The Quest of the Silver Fleece: A Novel Read online

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  THE QUEST OF THE SILVER FLEECE

  _A Novel_

  W.E.B. DU BOIS

  1911

  A.C. McClurg & Co.

  _Contents_

  THE QUEST OF THE SILVER FLEECE

  _Note from the Author_ 3

  _One_: DREAMS 5

  _Two_: THE SCHOOL 12

  _Three_: MISS MARY TAYLOR 16

  _Four_: TOWN 23

  _Five_: ZORA 33

  _Six_: COTTON 42

  _Seven_: THE PLACE OF DREAMS 53

  _Eight_: MR. HARRY CRESSWELL 66

  _Nine_: THE PLANTING 74

  _Ten_: MR. TAYLOR CALLS 84

  _Eleven_: THE FLOWERING OF THE FLEECE 99

  _Twelve_: THE PROMISE 108

  _Thirteen_: MRS. GREY GIVES A DINNER 122

  _Fourteen_: LOVE 128

  _Fifteen_: REVELATION 134

  _Sixteen_: THE GREAT REFUSAL 146

  _Seventeen_: THE RAPE OF THE FLEECE 154

  _Eighteen_: THE COTTON CORNER 162

  _Nineteen_: THE DYING OF ELSPETH 171

  _Twenty_: THE WEAVING OF THE SILVER FLEECE 182

  _Twenty-one_: THE MARRIAGE MORNING 191

  _Twenty-two_: MISS CAROLINE WYNN 199

  _Twenty-three_: THE TRAINING OF ZORA 210

  _Twenty-four_: THE EDUCATION OF ALWYN 218

  _Twenty-five_: THE CAMPAIGN 230

  _Twenty-six_: CONGRESSMAN CRESSWELL 244

  _Twenty-seven_: THE VISION OF ZORA 254

  _Twenty-eight_: THE ANNUNCIATION 263

  _Twenty-nine_: A MASTER OF FATE 271

  _Thirty_: THE RETURN OF ZORA 283

  _Thirty-one_: A PARTING OF WAYS 293

  _Thirty-two_: ZORA'S WAY 309

  _Thirty-three_: THE BUYING OF THE SWAMP 316

  _Thirty-four_: THE RETURN OF ALWYN 328

  _Thirty-five_: THE COTTON MILL 339

  _Thirty-six_: THE LAND 350

  _Thirty-seven_: THE MOB 364

  _Thirty-eight_: ATONEMENT 371

  THE QUEST OF THE SILVER FLEECE

  TO ONE

  whose name may not be written but to whose tirelessfaith the shaping of these cruder thoughts to forms more fitly perfect is doubtless due, this finished work is herewith dedicated

  _Note_

  He who would tell a tale must look toward three ideals: to tell it well,to tell it beautifully, and to tell the truth.

  The first is the Gift of God, the second is the Vision of Genius, butthe third is the Reward of Honesty.

  In _The Quest of the Silver Fleece_ there is little, I ween, divine oringenious; but, at least, I have been honest. In no fact or picture haveI consciously set down aught the counterpart of which I have not seen orknown; and whatever the finished picture may lack of completeness, thislack is due now to the story-teller, now to the artist, but never to theherald of the Truth.

  NEW YORK CITY

  _August 15, 1911_

  THE AUTHOR