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The Amateur Gentleman

Jeffery Farnol · Public domain text

175,312 words · about 12 h 17 min to read

Period artwork: Interior of the Bodleian Library, 1845
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About this edition

The text of The Amateur Gentleman comes from Project Gutenberg e-text #9879. It is in English and public domain in the United States. Project Gutenberg’s header and license text are removed, and RedLectern sets the text out for reading on screen; no words of the book are rewritten or summarized. More formats (EPUB, Kindle) · How RedLectern is built

This book is long enough to be split into 6 parts, so each one loads quickly on its own.

Contents (79)
  1. Opening about 4 min
  2. Chapter I about 16 min
  3. Chapter II about 4 min
  4. III. HOW BARNABAS SET OUT FOR LONDON TOWN about 6 min
  5. Chapter IV about 7 min
  6. Chapter V about 5 min
  7. Chapter VI about 10 min
  8. Chapter VII about 13 min
  9. Chapter VIII about 6 min
  10. Chapter IX about 15 min
  11. X. WHICH DESCRIBES A PERIPATETIC CONVERSATION about 14 min
  12. Chapter XI about 10 min
  13. Chapter XII about 3 min
  14. XIII. IN WHICH BARNABAS MAKES A CONFESSION about 3 min
  15. XIV. CONCERNING THE BUTTONS OF ONE MILO OF CROTONA about 7 min
  16. Chapter XV about 6 min
  17. XVI. IN WHICH BARNABAS ENGAGES ONE WITHOUT A CHARACTER about 9 min
  18. XVII. IN WHICH BARNABAS PARTS COMPANY WITH THE PERSON OF QUALITY about 3 min
  19. XVIII. HOW BARNABAS CAME TO OAKSHOTT'S BARN about 4 min
  20. Chapter XIX about 5 min
  21. XX. OF THE PROPHECY OF ONE BILLY BUTTON, A MADMAN about 10 min
  22. XXI. IN WHICH BARNABAS UNDERTAKES A MISSION about 10 min
  23. XXII. IN WHICH THE READER IS INTRODUCED TO AN ANCIENT FINGER-POST about 6 min
  24. XXIII. HOW BARNABAS SAVED HIS LIFE--BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID about 9 min
  25. XXIV. WHICH RELATES SOMETHING OF THE "WHITE LION" AT TENTERDEN about 4 min
  26. XXV. OF THE COACHMAN'S STORY about 13 min
  27. XXVI. CONCERNING THE DUTIES OF A VALET--AND A MAN about 7 min
  28. XXVII. HOW BARNABAS BOUGHT AN UNRIDABLE HORSE--AND RODE IT about 35 min
  29. Chapter XXVIII about 17 min
  30. Chapter XXIX about 10 min
  31. XXX. IN WHICH RONALD BARRYMAINE MAKES HIS CHOICE about 6 min
  32. XXXI. WHICH DESCRIBES SOME OF THE EVILS OF VINDICTIVENESS about 12 min
  33. Chapter XXXII about 15 min
  34. Chapter XXXIII about 13 min
  35. XXXIV. OF THE LUCK OF CAPTAIN SLINGSBY, OF THE GUARDS about 10 min
  36. XXXV. HOW BARNABAS MET JASPER GAUNT, AND WHAT CAME OF IT about 12 min
  37. Chapter XXXVI about 8 min
  38. XXXVII. IN WHICH THE BO'SUN DISCOURSES ON LOVE AND ITS SYMPTOMS about 8 min
  39. XXXVIII. HOW BARNABAS CLIMBED A WALL about 7 min
  40. Chapter XXXIX about 11 min
  41. XL. WHICH RELATES SUNDRY HAPPENINGS AT THE GARDEN FÊTE about 14 min
  42. Chapter XLI about 6 min
  43. XLII. IN WHICH SHALL BE FOUND FURTHER MENTION OF A FINGER-POST about 12 min
  44. XLIII. IN WHICH BARNABAS MAKES A BET, AND RECEIVES A WARNING about 12 min
