The Dragon of Wantley - His Tale

Owen Wister

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Dragon of Wantley, by Owen WisterThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.netTitle: The Dragon of WantleyHis TaleAuthor: Owen WisterIllustrator: John StewardsonRelease Date: August 28, 2008 [EBook #26448]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DRAGON OF WANTLEY ***Produced by Irma Spehar and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file wasproduced from images generously made available by TheInternet Archive/American Libraries.)Transcriber's NoteDue to the nature of illustrations, this file is best viewed in Firefox 3 or Internet Explorer 7. The illustrationsmight appear slightly shifted in other browsers.T H ED R A G O NO FW A N T L E YH I S T A L EBy Owen WisterIllustrations by John StewardsonSECOND EDITIONPhiladelphiaJ·B·LIPPINCOTTJ·B·LIPPINCOTTCOMPANY1895TOMY ANCIENT PLAYMATES IN APPIANWAY CAMBRIDGE THIS LIKELYSTORY IS DEDICATED FOR REASONSBEST KNOWN TO THEMSELVESPrefaceWhen Betsinda held the RoseAnd the Ring decked Giglio’s fingerThackeray! ’twas sport to lingerWith thy wise, gay-hearted prose.Books were merry, goodness knows!When Betsinda held the Rose.Who but foggy drudglings dozeWhile Rob Gilpin toasts thy witches,While the Ghost ...

