The Right of Way
Gilbert Parker The Right of Way Table of Contents
The Right of Way...... 1 Gilbert Parker...... 1 INTRODUCTION...... 2 NOTE...... 5 CHAPTER I. THE WAY TO THE VERDICT...... 5 CHAPTER II. WHAT CAME OF THE TRIAL...... 9 CHAPTER III. AFTER FIVE YEARS...... 15 CHAPTER IV. CHARLEY MAKES A DISCOVERY...... 17 CHAPTER V. THE WOMAN IN HELIOTROPE...... 18 CHAPTER VI. THE WIND AND THE SHORN LAMB...... 21 CHAPTER VII. PEACE, PEACE, AND THERE IS NO PEACE"'...... 25 CHAPTER VIII. THE COST OF THE ORNAMENT...... 28 Volume 2...... 35 CHAPTER IX. OLD DEBTS FOR NEW...... 35 CHAPTER X. THE WAY IN AND THE WAY OUT...... 37 CHAPTER XI. THE RAISING OF THE CURTAIN...... 41 CHAPTER XII. THE COMING OF ROSALIE...... 47 CHAPTER XIII. HOW CHARLEY WENT ADVENTURING AND WHAT HE FOUND...... 51 CHAPTER XIV. ROSALIE, CHARLEY, AND THE MAN THE WIDOW PLOMONDON JILTED.....54 CHAPTER XV. THE MARK IN THE PAPER...... 60 CHAPTER XVI. MADAME DAUPHIN HAS A MISSION...... 62 CHAPTER XVII. THE TAILOR MAKES A MIDNIGHT FORAY...... 66 CHAPTER XVIII. THE STEALING OF THE CROSS...... 68 Volume 3...... 71 CHAPTER XIX. THE SIGN FROM HEAVEN...... 71 CHAPTER XX. THE RETURN OF THE TAILOR...... 74 CHAPTER XXI. THE CURE HAS AN INSPIRATION...... 76 CHAPTER XXII. THE WOMAN WHO SAW...... 77 CHAPTER XXIII. THE WOMAN WHO DID NOT TELL...... 82 CHAPTER XXIV. THE SEIGNEUR TAKES A HAND IN THE GAME...... 84 CHAPTER XXV. THE COLONEL TELLS HIS STORY...... 91 CHAPTER XXVI. A SONG, A BOTTLE, AND A GHOST...... 93 CHAPTER XXVII. OUT ON THE OLD TRAIL...... 98 CHAPTER XXVIII. THE SEIGNEUR GIVES A WARNING...... 99 Volume 4...... 105 CHAPTER XXIX. THE WILD RIDE...... 105 CHAPTER XXX. ROSALIE WARNS CHARLEY...... 109 CHAPTER XXXI. CHARLEY STANDS AT BAY...... 112 CHAPTER XXXII. JO PORTUGAIS TELLS A STORY...... 119 CHAPTER XXXIII. THE EDGE OF LIFE...... 122 CHAPTER XXXIV. IN AMBUSH...... 124 CHAPTER XXXV. THE COMING OF MAXIMILIAN COUR AND ANOTHER...... 126 CHAPTER XXXVI. BARRIERS SWEPT AWAY...... 130 CHAPTER XXXVII. THE CHALLENGE OF PAULETTE DUBOIS...... 131 CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE CURE AND THE SEIGNEUR VISIT THE TAILOR...... 134 CHAPTER XXXIX. THE SCARLET WOMAN...... 139 CHAPTER XL. AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING...... 142 Volume 5...... 144
i The Right of Way Table of Contents
