THE FORGED COUPONPART FIRSTIFEDOR MIHAILOVICH SMOKOVNIKOV, the presi-dent of the local Income Tax Department, a manof unswerving honestyand proud of it, tooa gloomy Liberal, a free-thinker, and an enemyto every manifestation of religious feeling, whichhe thought a relic of superstition, came home fromhis office feeling very much annoyed. The Gov-ernor of the province had sent him an extraordi-narily stupid minute, almost assuming that hisdealings had been dishonest.Fedor Mihailovich felt embittered, and wroteat once a sharp answer. On his return homeeverything seemed to go contrary to his wishes.It was five minutes to five, and he expected the...　

THE GLASS MOUNTAIN[16][16] From the Polish. Kletke.Once upon a time there was a Glass Mountain at the top of whichstood a castle made of pure gold, and in front of the castlethere grew an apple-tree on which there were golden apples.Anyone who picked an apple gained admittance into the goldencastle, and there in a silver room sat an enchanted Princess ofsurpassing fairness and beauty. She was as rich too as she wasbeautiful, for the cellars of the castle were full of preciousstones, and great chests of the finest gold stood round the wallsof all the rooms.Many knights had come from afar to try their luck, but it was in...　

TWICE-TOLD TALESTHE BIRTHMARKby Nathaniel HawthorneIN THE LATTER PART of the last century, there lived a man ofscience- an eminent proficient in every branch of naturalphilosophy- who, not long before our story opens, had madeexperience of a spiritual affinity, more attractive than anychemical one. He had left his laboratory to the care of anassistant, cleared his fine countenance from the furnace-smoke, washedthe stain of acids from his fingers, and persuaded a beautiful womanto become his wife. In those days, when the comparatively recentdiscovery of electricity, and other kindred mysteries of nature,...　

The Garden PartyThe Garden PartyBy Katherine Mansfield1- Page 2-The Garden Party1. AT THE BAY.Chapter 1.I.Very early morning. The sun was not yet risen, and the whole ofCrescent Bay was hidden under a white sea-mist. The big bush-coveredhills at the back were smothered. You could not see where they endedand the paddocks and bungalows began. The sandy road was gone and...　

THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO, MOOR OF VENICEOTHELLO, MOOR OFVENICEWilliam Shakespeare16051- Page 2-THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO, MOOR OF VENICEDramatis PersonaeOTHELLO, the Moor, general of the Venetian forces DESDEMONA,his wife IAGO, ensign to Othello EMILIA, his wife, ladyinwaiting toDesdemona CASSIO, lieutenant to Othello THE DUKE OF VENICEBRABANTIO, Venetian Senator, father of Desdemona GRATIANO,nobleman of Venice, brother of Brabantio LODOVICO, nobleman of...　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE DYING DETECTIVEby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleMrs. Hudson, the landlady of Sherlock Holmes, was a long-sufferingwoman. Not only was her first-floor flat invaded at all hours bythrongs of singular and often undesirable characters but herremarkable lodger showed an eccentricity and irregularity in hislife which must have sorely tried her patience. His incredibleuntidiness, his addiction to music at strange hours, his occasionalrevolver practice within doors, his weird and often malodorousscientific experiments, and the atmosphere of violence and danger...　

THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW.THE IDLE THOUGHTSOF AN IDLE FELLOW.by JEROME K. JEROME.1- Page 2-THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW.PREFACEOne or two friends to whom I showed these papers in MS. havingobserved that they were not half bad, and some of my relations havingpromised to buy the book if it ever came out, I feel I have no right tolonger delay its issue. But for this, as one may say, public demand, I...　

Villainage in England: Essays in English Mediaeval Historyby Paul Vinogradoff1892First EssayThe Peasantry of the Feudal Age.Chapter OneThe Legal Aspect of Villainage. General ConceptionsIt has become a commonplace to oppose medieval serfdom to ancient slavery, one implying dependence on the lord of the soil and attachment to the glebe, the other being based on complete subjection to an owner. There is no doubt that great landmarks in the course of social development are set by the three modes hitherto employed of organising human labour: using the working man (1) as a chattel at will, (2) as a subordinate whose duties are fixed by custom, (3) as a free agent bound by contract. These landmar　

Treatises on Friendship and Old Ageby Marcus Tullius CiceroTranslated by E S ShuckburghINTRODUCTORY NOTEMARCUS TULLIUS CICERO, the greatest of Roman orators andthe chief master of Latin prose style, was born at Arpinum, Jan.3,106 B.C. His father, who was a man of property and belongedto the class of the "Knights," moved to Rome when Cicero was achild; and the future statesman received an elaborate education inrhetoric, law, and philosophy, studying and practising under someof the most noted teachers of the time. He began his career as anadvocate at the age of twenty-five, and almost immediately cameto be recognized not only as a man of brilliant talents but also as a...　

A PERSONAL RECORDBY JOSEPH CONRADA FAMILIAR PREFACEAs a general rule we do not want much encouragement to talk aboutourselves; yet this little book is the result of a friendlysuggestion, and even of a little friendly pressure. I defendedmyself with some spirit; but, with characteristic tenacity, thefriendly voice insisted, "You know, you really must."It was not an argument, but I submitted at once. If one must! .. .You perceive the force of a word. He who wants to persuadeshould put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right...　

The Magic Skinby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Ellen MarriageTo Monsieur Savary, Member of Le Academie des Sciences.ITHE TALISMANTowards the end of the month of October 1829 a young man entered thePalais-Royal just as the gaming-houses opened, agreeably to the lawwhich protects a passion by its very nature easily excisable. Hemounted the staircase of one of the gambling hells distinguished bythe number 36, without too much deliberation."Your hat, sir, if you please?" a thin, querulous voice called out. Alittle old man, crouching in the darkness behind a railing, suddenlyrose and exhibited his features, carved after a mean design.As you enter a gaming-house the law despoils you of your hat a　

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOODTHERE were formerly a king and a queen, who were sosorry that they had no children; so sorry that it cannotbe expressed. They went to all the waters in the world;vows, pilgrimages, all ways were tried, and all to nopurpose.At last, however, the Queen had a daughter. There wasa very fine christening; and the Princess had for her god-mothers all the fairies they could find in the whole kingdom(they found seven), that every one of them mightgive her a gift, as was the custom of fairies in those days.By this means the Princess had all the perfections imaginable.After the ceremonies of the christening were over, all...