Title: A Duet with an Occasional Chorus Author: Conan Doyle Language: English Subject: Fiction, Literature, Children's literature Publisher: World Public Library Association Copyright © 2008, All Rights Reserved Worldwide by World Public Library, www.WorldLibrary.net World Public Library The World Public Library, www.WorldLibrary.net is an effort to preserve and disseminate classic works of literature, serials, bibliographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference works in a number of languages and countries around the world. Our mission is to serve the public, aid students and educators by providing public access to the world's most complete collection of electronic books on-line as well as offer a variety of services and resources that support and strengthen the instructional programs of education, elementary through post baccalaureate studies. This file was produced as part of the "eBook Campaign" to promote literacy, accessibility, and enhanced reading. 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Box 22687 Honolulu, Hawaii 96823 [email protected] Copyright © 2008, All Rights Reserved Worldwide by World Public Library, www.WorldLibrary.net A DUET WITH AN OCCASIONAL CHORUS (WHY. GALIF. LRARY. LO6 ANGELES BY THE SAME AUTHOR. MICAH CLARKE. THE WHITE COMPANY. THE REFUGEES. RODNEY STONE. UNCLE BERNAC. THE GREAT SHADOW. ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. THE SIGN OF FOUR. A STUDY IN SCARLET. THE 'FIRM OF GIRDLESTONE. THE PARASITE. EXPLOITS OF BRIGADIER GERARD. CAPTAIN OF THE POLE STAR. ROUND THE RED LAMP. THE STARK MUNRO LETTERS. THE DOINGS OF RAFFLES HAW. A DESERT DRAMA. SONGS OF ACTION. A DUET WITH AN OCCASION- 'S AL CHORUS f 5 BY A. CONAN DOYLE AUTHOR OF UNCLE BERNAC : A MEMORY OF THE EMPIRE RODNEY STONE, THE EX- PLOITS OF BRIGADIER GERARD THE STARK MUNRO LETTERS ROUND THE RED LAMP, ETC. NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1899 COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY A. CONAN DOYLE. All rights reserved. TO MRS. MAUDE CROSSE. DEAR MAUDE: All the little two-oared boats which put out into the great ocean hare need of some chart which will show them how to lav their course. Each starts full of happiness and confidence, and yet we know how many founder, for it is no easy voyage, and there are rocks and sand banks upon the way. So I give a few pages of your own private log, which tell of days of peace and days of storm such storms as seem very petty from the deck of a high ship, but are serious for the two-oared boats. If your peace should help another to peace, or your storm console another who is storm-tossed, then I know that you will feel repaid for this intrusion upon your privacy. May all your voyage be like the outset, and when at last the oars fall from your hands, and those of Frank, may other loving ones be. ready to take their turn of toil and so, bon voyage ! Ever your friend, THE AUTHOR. January SO, 1899. V 21291B4 CONTENTS. PAOE I. THE OVERTURE 1 II. THE OVERTURE (CONTINUED) .... 9 III. THE OVERTURE (CONCLUDED) .... 24 IV. THE TWO SOLOS 3-4 V. BRITAIN'S VALHALLA 48 VI. TWO SOLOS AND A DUET 71 VII. KEEPING UP APPEARANCES 89 VIII. THE HOME-COMING 101 IX. LAYING A COURSE 114 X. CONFESSIONS 131 XI. CONCERNING MRS. BEETON 150 XII. MR. SAMUEL PEPYS 162 XIII. A VISIT TO MR. SAMUEL PEPYS .... 174 XIV.TROUBLE 189 XV. A RESCUE 209 XVI. THE BROWNING SOCIETY 223 XVII. AN INVESTMENT 241 XVIII. A THUNDERCLOUD 256 XIX. DANGER 275 XX. Xo. 5, CHEYNE Row 296 XXI. THE LAST NOTE OF THE DUET . .317 XXII. THE TRIO , 332 A DUET. THE OVERTURE. I. ABOUT THAT DATE. THESE are the beginnings of some of the let- ters which they wrote about that time: WOKING, May 20th. MY DEAREST MAUDE : You know that your mother suggested and we agreed that we should be married about the beginning of September. Don't you think that we might say the 3d of August ? It is a Wednesday, and in every sense suitable. Do try to change the date, for it would in many ways be preferable to the other. I shall be eager to hear from you about it. And now, dearest Maude . (The rest is