The Lady of the Ice: A Novel

II. My Quarters, where you will become acquainted with Old Jack Randolph, my most Intimate Friend, and one who divides with me the Honor of being the Hero of my Story.

III. "Macrorie--old Chap--I'm--going--to--be--married!!!"

IV. "It's--the--the Widow! It's Mrs.--Finnimore!!!"

V. "Fact, my Boy--it is as I say.--There's another Lady in the Case, and this last is the Worst Scrape of all!"

VI. "I implored her to run away with me, and have a Private Marriage, leaving the rest to Fate. And I Solemnly assured her that, if she refused, I would blow my Brains out on her Door-steps.--There, now! what do you think of that?"

VII. Crossing the St. Lawrence.--The Storm and the Break-up.--A Wonderful Adventure.--A Struggle for Life.--Who is she?--The Ice-ridge.--Fly for your Life!

VIII. I fly back, and send the Doctor to the Rescue.--Return to the Spot. --Flight of the Bird.--Perplexity, Astonishment, Wonder, and Despair. --"Pas un Mot, Monsieur!"

IX. By one's own Fireside.--The Comforts of a Bachelor.--Chewing the Cud of Sweet and Bitter Fancy.--A Discovery full of Mortification and Embarrassment.--Jack Randolph again.--News from the Seat of War.

X. "Berton's?--Best Place in the Town.--Girls always glad to see a Fellow.--Plenty of Chat, and Lots of Fun.--No End of Larks, you know, and all that Sort of Thing."

XI. "Macrorie, my Boy, have you been to Anderson's yet?"--"No."--"Well, then, I want you to attend to that Business of the Stone to-morrow. Don't forget the Size--Four Feet by Eighteen Inches; and nothing but the Name and Date. The Time's come at last. There's no Place for me but the Cold Grave, where the Pensive Passer-by may drop a Tear over the Mournful Fate of Jack Randolph. Amen. R. I. P."

XII. My Adventures Rehearsed to Jack Randolph.--"My dear Fellow, you don't say so!"--"'Pon my Life, yes."--"By Jove! Old Chap, how close you've been! You just have no End of Secrets. And what's become of the Lady? Who is She?"

XIII. "Advertising!!!"

XIV. A Concert.--A Singular Character.--"God Save the Queen."--A Fenian.--A General Row.--Macrorie to the Rescue!--Macrorie's Maiden Speech, and its effectiveness.--O'Halloran.--A Strange Companion.--Invited to partake of Hospitality.

XV. The O'Halloran Ladies.--Their Appearance.--Their Ages.--Their Dress.-- Their Demeanor.--Their Culture, Polish, Education, Rank, Style, Attainments, and all about them.

XVI. The Daily Paper.

XVII. "Somethin' Warrum."

XVIII. The Following Morning.--Appearance of Jack Randolph.--A New Complication.--The Three Oranges.--Desperate Efforts of the Juggler. --How to make full, ample, complete, and most satisfactory Explanations.--Miss Phillips!--The Widow!!--Number Three!!!--Louie rapidly rising into greater prominence on the Mental and Sentimental horizon of Jack Randolph.

XIX. O'Halloran's again.--A Startling Revelation.--The Lady of the Ice. --Found at Last.--Confusion, Embarrassment, Reticence, and Shyness, succeeded by Wit, Fascination, Laughter, and Witching Smiles.

XX. "Our Symposium," as O'Halloran called it.--High and mighty Discourse. --General inspection of Antiquity by a Learned Eye.--A Discourse upon the "Oioneesoizin" of the English language.--Homeric Translations. --O'Halloran And Burns.--A new Epoch for the Brogue.--The Dinner of Achilles and the Palace of Antinous.

XXI. Jack once more.--The Woes of a Lover.--Not Wisely but too Many.--While Jack is telling his Little Story, the ones whom he thus entertains have a Separate Meeting.--The Bursting of the Storm.--The Letter of "Number Three."--The Widow and Miss Phillips.--Jack has to avail himself of the aid of a Chaplain of Her Majesty's Forces.--Jack an Injured Man.

XXII. I Reveal my Secret.--Tremendous effects of the Revelation.--Mutual Explanations, which are by no means Satisfactory. Jack Stands Up for what he calls His Rights.--Remonstrances and Reasonings, ending in a General Row.--Jack makes a Declaration of War, and takes his Departure in a state of Unparalleled Huffiness.

XXIII. A Friend becomes an Enemy.--Meditations on the Ancient and Venerable Fable of the Dog in the Manger.--The Corruption of the Human Heart. --Consideration of the Whole Situation.--Attempts to Countermine Jack, and Final Resolve.

XXIV. Tremendous Excitement.--The Hour Approaches, and with it the Man. --The Lady of the Ice.--A Tumultuous Meeting.--Outpouring of Tender Emotions.--Agitation of the Lady.--A Sudden Interruption.--An Injured Man, an Awful, Fearful, Direful, and Utterly-crushing Revelation.--Who is the Lady of the Ice?

XXV. Recovery from the last Great Shock.--Geniality of mine Host.--Off again among Antiquities.--The Fenians.--A Startling Revelation by one of the Inner Circle.--Politics, Poetry, and Pathos.--Far-reaching Plans and Deep-seated Purposes.

