IN BRIEF AUTHORITY

BY F. ANSTEY

AUTHOR OF "VICE VERSÂ," "A FALLEN IDOL," "THE PARIAH," "THE GIANT'SROBE," "LYRE AND LANCET," "THE BRASS BOTTLE," "THE TALKING HORSE andOther Tales," "SALTED ALMONDS," ETC.

LONDON
SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE
1915

[All rights reserved]

Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
at the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh

To
Peggy

AUTHOR'S NOTE

It may be as well to mention here that the whole of this book wasplanned, and at least three-fourths of it actually written, in thosehappy days, which now seem so pathetically distant, when we were stillat peace—days when, to all but a very few, so hideous a calamity as aWorld-War seemed a danger that had passed for the present, and mightnever recur; when even those few could hardly have foreseen that Englandwould be so soon compelled to fight for her very existence against themost efficient and deadly foe it has ever been her lot to encounter.

But, as the central idea of this story happens to be inseparablyconnected with certain characters and incidents of German origin, I haveleft them unaltered—partly because it would have been difficult, if notimpossible, to substitute any others, but mainly because I cannot bringmyself to believe that the nursery friends of our youth could ever beregarded as enemies.

F. ANSTEY.

September 1915.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. "The Skirts of Happy Chance"
CHAPTER II. Rushing to Conclusions
CHAPTER III. Fine Feathers
CHAPTER IV. Crowned Heads
CHAPTER V. Dignity under Difficulties
CHAPTER VI. Cares of State
CHAPTER VII. A Game they did not understand
CHAPTER VIII. "A Steed that knows his Rider"
CHAPTER IX. The Pleasures of the Table
CHAPTER X. The Blonde Beast
CHAPTER XI. A Way Out
CHAPTER XII. Unwelcome Announcements
CHAPTER XIII. What the Pigeon Said
CHAPTER XIV. Bag and Baggage
CHAPTER XV. "Riven With Vain Endeavour"
CHAPTER XVI. "A Cloud that's Dragonish"
CHAPTER XVII. The Reward of Valour
CHAPTER XVIII. A Previous Engagement
CHAPTER XIX. Servants of the Queen
CHAPTER XX. At the End of her Tether
...