Love besieged : a romance of the defense of Lucknow

Charles E Pearce

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• Siège

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• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

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.ove.
ARomance of
the Defence of
lucknow
Qiarl.es
E.PearceLOVE BESIEGEDHe'll think it so she"Don't leave the Prince. rude,"
20]whispered sharply. [PageLOVEBESIEGED
A ROMANCE OF THE DEFENSE
OF LUCKNOW
BY
CHARLES E. PEARCE
AUTHOR OF
'THE BUNGALOW UNDER THE AND "THE AMAZING DUCHESS"LAKK,"
ILLUSTRATED BY S. DaLAYH.
CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1911Printed in GrtatBritainPREFACE
MORE than has since the ofhalf-a-century passed Mutiny
shook the structure of our in India to1857 supremacy
its foundations. The causes of the thevery disaffection,
the actual the methods ofof leaders,identity organisation,
as were then. hasare as now Time donemysterious they
little to add to our of the native of India. Heknowledge
moves and he about his avocationslowly silently, goes
he his andcontented,apparently pays taxes, probably
less than the So asgrumbles average Englishman. long
all is his rulers do not are satisfiedquiet, trouble; they
is well if is seen. But the Easterneverything nothing
nature never It is as it has everchanges. been, subtle,
No one at the time of the was ablesecret, patient. Mutiny
to below the surface. The of thepenetrate episode greased
was but the which the fuse. Thecartridges spark ignited
fuse itself was the hands that laid it unknown.invisible,
""
Unrest in India the words almost be stereo-might
From time to time a mist of doubt has hastyped. arisen,
floated across the has melted Until twohorizon, away.
no serious was attached to simmer-years ago, importance
56 PREFACE
of discontent. The events of the two how-ings past years,
show that this "unrest" has entered a newever, upon
Western education andphase. training, grafted upon
Eastern havetraditions, custom, intro-character, religion,
duced fresh the result of which no man candangers,
foresee.
inWe must never the immutableEngland fixed,forget
characteristics of the Indian race. It is well, therefore,
that the of the should not be allowed to diememory past
out. This end I have in view in thehad ofselecting Siege
Lucknow as the of a in which anbackground story attempt
has been made to the circumstances and conditionspicture
of the the character and methods of thetime, mutineers,
of the of which the native isthe influence caste, treachery
whichand the occasion he can show,loyalty uponcapable
the the the devotion ofand heroism, fortitude, unflinching
For colour I have to the ofthe defenders. gone pages
ColonelMr Commissioner Gubbins, Major Wilson, Inglis,
withwhose accounts Colonel S. P.glow actuality.graphic
of theMalleson in his Indianhas, "History Mutiny,"
most of the salient facts in connectionbrought together
the and Mr Archibald Forbes' account ofwith thesiege,
relief force under Havelock canof the bescarcelyentry
"
the authors of Defence ofbettered. To aLucknow, by
"
of the I amStaff and "A alsoOfficer," Diary SiegeLady's
anunder obligation.
A few words need to be said of Azimoolah theKhan,
of whom I have ventured to an im-givemysterious figure