[Transcriber's Note: There were several words that appeared to be printerserrors in this book. These have been changed; the changes are marked, and theoriginal spellings are at the end of the text.]
Dora Thorne
From Gloom to Sunlight
Her Martyrdom
Golden Heart
Her Only Sin
Lady Damer's Secret
The Squire's Darling
Her Mother's Sin
Wife in Name Only
Wedded and Parted
Shadow of a Sin
It was the close Of an autumn day, and Dr. Stephen Letsom had beenstanding for some time at his window watching the sun go down. It fadedslowly out of the western sky. There had been a golden flush with thesunset which changed into crimson, then into purple, and finally intodull gray tints that were forerunners of the shades of night. Dr.Stephen Letsom had watched it with sad, watchful eyes. The leaves on thetrees had seemed to be dyed first in red, then in purple. Thechrysanthemums changed color with every phase of the sunset; there was awail in the autumn wind as though the trees and flowers were mourningover their coming fate. There was something of sadness in the wholeaspect of nature.
The doctor evidently shared it. The face looking from the window wasanything but a cheerful one. Perhaps it was not the most judiciousmanner in which the doctor could have spent his time--above all, if hewished to give people an impression that he had a large practice. ButDr. Letsom had ceased to be particular in the matter of appearances. Hewas to all intents and purposes a disappointed man. Years before, whenhis eyes were bright with the fires of youth, and hope was strong in hisheart, he had invested such money as he possessed in the purchase of apractice at Castledene, and it had proved to be a failure--why, no oneexactly knew.
Castledene was one of the prettiest little towns in Kent. It had atown-hall, a market-place, a weekly market, and the remains of a fineold castle; but it was principally distinguished for its races, a yearlyevent which brought a great influx of visitors to the town. It was halfburied in foliage, surrounded by dense woods and green hills, with aclear, swift river running by. The inhabitants were divided into threedistinct classes--the poor, who gained a scanty livelihood by working inthe fields, the shop-keepers, and the gentry, the latter classconsisting principally of old maids and widows, ladies of unblemishedgentility and limited means. Among the latter Dr. Letsom was notpopular. He had an unpleasant fashion of calling everything by its rightname. If a lady would take a little more stimulant than was good for herhe could not be persuaded to call her complaint "nervousness;" whenidleness and ennui preyed upon a languid frame, he had a startling habitof rousing the patient by a mental cautery. The poor idolized him, butthe ladies pronounced him coarse, abrupt; and when ladies decide againsta doctor, fate frowns upon him.
How was he to get on in the world? Twenty years before he had thoughtless of getting on than of the interests of science or of doing good;now those ideas were gradually leaving him--life had become a sternhand-to-hand fight with hard necessity. The poor seemed to be growingpoorer--the difficulty of getting a fee became greater--the ladiesseemed more and more determined to show their dislike and aversion.
Matters were growing desperate, thought Dr. Letsom on this autumn night,as he stood watching the chrysanthemums