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• Publié par: endya
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 33
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Dragon of Wantley, by Owen Wister 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.net Title: The Dragon of Wantley His Tale Author: Owen Wister Illustrator: John Stewardson Release Date: August 28, 2008 [EBook #26448] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DRAGON OF WANTLEY ***Produced by Irma Spehar and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) Transcriber's Note Due to the nature of illustrations, this file is best viewed in Firefox 3 or Internet Explorer 7. The illustrations might appear slightly shifted in other browsers. THE DRAGON OF WANTLEY HIS TALEBy Owen Wister Illustrations by John Stewardson SECOND EDITION Philadelphia J·B·LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 1895 TO MY ANCIENT PLAYMATES IN APPIAN WAY CAMBRIDGE THIS LIKELY STORY IS DEDICATED FOR REASONS BEST KNOWN TO THEMSELVES Preface When Betsinda held the Rose And the Ring decked Giglio’s finger Thackeray! ’twas sport to linger With thy wise, gay-hearted prose. Books were merry, goodness knows! When Betsinda held the Rose. Who but foggy drudglings doze While Rob Gilpin toasts thy witches, While the Ghost waylays thy breeches, Ingoldsby? Such tales as those Exorcised our peevish woes When Betsinda held the Rose. Realism, thou specious pose!Haply it is good we met thee; But, passed by, we’ll scarce regret thee; For we love the light that glows Where Queen Fancy’s pageant goes, And Betsinda holds the Rose. Shall we dare it? Then let’s close Doors to-night on things statistic, Seek the hearth in circle mystic, Till the conjured fire-light shows Where Youth’s bubbling Fountain flows, And Betsinda holds the Rose. Preface to the Second Edition We two—the author and his illustrator—did not know what we had done until the newspapers told us. But the press has explained it in the following poised and consistent criticism: “Too many suggestions of profanity.” —Congregationalist, Boston, 8 Dec. ’92. “It ought to be the delight of the nursery.” —National Tribune, Washington, 22 Dec. ’92. “Grotesque and horrible.” —Zion’s Herald, Boston, 21 Dec. ’92. “Some excellent moral lessons.” —Citizen, Brooklyn, 27 Nov. ’92. “If it has any lesson to teach, we have been unable to find it.”—Independent, New York, 10 Nov. ’92. “The story is a familiar one.” —Detroit Free Press, 28 Nov. ’92. “Refreshingly novel.” —Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, 17 Dec. ’92. “It is a burlesque.” —Atlantic Monthly, Dec. ’92. “All those who love lessons drawn from life will enjoy this book.” —Christian Advocate, Cincinnati, 2 Nov. ’92. “The style of this production is difficult to define.” —Court Journal, London, 26 Nov. ’92. “One wonders why writer and artist should put so much labor on a production which seems to have so little reason for existence.” —Herald and Presbyterian, Cincinnati. Now the public knows exactly what sort of book this is, and we cannot be held responsible. Table of Contents CHAPTER I. PA GE How Sir Godfrey came to lose his Temper 19 CHAPTER II.How his Daughter, Miss Elaine, behaved herself i 35 n Consequence CHAPTER III. Reveals the Dragon in his Den 52 CHAPTER IV. Tells you more about Him than was ever told befo 62 re to Anybody CHAPTER V. In which the Hero makes his First Appearance an 77 d is Locked Up immediately CHAPTER VI. In which Miss Elaine loses her Heart, and finds S 91 omething of the Greatest Importance CHAPTER VII. Shows what Curious Things you may see, if you d 11 on’t go to Bed when you are sent 3 CHAPTER VIII. Contains a Dilemma with two simply egregious Ho 13 rns 6 CHAPTER IX. Leaves much Room for guessing about Chapter T 16 en 8 CHAPTER X. 18 The great White Christmas at Wantley 7 List of Illustrations Page Ornamented title 3Copyright notice 4 Head-piece—Preface 7 Head-piece—Preface to the Second Edition 9 Head-piece—Table of Contents 11 Head-piece—List of Illustrations 13 Half-title to Chapter I 17 Head-piece to Chapter I 19 Popham awaiteth the Result with Dignity 27 The Baron pursueth Whelpdale into the Buttery 32 Tail-piece to Chapter I 33 Half-title to Chapter II 34 Head-piece to Chapter II 35 Sir Godfrey maketh him ready for the Bath 39 Sir Godfrey getteth into his Bath 41 Mistletoe consulteth the Cooking Book 43 Elaine maketh an unexpected Remark 49 Half-title to Chapter III 51 Head-piece to Chapter III 52 Hubert sweepeth the Steps 55 Half-title to Chapter IV 61 Head-piece to Chapter IV 62 Hubert looketh out of the Window 69 Tail-piece to Chapter IV 75 Half-title to Chapter V 76 Head-piece to Chapter V 77 Geoffrey replieth with deplorable Flippancy to F 84 ather AnselmTail-piece to Chapter V 89 Half-title to Chapter VI 90 Head-piece to Chapter VI 91 The Baron setteth forth his Plan for circumventi 96 ng the Dragon Geoffrey tuggeth at the Bars 101 Tail-piece to Chapter VI 111 Half-title to Chapter VII 112 Head-piece to Chapter VII 113 Elaine cometh into the Cellar 120 Geoffrey goeth to meet the Dragon 128 Half-title to Chapter VIII 135 Head-piece to Chapter VIII 136 The Dragon thinketh to slake his Thirst 142 The Dragon perceiveth Himself to be Entrappe 148 d 155, 1 A Noise in the Cellar 56 Half-title to Chapter IX 167 Head-piece to Chapter IX 168 Sir Francis decideth to go down again 176 Brother Hubert goeth back to Oyster-le-Main fo 181 r the last Time Tail-piece to Chapter IX 185 Half-title to Chapter X 186 Head-piece to Chapter X 187 Sir Thomas de Brie hastens to accept the Baro 192 n’s polite InvitationThe Court-yard 198 The Dragon maketh his last Appearance 203 L’Envoi 208 QUI NE SAULTE SAULTE SERA here was something wrong in the cellar at Wantley Manor. Little Whelpdale knew it, for he was Buttons, and Buttons always knows what is being done with the wine, though he may look as if he did not. And old Popham knew it, too. He was Butler, and responsible to Sir Godfrey for all the brandy, and ale, and cider, and mead, and canary, and other strong waters there were in the house. Now, Sir Godfrey Disseisin, fourth Baron of Wantley, and immediate tenant by knight-service to His Majesty King John of England, was particular about his dogs, and particular about his horses, and about his only daughter and his boy Roland, and had been very particular indeed about his wife, who, I am sorry to say, did not live long. But all this was nothing to the fuss he made about his wine. When the claret was not warm enough, or the Moselle wine was not cool enough, you could hear him roaring all over the house; for, though generous in heart and a staunch Churchman, he was immoderately choleric. Very often, when Sir Godfrey fell into one of his rages at dinner, old Popham, standing behind his chair, trembled so violently that his calves would shake