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Chapters (49)
  1. BIRDS OF PREY
  2. *
  3. Contents
  4. BOOK THE FIRST - FATAL FRIENDSHIP
  5. Chapter I - The House in Bloomsbury
  6. Chapter II - Philip Sheldon Reads the "Lancet"
  7. Chapter III - Mr. And Mrs. Halliday
  8. Chapter IV - A Perplexing Illness
  9. Chapter V - The Letter from the "Alliance" Office
  10. Chapter VI - Mr. Burkham's Uncertainties
  11. BOOK THE SECOND - THE TWO MACAIRES
  12. Chapter I - A Golden Temple
  13. Chapter II - The Easy Descent
  14. Chapter III - "Heart Bare, Heart Hungry, Very Poor"
  15. BOOK THE THIRD - HEAPING UP RICHES
  16. Chapter I - A Fortunate Marriage
  17. Chapter II - Charlotte
  18. Chapter III - George Sheldon's Prospects
  19. Chapter IV - Diana Finds a New Home
  20. Chapter V - At the Lawn
  21. Chapter VI - The Compact of Gray's Inn
  22. Chapter VII - Aunt Sarah
  23. Chapter VIII - Charlotte Prophesies Rain
  24. Chapter IX - Mr. Sheldon on the Watch
  25. BOOK THE FOURTH - VALENTINE HAWKEHURST'S RECORD
  26. Chapter I - The Oldest Inhabitant
  27. Chapter II - Matthew Haygarth's Resting-Place
  28. Chapter III - Mr. Goodge's Wisdom
  29. BOOK THE FIFTH - RELICS OF THE DEAD
  30. Chapter I - Betrayed by a Blotting-Pad
  31. Chapter II - Valentine Invokes the Phantoms of the Past
  32. Chapter III - Hunting the Judsons
  33. Chapter IV - Glimpses of a Bygone Life
  34. BOOK THE SIXTH - THE HEIRESS OF THE HAYGARTHS
  35. Chapter I - Disappointment
  36. Chapter II - Valentine's Record Continued
  37. Chapter III - Arcadia
  38. Chapter IV - In Paradise
  39. Chapter V - Too Fair to Last
  40. Chapter VI - Found in the Bible
  41. BOOK THE SEVENTH - CHARLOTTE'S ENGAGEMENT
  42. Chapter I - "In Your Patience Ye Are Strong"
  43. Chapter II - Mrs. Sheldon Accepts Her Destiny
  44. Chapter III - Mr. Hawkehurst and Mr. George Sheldon Come to an Understanding
  45. Chapter IV - Mr. Sheldon is Propitious
  46. Chapter V - Mr. Sheldon is Benevolent
  47. Chapter VI - Riding the High Horse
  48. Chapter VII - Mr. Sheldon is Prudent
  49. Chapter VIII - Christmas Peace

The next letter in which I find a passage worth transcribing is of much later date, and abounds in initials. The postmark is illegible; but I can just make out the letters PO and L, the two first close together, the third after an interval; and there is internal evidence to show that the letter was written from some dull country place. Might not that place have been Spotswold? the PO and the L of the postmark would fit very well into the name of that village. Again I leave this question to the astute Sheldon. The date is March, 1749.

"M. is but porely. Sumtimes I am pain'd to believe this quiett life is not well suted to herr disposishun, having bin acustumed to so much livlinesse and nois. I hav reproched her with this, but she tolde me, with teres in her eys, to be neare mee and M. and C. was to be happie, and ye it is il helth onlie wich is ye cawse of ye sadnesse. I pray heaven M.'s helth may be on ye mending hand soone. Little M. grows more butiful everry day; and indede, my dear sisterr, if you cou'd stele another visitt this waye, and oblidge yr affectionat brother, you wou'd considerr him ye moste butifull creetur ever scene. So much enteligence with sich ingaging temper endeares him to all hartes. Mrs. J. says she adors him, and is amost afraide to be thort a Paygann for bestoeing so much affection on a erthly creetur, and this to oure good parson who cou'd find no reproche for her plesant folly.