
S. BARING-GOULD
CHAPTER PAGE - I. AT THE SIGN OF THE SHIP 1 - II. WANDERING SOULS 8 - III. THE PUNCH-BOWL 14 - IV. WITHOUT A ROOF 22 - V. MEHETABEL 28 - VI. MEHETABEL IT MUST BE 35 - VII. FALSE PERSPECTIVE 41 - VIII. ONLY A CHARITY GIRL 48 - IX. BIDEABOUT 55 - X. INTO THE NET 63 - XI. A SURNAME AT LAST 70 - XII. UNEXPECTED 77 - XIII. HOME 85 - XIV. NOT PARADISE 92 - XV. IVER 98 - XVI. AGAIN IVER 105 - XVII. DREAMS 112 - XVIII. REALITIES 117 - XIX. BACK AGAIN 124 - XX. GONE 131 - XXI. THOR'S STONE 137 - XXII. IVER! COME 144 - XXIII. A SHOT 149 - XXIV. THE IRONSTONE HAMMER 156 - XXV. AN APPARITION 162 - XXVI. A SECRET 169 - XXVII. POISON 176 - XXVIII. A THREAT 182 - XXIX. A HERALD OF STRIFE 189 - XXX. A BEQUEST 195 - XXXI. SURPRISES 203 - XXXII. ANOTHER SURPRISE 208 - XXXIII. MARKHAM 216 - XXXIV. THE PICTURE 222 - XXXV. THE ONLY CHANCE 228 - XXXVI. THE SLEEPING DRAUGHT 235 - XXXVII. A MENACED LIFE 243 - XXXVIII. SHUT OUT 249 - XXXIX. AT THE SILK MILL 256 - XL. BY THE HAMMER POND 262 - XLI. WANDERERS 268 - XLII. THE CAVE 275 - XLIII. AT COLPUS'S 282 - XLIV. AGAIN-IRONSTONE 288 - XLV. IN HOPE 294 - XLVI. A TROUBLED HOPE 300 - XLVII. BEFORE THE JUDGE 307 - XLVIII. THE VERDICT 314 - XLIX. WELCOME 321 - L. MOVE ON 327 - LI. THOR'S STONE AGAIN 334 - LII. THE ROSE-CLOUD 341 - THE BROOM-SQUIRE - CHAPTER I. - AT THE SIGN OF THE SHIP.
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CHAPTER II. - WANDERING SOULS.
CHAPTER III. - THE PUNCH-BOWL.
CHAPTER IV. - WITHOUT A ROOF.
CHAPTER V. - MEHETABEL.
CHAPTER VI. - MEHETABEL IT MUST BE.
CHAPTER VII. - FALSE PERSPECTIVE.
CHAPTER VIII. - ONLY A CHARITY GIRL.
A gritty tavern perched on the old road between Godalming and Portsmouth becomes the stage for a sudden, salty entrance: a weary sailor staggers in, a baby cradled against his chest and a single, muddied hand clutching a tankard. The landlady’s sharp tongue and quick wit clash with his rough humor, turning a simple demand for ale into a lively duel of words that hints at deeper troubles beyond the fog‑filled weald. Within the clatter of mugs and the scent of fly‑poisoned saucers, listeners sense a community of rough‑hewn characters whose lives intersect at this crossroads of travel and trade.
As the sailor insists the infant is his daughter, the tavern’s cramped tables become a confessional of secrets, responsibility, and the uneasy balance between duty and escape. The scene captures the restless energy of a nineteenth‑century England where strangers drift in from the sea, each bearing a story that could unravel into adventure or misfortune. This opening promises a blend of humor, social observation, and the lingering question of what pushed a father to wander the road with his child in tow.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (591K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2009-10-28
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1834–1924
Best known for writing the hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers," this remarkably versatile Victorian author also collected folk songs, wrote novels and legends, and ranged widely across history, folklore, and religion. His work has the energy of a curious mind that never wanted to stay in a single lane.
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