The Right of Way CHAPTER XLI. IT WAS MICHAELMAS DAY...... 144 CHAPTER XLII. A TRIAL AND A VERDICT...... 147 CHAPTER XLIII. JO PORTUGAIS TELLS A STORY...... 150 CHAPTER XLIV. WHO WAS KATHLEEN?"...... 154 CHAPTER XLV. SIX MONTHS GO BY...... 157 CHAPTER XLVI. THE FORGOTTEN MAN...... 159 CHAPTER XLVII. ONE WAS TAKEN AND THE OTHER LEFT...... 163 CHAPTER XLVIII. WHERE THE TREE OF LIFE IS BLOOMING ...... 167 CHAPTER XLIX. THE OPEN GATE...... 168 Volume 6...... 171 CHAPTER L. THE PASSION PLAY AT CHAUDIERE...... 171 CHAPTER LI. FACE TO FACE...... 173 CHAPTER LII. THE COMING OF BILLY...... 177 CHAPTER LIII. THE SEIGNEUR AND THE CURE HAVE A SUSPICION...... 178 CHAPTER LIV. M. ROSSIGNOL SLIPS THE LEASH...... 180 CHAPTER LV. ROSALIE PLAYS A PART...... 181 CHAPTER LVI. MRS. FLYNN SPEAKS...... 184 CHAPTER LVII. A BURNING FIERY FURNACE...... 185 CHAPTER LVIII. WITH HIS BACK TO THE WALL...... 190 CHAPTER LIX. IN WHICH CHARLEY MEETS A STRANGER...... 193 CHAPTER LX. THE HAND AT THE DOOR...... 196 CHAPTER LXI. THE CURE SPEAKS...... 196
ii The Right of Way
Gilbert Parker
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• INTRODUCTION • NOTE • CHAPTER I. THE WAY TO THE VERDICT • CHAPTER II. WHAT CAME OF THE TRIAL • CHAPTER III. AFTER FIVE YEARS • CHAPTER IV. CHARLEY MAKES A DISCOVERY • CHAPTER V. THE WOMAN IN HELIOTROPE • CHAPTER VI. THE WIND AND THE SHORN LAMB • CHAPTER VII. PEACE, PEACE, AND THERE IS NO PEACE"' • CHAPTER VIII. THE COST OF THE ORNAMENT • Volume 2.
• CHAPTER IX. OLD DEBTS FOR NEW • CHAPTER X. THE WAY IN AND THE WAY OUT • CHAPTER XI. THE RAISING OF THE CURTAIN • CHAPTER XII. THE COMING OF ROSALIE • CHAPTER XIII. HOW CHARLEY WENT ADVENTURING AND WHAT HE FOUND • CHAPTER XIV. ROSALIE, CHARLEY, AND THE MAN THE WIDOW PLOMONDON JILTED • CHAPTER XV. THE MARK IN THE PAPER • CHAPTER XVI. MADAME DAUPHIN HAS A MISSION • CHAPTER XVII. THE TAILOR MAKES A MIDNIGHT FORAY • CHAPTER XVIII. THE STEALING OF THE CROSS
• Volume 3.
• CHAPTER XIX. THE SIGN FROM HEAVEN • CHAPTER XX. THE RETURN OF THE TAILOR • CHAPTER XXI. THE CURE HAS AN INSPIRATION • CHAPTER XXII. THE WOMAN WHO SAW • CHAPTER XXIII. THE WOMAN WHO DID NOT TELL • CHAPTER XXIV. THE SEIGNEUR TAKES A HAND IN THE GAME • CHAPTER XXV. THE COLONEL TELLS HIS STORY • CHAPTER XXVI. A SONG, A BOTTLE, AND A GHOST • CHAPTER XXVII. OUT ON THE OLD TRAIL • CHAPTER XXVIII. THE SEIGNEUR GIVES A WARNING
• Volume 4.
• CHAPTER XXIX. THE WILD RIDE • CHAPTER XXX. ROSALIE WARNS CHARLEY • CHAPTER XXXI. CHARLEY STANDS AT BAY • CHAPTER XXXII. JO PORTUGAIS TELLS A STORY
The Right of Way 1 The Right of Way
• CHAPTER XXXIII. THE EDGE OF LIFE • CHAPTER XXXIV. IN AMBUSH • CHAPTER XXXV. THE COMING OF MAXIMILIAN COUR AND ANOTHER • CHAPTER XXXVI. BARRIERS SWEPT AWAY • CHAPTER XXXVII. THE CHALLENGE OF PAULETTE DUBOIS • CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE CURE AND THE SEIGNEUR VISIT THE TAILOR • CHAPTER XXXIX. THE SCARLET WOMAN • CHAPTER XL. AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING
• Volume 5.
