Transcribed from the 1920 Macmillan and Co. edition ,email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk
Contents:
Prefatory Note
A Changed Man
The Waiting Supper
Alicia’s Diary
The Grave by the Handpost
Enter a Dragoon
A Tryst at an Ancient Earthwork
What the Shepherd Saw
A Committee Man of ‘The Terror’
Master John Horseleigh, Knight
The Duke’s Reappearance
A Mere Interlude
I reprint in this volume, for what they may be worth, a dozen minornovels that have been published in the periodical press at various datesin the past, in order to render them accessible to readers who desireto have them in the complete series issued by my publishers. Foraid in reclaiming some of the narratives I express my thanks to theproprietors and editors of the newspapers and magazines in whose pagesthey first appeared.
T. H.
August 1913.
The person who, next to the actors themselves, chanced to know mostof their story, lived just below ‘Top o’ Town’ (asthe spot was called) in an old substantially-built house, distinguishedamong its neighbours by having an oriel window on the first floor, whencecould be obtained a raking view of the High Street, west and east, theformer including Laura’s dwelling, the end of the Town Avenuehard by (in which were played the odd pranks hereafter to be mentioned),the Port-Bredy road rising westwards, and the turning that led to thecavalry barracks where the Captain was quartered. Looking eastwarddown the town from the same favoured gazebo, the long perspective ofhouses declined and dwindled till they merged in the highway acrossthe moor. The white riband of road disappeared over Grey’sBridge a quarter of a mile off, to plunge into innumerable rustic windings,shy shades, and solitary undulations up hill and down dale for one hundredand twenty miles till it exhibited itself at Hyde Park Corner as a smoothbland surface in touch with a busy and fashionable world.
To the barracks aforesaid had recently arrived the ---th Hussars,a regiment new to the locality. Almost before any acquaintancewith its members had been made by the townspeople, a report spread thatthey were a ‘crack’ body of men, and had brought a splendidband. For some reason or other the town had not been used as theheadquarters of cavalry for many years, the various troops stationedthere having consisted of casual detachments only; so that it was witha sense of honour that everybody—even the small furniture-brokerfrom whom the married troopers hired tables and chairs—receivedthe news of their crack quality.
In those days the Hussar regiments still wore over the left shoulderthat attractive attachment, or frilled half-coat, hanging loosely behindlike the wounded wing of a bird, which was called the pelisse, thoughit was known among the troopers themselves as a ‘sling-jacket.’ It added amazingly to their picturesqueness in women’s eyes, and,indeed, in the eyes of men also.
The burgher who lived in the house with the oriel window sat duringa great many hours of the day in that projection, for he was an invalid,and time hung heavily on his hands unless he maintained a constant interestin proceedings without. Not more than a week after the arrivalof the Hussars his ears were assailed by the shout of one schoolboyto another in the street below.
‘Have ’ee heard this about the Hussars? They arehaunted! Yes—a ghost troubles ’em; he has followed’em about the world for years.’
A haunted regiment: that was a new idea for either invalid or stalwart. The listener in the oriel came to the conclusion that there were somelively characters among the ---th Hussars.
He made Captain Maumbry’s acquainta