The Project Gutenberg EBook of That Boy Of Norcott's, by Charles James Lever

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: That Boy Of Norcott's

Author: Charles James Lever

Illustrator: W. Cubitt Cooke

Release Date: June 4, 2010 [EBook #32693]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THAT BOY OF NORCOTT'S ***

Produced by David Widger

THAT BOY OF NORCOTT'S

By Charles James Lever

With Illustrations By W. Cubitt Cooke.

BOSTON:

LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

1904.

TO BARON EMILE ERLANGER

My dear Erlanger,--Through the many anxieties which beset me while I was
writing this story, your name was continually recurring, and always
with some act of kindness, or some proof of affection. Let me, then, in
simple gratitude dedicate to you a volume of which, in a measure, you
stand sponsor, and say to the world at large what I have so often said
to my own,

How sincerely and heartily I am

Your friend,

CHARLES LEVER. Trieste, February 20th, 1869.

THAT BOY OF NORCOTT'S.

CHAPTER I. THE TRIAL

Some years ago there was a trial in Dublin, which, partly because the
parties in the cause were in a well-to-do condition of life, and partly
because the case in some measure involved the interests of the two
conflicting Churches, excited considerable sensation and much comment.

The contention was the right to the guardianship of a boy whose father
and mother had ceased to live together. On their separation they had
come to a sort of amicable arrangement that the child--then seven years
old--should live alternate years with each; and though the mother's
friends warmly urged her not to consent to a plan so full of danger
to her child, and so certain to result in the worst effects on his
character, the poor woman, whose rank in life was far inferior to her
husband's, yielded, partly from habit of deference to his wishes, and
more still because she believed, in refusing these terms, she might have
found herself reduced to accept even worse ones. The marriage had
been unfortunate in every way. Sir Roger Norcott had accompanied his
regiment, the--th Dragoons, to Ireland, where some violent disturbances
in the south