The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sir Mortimer, by Mary Johnston

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Title: Sir Mortimer

Author: Mary Johnston

Release Date: October 20, 2004 [EBook #13812]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIR MORTIMER ***

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Sir Mortimer

A Novel

BY

Mary Johnston

AUTHOR OF "TO HAVE AND TO HOLD"
"PRISONERS OF HOPE" ETC.

1904

TO

J.A.J. AND W.A.J.

Illustrations

"'OH, I ENVIED HER!' SHE CRIED" . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_

"SIR JOHN THRUST HIMSELF BETWEEN THE TWO" . . . . . . . ._Facing p_. 16

"IT WAS BALDRY'S SHIP, THE LITTLE _STAR_" . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

"'DO YOU PURPOSE, THEN, THAT HE SHALL DIE?' DEMANDED BALDRY" . . . . 138

"'I BEG THE SHORTEST SHRIFT THAT YOU MAY GIVE'" . . . . . . . . . . 174

"'DAMARIS, THEY CALL HIM TRAITOR'" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

'"AH, LOOK NOT SO UPON ME!'" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

"THE FRIAR PRESENTED A BLANK COUNTENANCE TO SIR MORTIMER'S QUERIES" 260

"'LAD, LAD,' HE WHISPERED, 'WHERE IS THY MASTER?'" . . . . . . . . . 284

_Sir Mortimer_

I

"But if we return not from our adventure," ended Sir Mortimer, "if the
sea claims us, and upon his sandy floor, amid his Armida gardens, the
silver-singing mermaiden marvel at that wreckage which was once a tall
ship and at those bones which once were animate,--if strange islands
know our resting-place, sunk for evermore in huge and most unkindly
forests,--if, being but pawns in a mighty game, we are lost or changed,
happy, however, in that the white hand of our Queen hath touched us,
giving thereby consecration to our else unworthiness,--if we find no
gold, nor take one ship of Spain, nor any city treasure-stored,--if we
suffer a myriad sort of sorrows and at the last we perish miserably--"

He paused, being upon his feet, a man of about thirty years, richly
dressed, and out of reason good to look at. In his hand was a great
wine-cup, and he held it high. "I drink to those who follow after!" he
cried. "I drink to