irrelevant.) ST. ALBANS, May 22d. MY DEAREST FRANK: Mother sees no objection to the 3d of and I am to do August, ready* any- l 2 A DUET. thing which will please you and her. Of course, there are the guests to be considered, and the dress- makers, and other arrangements, but I have no doubt that we shall be able to change the date all right. O Frank! . (What follows is beside the point.) WOKINO, May 25th. MY DEAREST MAUDE : I have been thinking over that change of date, and I see one objection which had not occurred to me when I suggested it. August the 1st is bank holiday, and travelling is not very pleasant about that time. My idea now is, that we ought to bring it off before that date. Fancy, for example, how unpleasant it would be for your uncle Joseph if he had to travel all the way from Edinburgh with a bank holiday crowd! It would be selfish of us if we did not fit in our plans so as to save our relatives from inconvenience. I think, therefore, taking everything into consid- eration, that the 20th of July, a Thursday, would be the very best day that we could select. I do hope that you will strain every nerve, my darling, to get your mother to consent to this change. When I think ... (A digression follows.) ST. ALBANS, May 27th. MY DEAREST FRANK: I think that what you say about the date is very reasonable, and it is THE OVERTURE. 3 so sweet and unselfish of you to think about Uncle Joseph. Of course, it would be very unpleasant for him to have to travel at such a time, and we must strain every nerve to prevent it. There is only one serious objection which my mother can see. Uncle Percival (that is my mother's second brother) comes back from Rangoon about the end of July, and will miss the wedding (O Frank! think of its being our wedding!) unless we delay it. He has always been very fond of me, and he might be hurt if we were married so immediately before his arrival. Don't you think it would be as well to wait ? Mother leaves it all in your hands, and we shall do exactly as you advise. O Frank! . (The rest is confidential.) WOKING, May 29th. MY owx DEAREST: I think that it would be unreasonable upon the part of your uncle Percival to think that we ought to have changed the date of a matter so important to ourselves simply in order that he should be present. I am sure that on second thoughts your mother and yourself will see the thing in this light. I must say, however, that in one point I think you both showed great judgment. It would certainly be invidious to be married immediately before his arrival. I really think that he would have some cause for complaint 4 A DUET. if we did that. To prevent any chance of hurting if his feelings, I think that it would be far best, your mother and you agree with me, that we should be married upon July 7th. I see that it is a Tues- day, and in every way suitable. When I read your last letter . (The remainder is unimportant.) ST. A LEANS, June 1st. MY DEAREST FRANK : I am sure that you are right in thinking that it would be as well not to have the ceremony too near the date of Uncle Percival's arrival in England. We should be so sorry to hurt his feelings in any way! Mother has been down to Madame Mortimer's about the dresses, and she thinks that everything could be hurried up so as to be ready by July 7th. She is so obliging, and her skirts do hang so beauti- fully! O Frank! it is only a few weeks' time, and then . WOKIXG, June 3d. MY OWN DARLING MAUDE: How good you are and your mother also in falling in with my suggestions! Please, please don't bother your dear self about dresses. You only want the one travel- ling dress to be married in, and the rest we can pick up as we go. I am sure that white dress with the black stripe the one you were playing ten- nis in at the Arlington's would do splendidly. THE OVERTURE. 5 You looked simply splendid that day ! I'm inclined to think that it is my favourite of all your dresses, with the exception of that dark one with the light- green front. That shows off your figure so splen- didly! I am very fond also of the gray Quaker- like alpaca dress.