• CHAPTER XLI. IT WAS MICHAELMAS DAY • CHAPTER XLII. A TRIAL AND A VERDICT • CHAPTER XLIII. JO PORTUGAIS TELLS A STORY • CHAPTER XLIV. WHO WAS KATHLEEN?" • CHAPTER XLV. SIX MONTHS GO BY • CHAPTER XLVI. THE FORGOTTEN MAN • CHAPTER XLVII. ONE WAS TAKEN AND THE OTHER LEFT • CHAPTER XLVIII. WHERE THE TREE OF LIFE IS BLOOMING • CHAPTER XLIX. THE OPEN GATE
• Volume 6.
• CHAPTER L. THE PASSION PLAY AT CHAUDIERE • CHAPTER LI. FACE TO FACE • CHAPTER LII. THE COMING OF BILLY • CHAPTER LIII. THE SEIGNEUR AND THE CURE HAVE A SUSPICION • CHAPTER LIV. M. ROSSIGNOL SLIPS THE LEASH • CHAPTER LV. ROSALIE PLAYS A PART • CHAPTER LVI. MRS. FLYNN SPEAKS • CHAPTER LVII. A BURNING FIERY FURNACE • CHAPTER LVIII. WITH HIS BACK TO THE WALL • CHAPTER LIX. IN WHICH CHARLEY MEETS A STRANGER • CHAPTER LX. THE HAND AT THE DOOR • CHAPTER LXI. THE CURE SPEAKS
This etext was produced by David Widger [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
In a book called 'The House of Harper', published in this year, 1912, there are two letters of mine, concerning 'The Right of Way', written to Henry M. Alden, editor of Harper's Magazine. To my mind those letters should never have been published. They were purely personal. They were intended for one man's eyes only, and he was not merely an editor but a beloved and admired personal friend. Only to him and to W. E. Henley, as editors, could I ever have emptied out my heart and brain; and, as may be seen by these two letters, one written from London and the other from a place near Southampton, I uncovered all my feelings, my hopes and my ambitions concerning The Right of Way. Had I been asked permission to publish them I should not have granted it. I may wear my heart upon my sleeve for my friend, but not for the universe.
INTRODUCTION 2 The Right of Way
The most scathing thing ever said in literature was said by Robert Buchanan on Dante Gabriel Rossetti's verses He has wheeled his nuptial bed into the street. Looking at these letters I have a great shrinking, for they were meant only for the eyes of an aged man for whom I cared enough to let him see behind the curtain. But since they have been printed, and without a by your leave, I will use one or two passages in them to show in what mood, under what pressure of impulse, under what mental and, maybe, spiritual hypnotism it was written. I first planned it as a story of twenty−five thousand words, even as 'Valmond' was planned as a story of five thousand words, and 'A Ladder of Swords' as a story of twenty thousand words; but I had not written three chapters before I saw what the destiny of the tale was to be. I had gone to Quebec to start the thing in the atmosphere where Charley Steele belonged, and there it was borne in upon me that it must be a three− decker novel, not a novelette. I telegraphed to Harper Brothers to ask them whether it would suit them just as well if I made it into a long novel. They telegraphed their assent at once; so I went on. At that time Mr. F. N. Doubleday was a sort of director of Harper's firm. To him I had told the tale in a railway train, and he had carried me off at once to Henry M. Alden, to whom I also told it, with the result that Harper's Magazine was wide open to it, and there in Quebec, soon after my interview with Mr. Alden and Mr. Doubleday, the book was begun.
The first of the letters published in The House of Harper, however, was apparently written immediately after my return to London when the novel was well on its way. Evidently the first paragraph of the letter was an apology for having suddenly announced the development of the book from a long short story to a long novel; for I used these words: