POOR
RELATIONS
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
POOR RELATIONS
SYLVIA & MICHAEL
PLASHERS MEAD
SYLVIA SCARLETT
————————————
Harper & Brothers Publishers
POOR RELATIONS
By COMPTON MACKENZIE
Author of "SYLVIA SCARLETT" "SYLVIA AND MICHAEL"ETC.
HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
POOR RELATIONS
Copyright, 1919, by Harper & Brothers
Printed in the United States of America
Published February, 1920
B-U
| CHAPTER: III, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI |
THIS THEME IN C MAJOR WITH VARIATIONS IS INSCRIBED TO THE ROMANTIC ANDMYSTERIOUS MAJOR C BY ONE WHO WAS PRIVILEGED TO SERVE UNDER HIM DURINGMORE THAN TWO YEARS OF WAR
CAPRI, APRIL 30, 1919.
Poor
Relations
CHAPTER I
THERE was nothing to distinguish the departure of the Murmania fromthat of any other big liner leaving New York in October for Liverpool orSouthampton. At the crowded gangways there was the usual rain ofultimate kisses, from the quayside the usual gale of speedinghandkerchiefs. Ladies in blanket-coats handed over to the arrangement oftheir table-stewards the expensive bouquets presented by friends who, asthe case might be, had been glad or sorry to see them go. Middle-agedgentlemen, who were probably not at all conspicuous on shore, at oncemade their appearance in caps that they might have felt shy aboutwearing even during their university prime. Children in the firstconfusion of settling down ate more chocolates from the gift boxes lyingabout the cabins than they were likely to be given (or perhaps to want)for some time. Two young women with fresh complexions, s