tery of the art of exciting suspense and
horror, let the reader pick out those two exceptional novels in the series
which profess to paint contemporary manners and the scenes of common life;
and remembering in the 'Antiquary' the vision in the tapestried chamber,
the duel, the horrible secret, and the death of old Elspeth, the drowned
fisherman, and above all the tremendous situation of the tide-bound party
under the cliffs; and in 'St. Ronan's Well,' the long-drawn mystery, the
suspicion of insanity, and the catastrophe of suicide;--determine whether
an epithet which it would be a profanation to apply to the structure of
any, even the most exciting of Sir Walter Scott's stories, is fairly
applicable to tales which, though illimitably inferior in execution, yet
observe the same limitations of incident, and the same moral aims.

The author trusts that the Press, to whose masterly criticism and generous
encouragement he and other humble labourers in the art owe so much, will
insist upon the limitation of that degrading term to the peculiar type of
fiction which it was originally intended to indicate, and prevent, as they
may, its being made to include the legitimate school of tragic English
romance, which has been ennobled, and in great measure founded, by the
genius of Sir Walter Scott.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. AUSTIN RUTHYN, OF KNOWL, AND HIS DAUGHTER

II. UNCLE SILAS

III. A NEW FACE

IV. MADAME DE LA ROUGIERRE

V. SIGHTS AND NOISES

VI. A WALK IN THE WOOD

VII. CHURCH SCARSDALE

VIII. THE SMOKER

IX. MONICA KNOLLYS

X. LADY KNOLLYS REMOVES A COVERLET

XI. LADY KNOLLYS SEES THE FEATURES

XII. A CURIOUS CONVERSATION

XIII. BEFORE AND AFTER BREAKFAST

XIV. ANGRY WORDS

XV. A WARNING

XVI. DOCTOR BRYERLY LOOKS IN

XVII. AN ADVENTURE

XVIII. A MIDNIGHT VISITOR

XIX. AU REVOIR

XX. AUSTIN RUTHYN SETS OUT ON HIS JOURNEY

XXI. ARRIVALS

XXII. SOMEBODY IN THE ROOM WITH THE COFFIN

XXIII. I TALK WITH DOCTOR BRYERLY

XXIV. THE OPENING OF THE WILL

XXV. I HEAR FROM UNCLE SILAS

XXVI. THE STORY OF UNCLE SILAS

XXVII. MORE ABOUT TOM CHARKE'S SUICIDE

XXVIII. I AM PERSUADED

XXIX. HOW THE AMBASSADOR FARED

XXX. ON THE ROAD

XXXI. BARTRAM-HAUGH

XXXII. UNCLE SILAS

XXXIII. THE WINDMILL WOOD

XXXIV. ZAMIEL

XXXV. WE VISIT A ROOM IN THE SECOND STOREY

XXXVI. AN ARRIVAL AT DEAD OF NIGHT

XXXVII. DOCTOR BRYERLY EMERGES

XXXVIII. A MIDNIGHT DEPARTURE

XXXIX. COUSIN MONI