.

"Are you going to play?" Michael pursued. He was feeling rather envious
of the appearance of these veteran implements.

"I may have a shot," Alan admitted.

"You might have told me you were going to bring them," Michael grumbled.

"My dear old ass, I never knew I was,