Captain Desmond, V.C.

  CAPTAIN DESMOND, V.C.

  by

  MAUD DIVER

  Author of 'The Great Amulet,' 'Candles in the Wind,' Etc.

  "One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward, Never doubted clouds would break; Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph; Held, we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better, Sleep--to wake." --ROBERT BROWNING.

  Revised Edition, in Large Part Rewritten

  William Blackwood and SonsEdinburgh and LondonMCMXVII

  All Rights reserved

  _THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO_ _MY SON CYRIL,_ _AND TO_ _Mrs ALAN BATTEN_ _IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ALL THAT IT OWES_ _TO HER GENEROUS HELP AND INTEREST._ _M. D._

  AUTHOR'S NOTE.

  In revising and partially rewriting my novel, 'Captain Desmond, V.C.,' Ihave been glad to make good the opportunity afforded me of bringing theAftermath nearer to my original conception than it was in its first form.The three short chapters now substituted for the one final scene aretherefore, in essence, no innovation. They represent more or less what Iconceived at the time, but suppressed through fear of making my book toolong; and thereby risked upsetting the balance of sympathy, which I hopethe fresh chapters may tend to restore.

  M. D.

  CONTENTS.

  BOOK I.

  CHAP. PAGE

  I. JUDGE FOR YOURSELF 3

  II. I WANT TO BE FIRST 13

  III. THE BIG CHAPS 21

  IV. ESPECIALLY WOMEN 30

  V. AN EXPURGATED EDITION 39

  VI. GENIUS OF CHARACTER 46

  VII. BRIGHT EYES OF DANGER 55

  VIII. STICK TO THE FRONTIER 66

  IX. WE'LL JUST FORGET 80

  X. A SQUARE BARGAIN 94

  XI. YOU DON'T KNOW DESMOND 108

  XII. NOW IT'S DIFFERENT 119

  XIII. IT ISN'T FAIR 129

  XIV. I SIMPLY INSIST 140

  XV. GOOD ENOUGH, ISN'T IT? 151

  XVI. SIGNED AND SEALED 156

  BOOK II.

  XVII. YOU WANT TO GO! 167

  XVIII. LOVE THAT IS LIFE! 177

  XIX. IT'S NOT MAJOR WYNDHAM 182

  XX. THE DEVIL'S PECULIARITY? 196

  XXI. I AM YOURS 207

  XXII. THE CHEAPER MAN 213

  XXIII. YOU GO ALONE 228

  XXIV. I WANT LADYBIRD 234

  XXV. THE MOONLIGHT SONATA 242

  XXVI. STAND TO YOUR GUNS 249

  XXVII. THE EXECRABLE UNKNOWN 259

  XXVIII. YOU SHALL NOT--! 265

  XXIX. THE UTTERMOST FARTHING 274

  XXX. SHE SHALL UNDERSTAND 285

  XXXI. THE LOSS OF ALL 298

  XXXII. EVEN TO THE UTMOST 303

  XXXIII. THE ONE BIG THING 313

  XXXIV. C'ETAIT MA VIE 319

  AFTERMATH 323

  BOOK I.

  "If we impinge, never so lightly, on the life of a fellow-mortal, the touch of our personality, like the ripple of a stone cast into a pond, widens and widens, in unending circles, through the aeons, till the far-off gods themselves cannot tell where action ceases."--KIPLING.

  Captain Desmond, V.C.