The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Carved Cupboard, by Amy Le Feuvre

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Title: The Carved Cupboard

Author: Amy Le Feuvre

Release Date: August 4, 2007 [EBook #22232]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CARVED CUPBOARD ***

Produced by Al Haines

[Frontispiece: 'I HAVE SEALED THE DIRECTIONS IN THIS ENVELOPE.']

THE CARVED CUPBOARD

BY

AMY LE FEUVRE

AUTHOR OF

'PROBABLE SONS,' 'TEDDY'S BUTTON,' 'LEGEND LED,'
'ODD MADE EVEN,' 'HEATHER'S MISTRESS,' ETC.

R.T.S., 4 Bouverie Street, London, E.C. 4

1899

Contents

CHAPTER I
A SUPPLANTER

CHAPTER II
FOUR VERSES

CHAPTER III
A COUNTRY HOME

CHAPTER IV
BLUEBEARD'S CUPBOARD

CHAPTER V
A QUIET SUNDAY

CHAPTER VI
A DEPARTURE

CHAPTER VII
UNREST

CHAPTER VIII
ENTERTAINING A STRANGER

CHAPTER IX
GWEN'S RESOLVE

CHAPTER X
CLARE'S DISCOVERY

CHAPTER XI
AGATHA'S LEGACY

CHAPTER XII
OUT IN CALIFORNIA

CHAPTER XIII
HIS LAST MESSAGE

CHAPTER XIV
THE COUSINS' RETURN

CHAPTER XV
ALICK LESTER

CHAPTER XVI
BRINGING BAD TIDINGS

CHAPTER XVII
ELFIE'S CHOICE

CHAPTER XVIII
PATTY'S GRAVE

CHAPTER XIX
THE RIGHTFUL HEIR

CHAPTER XX
BROUGHT BACK

ILLUSTRATIONS

'I HAVE SEALED THE DIRECTIONS IN THIS ENVELOPE.' . . . . . .
_Frontispiece_

AND SAW A MAN ON HIS KNEES BY THE CUPBOARD

THE CARVED CUPBOARD

CHAPTER I

A Supplanter

'For troubles wrought of men,
Patience is hard.'--_J. Ingelow._

The firelight shone upon a comfortably-furnished drawing-room in one of
the quiet London squares, and upon four girlish figures grouped around
a small tea-table. Agatha Dane, the eldest, sat back in her chair with
a little wrinkle of perplexity upon her usually placid brow. Rather
plump and short of stature, with no pretensions to beauty, there was
yet something very attractive in her bright open countenance; and she
was one to whom many turned instinctively for comfort and help.

Gwendoline, who sat next her, and was doing most of the talking, was a
tall, slight, handsome girl, with dark eyes that flash