  45. XLIV. OF THE TRIBULATIONS OF THE LEGS OF THE GENTLEMAN-IN-POWDER about 12 min
  46. XLV. HOW BARNABAS SOUGHT COUNSEL OF THE DUCHESS "BO'SUN?" about 15 min
  47. Chapter XLVI about 5 min
  48. XLVII. HOW BARNABAS FOUND HIS MANHOOD about 11 min
  49. Chapter XLVIII about 4 min
  50. XLIX. WHICH, BEING SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT, IS CONSEQUENTLY SHORT about 4 min
  51. L. IN WHICH RONALD BARRYMAINE SPEAKS HIS MIND about 11 min
  52. LI. WHICH TELLS HOW AND WHY MR. SHRIG'S CASE WAS SPOILED about 14 min
  53. LII. OF A BREAKFAST, A ROMAN PARENT, AND A KISS about 14 min
  54. Chapter LIII about 16 min
  55. LIV. WHICH CONCERNS ITSELF CHIEFLY WITH A LETTER about 15 min
  56. LV. WHICH NARRATES SUNDRY HAPPENINGS AT OAKSHOTT'S BARN about 7 min
  57. LVI. OF THE GATHERING OF THE SHADOWS about 10 min
  58. Chapter LVII about 3 min
  59. LVIII. HOW VISCOUNT DEVENHAM FOUND HIM A VISCOUNTESS about 5 min
  60. LIX. WHICH RELATES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, HOW BARNABAS LOST HIS HAT about 9 min
  61. LX. WHICH TELLS OF A RECONCILIATION about 6 min
  62. LXI. HOW BARNABAS WENT TO HIS TRIUMPH about 12 min
  63. LXII. WHICH TELLS HOW BARNABAS TRIUMPHED IN SPITE OF ALL about 9 min
  64. LXIII. WHICH TELLS HOW BARNABAS HEARD THE TICKING OF A CLOCK about 6 min
  65. LXIV. WHICH SHOWS SOMETHING OF THE HORRORS OF REMORSE about 7 min
  66. LXV. WHICH TELLS HOW BARNABAS DISCHARGED HIS VALET about 3 min
  67. LXVI. OF CERTAIN CON-CLUSIONS DRAWN BY MR. SHRIG about 14 min
  68. Chapter LXVII about 17 min
  69. LXVIII. CONCERNING THE IDENTITY OF MR. BIMBY'S GUEST about 4 min
  70. LXIX. HOW BARNABAS LED A HUE AND CRY about 5 min
  71. LXX. WHICH TELLS HOW BARNABAS RODE ANOTHER RACE about 9 min
  72. Chapter LXXI about 8 min
  73. LXXII. HOW RONALD BARREYMAINE SQUARED HIS ACCOUNT about 13 min
  74. LXXIII. WHICH RECOUNTS THREE AWAKENINGS about 13 min
  75. Chapter LXXIV about 6 min
  76. LXXV. WHICH TELLS WHY BARNABAS FORGOT HIS BREAKFAST about 4 min
  77. LXXVI. HOW THE VISCOUNT PROPOSED A TOAST about 8 min
  78. Chapter LXXVII about 8 min
  79. Chapter LXXVIII about 15 min

The opening of Chapter I

IN WHICH BABNABAS KNOCKS DOWN HIS FATHER,
THOUGH AS DUTIFULLY AS MAY BE

John Barty, ex-champion of England and landlord of the "Coursing Hound," sat screwed round in his chair with his eyes yet turned to the door that had closed after the departing lawyer fully five minutes ago, and his eyes were wide and blank, and his mouth (grim and close-lipped as a rule) gaped, becoming aware of which, he closed it with a snap, and passed a great knotted fist across his brow.

"Barnabas," said he slowly, "I beant asleep an' dreaming be I, Barnabas?"

"No, father!"

"But--seven--'undred--thousand--pound. It were seven--'undred thousand pound, weren't it, Barnabas?"

"Yes, father!"

"Seven--'undred--thou--! No! I can't believe it, Barnabas my bye."

"Neither can I, father," said Barnabas, still staring down at the papers which littered the table before him.

Read on in Part 1 →