Robert W. Chambers

The Danger Mark

Warsaw 2022

Contents

CHAPTER I. THE SEAGRAVES

CHAPTER II. IN TRUST

CHAPTER III. THE THRESHOLD

CHAPTER IV. THE YEAR OF DISCRETION

CHAPTER V. ROYA-NEH

CHAPTER VI. ADRIFT

CHAPTER VII. TOGETHER

CHAPTER VIII. AN AFTERGLOW

CHAPTER IX. CONFESSION

CHAPTER X. DUSK

CHAPTER XI. FÊTE GALANTE

CHAPTER XII. THE LOVE OF THE GODS

CHAPTER XIII. AMBITIONS AND LETTERS

CHAPTER XIV. THE PROPHETS

CHAPTER XV. DYSART

CHAPTER XVI. THROUGH THE WOODS

CHAPTER XVII. THE DANGER MARK

CHAPTER XVIII. BON CHIEN

CHAPTER XIX. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

CHAPTER XX. IN SEARCH OF HERSELF

CHAPTER XXI. THE GOLDEN HOURS

CHAPTER XXII. CLOUDY MOUNTAIN

CHAPTER XXIII. SINE DIE

CHAPTER XXIV. THE PROLOGUE ENDS

CHAPTER I. THE SEAGRAVES

All day Sunday they had raised the devil from attic to cellar; Mrs. Farren was in tears, Howker desperate. Not one out of the fifteen servants considered necessary to embellish the Seagrave establishment could do anything with them after Kathleen Severn’s sudden departure the week before.

When the telegram announcing her mother’s sudden illness summoned young Mrs. Severn to Staten Island, every servant in the household understood that serious trouble was impending for them.

Day by day the children became more unruly; Sunday they were demons; and Mrs. Farren shuddered to think what Monday might bring forth.

The day began ominously at breakfast with general target practice, ammunition consisting of projectiles pinched from the interior of hot muffins. Later, when Mrs. Farren ventured into the schoolroom, she found Scott Seagrave drawing injurious pictures of Howker on the black-board, and Geraldine sorting lumps of sugar from the bowl on the breakfast-tray, which had not yet been removed.

“Dearies,” she began, “it is after nine o’clock and–”

“No school to-day, Mrs. Farren,” interrupted Scott cheerfully; “we haven’t anything to do till Kathleen comes back, and you know it perfectly well!”

“Yes, you have, dearie; Mrs. Severn has just sent you this list of lessons.” She held out a black-edged envelope.

Geraldine, who had been leisurely occupied in dropping cologne on a lump of sugar, thrust the lump into her pink mouth and turned sharply on Mrs. Farren.

“What list?” she demanded. “Give that letter to me... Oh, Scott! Did you ever hear of anything half so mean? Kathleen’s written out about a thousand questions in geography for us!”

“I can’t stand that sort of interference!” shouted Scott, dropping his chalk and aiming a kick at the big papier-maché globe. “I’m sorry Kathleen’s mother is probably going to die, but I’ve had enough geography, too.”

“Mrs. Severn’s mother died on Friday,” said the housekeeper solemnly.

The children paused, serious for a moment in the presence of the incomprehensible.

“We’re sorry,” said Geraldine slowly... “When is Kathleen coming back?”

“Perhaps to-night, dearie–”

Scott impatiently detached the schoolroom globe from its brass axis: “I’m sorry, too,” he said; “but I’m tired of lessons. Now, Mrs. Farren, watch me! I’m going to kick a goal from the field. Here, you hold it, Geraldine; Mrs. Farren, you had better try to block it and cheer for Yale!”

Geraldine seized the globe, threw herself flat on the floor, and, head on one side, wriggled, carefully considering the angle. Then, tipping the globe, she adjusted it daintily for her brother to kick.

“A little higher, please; look out there, Mrs. Farren!” said Scott calmly; “Harvard is going to score this time. Now, Geraldine!”

Thump! came the kick, but Mrs. Farren had fled, and the big globe struck the nursery door and bounced back minus half of South America.

For ten minutes the upper floors echoed with the racket. Geraldine fiercely disputed her brother’s right to kick every time; then, as usual, when she got what she wanted, gave up to Scott and let him monopolise the kicking until, satiated, he went back to the black-board, having obliterated several continents from the face of the globe.

“You might at least be polite enough to hold it for me to kick,” said his sister. “What a pig you are, Scott.”

“Don’t bother me; I’m drawing Howker. You can’t kick straight, anyway–”

“Yes, I can!”

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