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The Luck of the Vails: A Novel

E. F. