Peregrine's Progress

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Peregrine's Progress, by Jeffery Farnol #4 in our series by Jeffery Farnol Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the header without written permission. Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. **Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** **eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** *****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** Title: Peregrine's Progress Author: Jeffery Farnol Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7059] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on March 3, 2003] Edition: 10 Language: English *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PEREGRINE'S PROGRESS *** This eBook was produced by Yvonne Dailey, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamPEREGRINE'S PROGRESS BY JEFFERY FARNOL He who hath Imagination is blessed or cursed with a fearful magic whereby he may scale the heights of Heaven or plumb the deeps of Hell CONTENTS ANTE SCRIPTUM BOOK I—THE SILENT PLACES I Introducing Myself II Tells How and Why I Set Forth Upon the Quest in Question III Wherein the Reader Shall Find Some Description of an Extraordinary Tinker IV In Which I Meet a Down-at-Heels Gentleman V Further Concerning the Aforesaid Gentleman, One Anthony VI Describes Certain Lively Happenings at the "Jolly Waggoner" Inn VII White Magic VIII I Am Left Forlorn IX Describes the Woes of Galloping Jerry, a Notorious Highwayman X The Philosophy of the Same XI Which Proves Beyond All Argument That Clothes Make the Man XII The Price of a Goddess XIII Which Tells Somewhat of My Deplorable Situation XIV In Which I Satisfy Myself of My Cowardice XV Proving That a Goddess Is Wholly Feminine XVI In Which I Begin to Appreciate the Virtues of the Chaste Goddess XVII How We Set Out for Tonbridge XVIII Concerning the Grammar of a Goddess XIX How and Why I Fought with One Gabbing Dick, a Peddler XX Of the Tongue of a Woman and the Feet of a Goddess XXI In Which I Learned That I Am Less of a Coward Than I Had Supposed XXII Describing the Hospitality of One Jerry Jarvis, a TinkerXXIII Discusses the Virtues of the Onion XXIV How I Met One Jessamy Todd, a Snatcher of Souls XXV Tells of My Adventures at the Fair XXVI The Ethics of Prigging XXVII Juno Versus Diana XXVIII Exemplifying That Clothes Do Make the Man XXIX Tells of an Ominous Meeting XXX Of a Truly Memorable Occasion XXXI A Vereker's Advice to a Vereker XXXII How I Made a Surprising Discovery, Which, However, May Not Surprise the Reader in the Least XXXIII Of Two Incomparable Things. The Voice of Diana and Jessamy's "Right" XXXIV The Noble Art of Organ-Playing XXXV Of a Shadow in the Sun XXXVI Tells How I Met Anthony Again XXXVII A Disquisition on True Love XXXVIII A Crucifixion XXXIX How I Came Home Again TO THE READER BOOK II—SHADOW I The Incidents of an Early Morning Walk II Introducing Jasper Shrig, a Bow Street Runner III Concerning a Black Postchaise IV Of a Scarabaeus Ring and a Gossamer Veil V Storm and Tempest VI I Am Haunted of Evil Dreams VII Concerning the Song of a Blackbird at Evening VIII The Deeps of Hell IX Concerning the Opening of a Door X Tells How a Mystery Was Resolved XI Which Shows That My Uncle Jervas Was Right, After All XII Tells How I Went Upon an Expedition with Mr. Shrig TO MY PATIENT AND KINDLY READER BOOK III—DAWN I Concerning One Tom Martin, an OstlerII I Go to Find Diana III Tells How I Found Diana and Sooner Than I Deserved IV I Wait for a Confession V In Which We Meet Old Friends VI Which, as the Patient Reader Sees, Is the Last ANTE SCRIPTUM This is the tale of Diana, the Gipsy, the Goddess, the Woman, one in all and all in one and that one so wonderful, so elusive, so utterly feminine that I, being but a man and no great student in the Sex, may, in striving to set her before you in cold words, distort this dear image out of all semblance and true proportion. Here and now I would begin this book by telling of Diana as I remember her, a young dryad vivid with life, treading the leafy ways, grey eyes a-dream, kissed by sun and wind, filling the woodland with the glory of her singing, out-carolling the birds. I would fain show her to you in her swift angers and ineffable tenderness, in her lofty pride and sweet humility, passionate with life yet boldly virginal, fronting evil scornful and undismayed, with eyes glittering bright as her "little churi" yet yielding herself a willing sacrifice and meekly enduring for Friendship's sake. With her should this book properly commence; but because I doubt my pen (more especially at this so early stage) I will begin not with Diana but with my aunt Julia, my uncle Jervas, my