XXVI. A few Parting Words with O'Halloran.--His touching Parental Tenderness, High Chivalric Sentiment, and lofty sense of Honor.--Pistols for Two.--Pleasant and Harmonious Arrangement.--"Me Boy, Ye're and Honor to Yer Sex!"

XXVII. Sensational!--Terrific!--Tremendous!--I leave the house in Strange Whirl.--A Storm.--The Driving Sleet.--I Wander About.--The voices of the Storm, and of the River.--The clangor of the Bells.--The Shadow in the Doorway.--The Mysterious Companion.--A Terrible Walk.--Familiar Voices.--Sinking into Senselessness.--The Lady of the Ice is Revealed At Last amid the Storm!

XXVIII. My Lady of the Ice.--Snow and Sleet.--Reawakening.--A Desperate Situation.--Saved a Second Time.--Snatched from a Worse Fate.--Borne in My Arms Once More.--The Open Door.

XXIX. Puzzling Questions which cannot be Answered as yet.--A Step toward Reconcilation.--Reunion of a Broken Friendship.--Pieces all Collected and Joined.--Joy of Jack.--Solemn Debates over the Great Puzzle of the period.--Friendly Conferences and Confidences.--An Important Communication.

XXX. A Letter!--Strange Hesitation.--Gloomy Forebodings.--Jack down deep in the Dumps.--Fresh Confessions.--Why he Missed the Tryst.--Remorse and Revenge.--Jack's Vows of Vengeance.--A very Singular and Unaccountable Character.--Jack's Gloomy Menaces.

XXXI. A Friendly Call.--Preliminaries of the Duel Neatly Arranged.--A Damp Journey, and Depressed Spirits.--A Secluded Spot.--Difficulties which attend a Duel in a Canadian Spring.--A Masterly Decision. --Debates about the niceties of the Code of Honor.--Who shall have the First Shot, Struggle for Precedence.--A very Singular and Obstinate Dispute.--I save O'Halloran from Death by Rheumatism.

XXXII. Home again.--The Growls of a Confirmed Growler.--Hospitality.--The well-known Room.--Vision of a Lady.--Alone with Marion.--Interchange of Thought and Sentiment.--Two Beautiful Women.--An Evening to be Remembered.--The Conviviality of O'Halloran.--The Humors of O'Halloran, and his Bacchic Joy.

XXXIII. From April to June.--Tempora Mutantur, et nos Mutamur in Illis. --Startling Change in Marion!--And Why?--Jack and his Woes.--The Vengeance of Miss Phillips.--Ladies who refuse to allow their Hearts to be Broken.--Noble Attitude of the Widow.--Consolations of Louie.

XXXIV. Jack's Tribulations.--They Rise Up in the very face of the Most Astonishing Good Fortunes.--For, what is like a Legacy?--And this comes to Jack!--Seven Thousand Pounds Sterling per Annum!--But what's the use of it all?--Jack comes to Grief!--Woe! Sorrow! Despair! All the Widow! --Infatuation.--A mad proposal.--A Madman, a Lunatic, an Idiot, a March Hare, and a Hatter, all rolled into one, an that one the Lucky yet Unfortunate Jack.

XXXV. "Louis!"--Platonic Friendship.--Its results.--Advice may be given too Freely, and Consolation may be sought for too Eagerly.--Two Inflammable Hearts should not be allowed to Come Together.--The Old, Old Story.--A Breakdown, and the results all around.--The Condemned Criminal.--The slow yet sure approach of the Hour of Execution.

XXXVI. A Friend's Apology for a Friend.--Jack down at the bottom of Deep Abyss of Woe.--His Despair.--The Hour and the Man!--Where is the Woman!--A Sacred Spot.--Old Fletcher.--The Toll of the Bell.--Meditations on each Successive Stroke.--A wild search.--The Pretty Servant-maid, and her Pretty Story.--Throwing Gold About.

XXXVII. My own affairs.--A Drive and how it came off.--Varying Moods.--The Excited, the Gloomy, and the Gentlemanly.--Straying about Montmorency.--Revisiting a memorable Scene.--Effect of said Scene.--A Mute Appeal and an Appeal in Words.--Result of the Appeals.--"Will You Turn Away?"--Grand Result.--Climax.--Finale.--A General Understanding all round, and a Universal Explanation of Numerous Puzzles.

XXXVIII. Grand Conclusion.--Wedding-rings and Ball-rings.--St. Malachi's. --Old Fletcher in his glory.--No Humbug this time.--Messages sent everywhere.--All the town Agog.--Quebec on the Rampage.--St. Malachi's Crammed.--Galleries Crowded.--White Favors Everywhere.--The Widow happy with the Chaplain.--The Double Wedding.--First couple--JACK AND LOUIE! --Second ditto--MACRORIE AND MARION!--Colonel Berton and O'Halloran giving away the brides.--Strange Association of the British Officer and the Fenian.--Jack and Macrorie, Louie and Marion.--Brides and Bridegrooms.--Epithalamicm.--Wedding in high life.--Six Officiating Clergymen.--All the elite of Quebec take part.--All the Clergy, all the Military, and Everybody who amounts to any thing.--The Band of the Bobtails Discourse Sweet Music, and all that sort of thing, You Know.

THE LADY OF THE ICE.