Chapters (49)
- BIRDS OF PREY
- *
- Contents
- BOOK THE FIRST - FATAL FRIENDSHIP
- Chapter I - The House in Bloomsbury
- Chapter II - Philip Sheldon Reads the "Lancet"
- Chapter III - Mr. And Mrs. Halliday
- Chapter IV - A Perplexing Illness
- Chapter V - The Letter from the "Alliance" Office
- Chapter VI - Mr. Burkham's Uncertainties
- BOOK THE SECOND - THE TWO MACAIRES
- Chapter I - A Golden Temple
- Chapter II - The Easy Descent
- Chapter III - "Heart Bare, Heart Hungry, Very Poor"
- BOOK THE THIRD - HEAPING UP RICHES
- Chapter I - A Fortunate Marriage
- Chapter II - Charlotte
- Chapter III - George Sheldon's Prospects
- Chapter IV - Diana Finds a New Home
- Chapter V - At the Lawn
- Chapter VI - The Compact of Gray's Inn
- Chapter VII - Aunt Sarah
- Chapter VIII - Charlotte Prophesies Rain
- Chapter IX - Mr. Sheldon on the Watch
- BOOK THE FOURTH - VALENTINE HAWKEHURST'S RECORD
- Chapter I - The Oldest Inhabitant
- Chapter II - Matthew Haygarth's Resting-Place
- Chapter III - Mr. Goodge's Wisdom
- BOOK THE FIFTH - RELICS OF THE DEAD
- Chapter I - Betrayed by a Blotting-Pad
- Chapter II - Valentine Invokes the Phantoms of the Past
- Chapter III - Hunting the Judsons
- Chapter IV - Glimpses of a Bygone Life
- BOOK THE SIXTH - THE HEIRESS OF THE HAYGARTHS
- Chapter I - Disappointment
- Chapter II - Valentine's Record Continued
- Chapter III - Arcadia
- Chapter IV - In Paradise
- Chapter V - Too Fair to Last
- Chapter VI - Found in the Bible
- BOOK THE SEVENTH - CHARLOTTE'S ENGAGEMENT
- Chapter I - "In Your Patience Ye Are Strong"
- Chapter II - Mrs. Sheldon Accepts Her Destiny
- Chapter III - Mr. Hawkehurst and Mr. George Sheldon Come to an Understanding
- Chapter IV - Mr. Sheldon is Propitious
- Chapter V - Mr. Sheldon is Benevolent
- Chapter VI - Riding the High Horse
- Chapter VII - Mr. Sheldon is Prudent
- 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.