uncle George and my painfully conscious self, trusting that, as this narrative progresses, my halting pen may grow more assured and my lack of art be atoned for by sincerity. For if any writer or historian were sincere then most truly that am I. Therefore I set forth upon this relation humbly aware of my failings, yet trusting those who read will not fall asleep over my first ineffectual chapter nor throw the book aside after my second, but with kind and tolerant patience will bear with me and read bravely on until, being more at my ease, I venture to tell of Diana's wonderful self. And when they shall come to the final chapter of this history (if they ever do) may they be merciful in their judgment of their humble author, that is to say this same poor, ineffectual, unheroical person who now subscribes himself PEREGRINE VEREKER.Book One THE SILENT PLACESCHAPTER I INTRODUCING MYSELF "Nineteen to-day, is he!" said my uncle Jervas, viewing me languidly through his quizzing-glass. "How confoundedly the years flit! Nineteen—and on me soul, our poor youth looks as if he hadn't a single gentlemanly vice to bless himself with!" "Not one, Jervas, my boy," quoth my uncle George, shaking his comely head at me. "Not one, begad, and that's the dooce of it! It seems he don't swear, he don't drink, he don't gamble, he don't make love, he don't even—" "Don't, George," exclaimed my aunt Julia in her sternest tone, her handsome face flushed, her stately back very rigid. "Don't what, Julia?" "Fill our nephew's mind with your own base masculine ideas—I forbid." "But damme—no, Julia, no—I mean, bless us! What's to become of a man—what's a man to do who don't—" "Cease, George!" "But he's almost a man, ain't he?" "Certainly not; Peregrine is—my nephew—" "And ours, Julia. We are his legal guardians besides—" "And set him in my care until he comes of age!" retorted my aunt defiantly. "And there, happy youth, is his misfortune!" sighed my uncle Jervas. "Misfortune?" echoed my aunt in whisper so awful that I, for one, nearly trembled. "Misfortune!" she repeated. "Hush! Silence! Not a word! I must think this over! Misfortune!" In the dreadful pause ensuing, I glanced half-furtively from one to other of my three guardians; at my uncle Jervas, lounging gracefully in his chair, an exquisite work of art from glossy curls to polished Hessians; at my uncle George, standing broad back to the mantel, a graceful, stalwart figure in tight-fitting riding-coat, buckskins and spurred boots; at my wonderful aunt, her dark and statuesque beauty as she sat, her noble form posed like an offended Juno, dimpled chin on dimpled fist, dark brows bent above long-lashed eyes, ruddy lips close-set and arched foot tapping softly beneath the folds of her ample robe. "His misfortune!" she repeated for the fourth time, softly and as to herself. "And ever have I striven to be to him the tender mother he never knew, to stand in place of the father he never saw!" "I'm sure of it, Julia!" said my uncle George, fidgeting with his stock. "His misfortune! And I have watched over him with care unfailing—" "Er—of course, yes—not a doubt of it, Julia," said uncle George, fiddling with a coat button. "His upbringing has been the passion of my life—" "I'm sure of it, Julia, your sweet and—er—womanly nature—" "George, have the goodness not to interrupt!" sighed my aunt, with a little gesture of her hand. "I have furthermore kept him segregated from all that could in any way vitiate or vulgarise; he has had the ablest tutors and been my constant companion, and to-day—I am told—all this is but his misfortune. Now and therefore. Sir Jervas Vereker, pray explain yourself." "Briefly and with joy, m'dear Julia," answered my uncle Jervas, smiling sleepily into my aunt's fierce black eyes. "I simply mean that your meticulous care of our nephew has turned what should have been an ordinary and humanly promising, raucous and impish hobbledehoy into a very precise, something superior, charmingly prim and modest, ladylike youngfellow—" "Ladyli—!" My stately aunt came as near gasping as was possible in such a woman, then her stately form grew more rigidly statuesque, her mouth and chin took on that indomitable look I knew so well, and she swept the speaker with the blasting fire of her fine black eyes. "Sir Jervas Vereker!" she exclaimed at last, and in tones of such chilling haughtiness that I, for one, felt very like shivering. There fell another awful silence, aunt Julia sitting very upright, hands clenched on the arms of her chair, dark brows bent against my uncle Jervas, who met her withering glance with all his wonted impassivity, while my uncle George, square face slightly flushed, glanced half-furtively from one to the other and