THE DUCHESS OF WREXE

HER DECLINE AND DEATH

A ROMANTIC COMMENTARY

BY HUGH WALPOLE

Author of "Fortitude," etc.

NEW YORK
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY

Copyright, 1914,
By George H. Doran Company

TO
MY MOTHER
A SMALL EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE
BEYOND WORDS

THE RISING CITY: I

THE DUCHESS OF WREXE

NOTE: This is an age of Trilogies and Sequels. The title at the beginning of this book, "The Rising City: I," may lead nervous readers to fear yet another attempt in that extended and discursive direction.

To reassure them I wish to emphasize this point—that The Duchess of Wrexe is entirely a novel complete and independent in itself. It is grouped, with the two stories that will follow it, under the heading of "The Rising City" because the three novels will be connected in place, in idea, and in sequence of time. Also certain of the same characters will appear in all three books. But the novels are not intended as sequels of one another, nor is "The Rising City" a Trilogy.—H. W.

CONTENTS

BOOK I. THE DUCHESS

CHAPTER I. Felix Brun, Dr. Christopher, Rachel Beaminster—They Are Surveyed by the Portrait
CHAPTER II. Rachel
CHAPTER III. Lady Adela
CHAPTER IV. The Pool
CHAPTER V. She Comes Out
CHAPTER VI. Fans
CHAPTER VII. In the Heart of the House
CHAPTER VIII. The Tiger
CHAPTER IX. The Golden Cage
CHAPTER X. Lizzie and Breton
CHAPTER XI. Her Grace's Day
CHAPTER XII. Defiance of the Tiger—I
CHAPTER XIII. Defiance of the Tiger—II

BOOK II: RACHEL

CHAPTER I. The Pool and the Snow
CHAPTER II. A Little House
CHAPTER III. First Sequel to Defiance
CHAPTER IV. Rachel—and Christopher and Roddy
CHAPTER V. Lizzie's Journey—I
CHAPTER VI. All the Beaminsters
CHAPTER VII. Rachel and Breton
CHAPTER VIII. Christopher's Day
CHAPTER IX. The Darkest Hour
CHAPTER X. Lizzie's Journey—II
CHAPTER XI. Roddy Is Master
CHAPTER XII. Lizzie's Journey—III

BOOK III: RODDY

CHAPTER I. Regent's Park—Breton and Lizzie
CHAPTER II. The Duchess Moves