The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Odd Women, by George Gissing

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Title: The Odd Women

Author: George Gissing

Posting Date: January 26, 2009 [EBook #4313]
Release Date: August, 2003

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ODD WOMEN ***

Produced by Charles Aldarondo. HTML version by Al Haines.

The Odd Women

By

George Gissing

CONTENTS

I THE FOLD AND THE SHEPHERD
II ADRIFT
III AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN
IV MONICA'S MAJORITY
V THE CASUAL ACQUAINTANCE
VI A CAMP OF THE RESERVE
VII A SOCIAL ADVANCE
VIII COUSIN EVERARD
IX THE SIMPLE FAITH
X FIRST PRINCIPLES
XI AT NATURE'S BIDDING
XII WEDDINGS
XIII DISCORD OF LEADERS
XIV MOTIVES MEETING
XV THE JOYS OF HOME
XVI HEALTH FROM THE SEA
XVII THE TRIUMPH
XVIII A REINFORCEMENT
XIX THE CLANK OF THE CHAINS
XX THE FIRST LIE
XXI TOWARDS THE DECISIVE
XXII HONOUR IN DIFFICULTIES
XXIII IN AMBUSH
XXIV TRACKED
XXV THE FATE OF THE IDEAL
XXVI THE UNIDEAL TESTED
XXVII THE REASCENT
XXVIII THE BURDEN OF FUTILE SOULS
XXIX CONFESSION AND COUNSEL
XXX RETREAT WITH HONOUR
XXXI A NEW BEGINNING

CHAPTER I

THE FOLD AND THE SHEPHERD

'So to-morrow, Alice,' said Dr. Madden, as he walked with his eldest
daughter on the coast-downs by Clevedon, 'I shall take steps for
insuring my life for a thousand pounds.'

It was the outcome of a long and intimate conversation. Alice Madden,
aged nineteen, a plain, shy, gentle-mannered girl, short of stature,
and in movement something less than graceful, wore a pleased look as
she glanced at her father's face and then turned her eyes across the
blue channel to the Welsh hills. She was flattered by the confidence
reposed in her, for Dr. Madden, reticent by nature, had never been
known to speak in the domestic circle about his pecuniary affairs. He
seemed to be the kind of man who would inspire his children with
affection: grave but benign, amiably diffident, with a hint of lurking
mirthfulness about his eyes and lips.