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THE PRIDE OF JENNICO
BEING
A Memoir of Captain Basil Jennico
BY AGNES AND EGERTON CASTLE
AUTHORS OF "THE BATH COMEDY," "THE STAR DREAMER," "INCOMPARABLE BELLAIRS," ETC.
NEW YORK
GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS
COPYRIGHT, 1897, 1898, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.
Set up, electrotyped, and published February, 1898. Reprinted February, April, June three times, July, September, October, December twice, 1898; October, 1899.
Special edition November, 1899; February, March, April, July, October twice, 1900; June, 1906.
Special edition June, twice, 1904; March, 1905.
J. B. Cusning & Co. Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.
THE PRIDE OF JENNICO
PART I
CHAPTER I
MEMOIR OF CAPTAIN BASIL JENNICO (BEGUN, APPARENTLY IN GREAT TROUBLE AND STRESS OF MIND, AT THE CASTLE OF TOLLENDHAL, IN MORAVIA, ON THE THIRD DAY OF THE GREAT STORM, LATE IN THE YEAR 1771)
As the wind rattles the casements with impotent clutch, howls down the stair-turret with the voice of a despairing soul, creeps in long irregular waves between the tapestries and the granite walls of my chamber and wantons with the flames of logs and candles; knowing, as I do, that outside the snow is driven relentlessly by the gale, and that I can hope for no relief from the company of my wretched self, for they who have learnt the temper of these wild mountain winds tell me the storm must last at least three days more in its fury, I have bethought me, to keep from going melancholy crazed altogether, to set me some regular task to do.
And what can mor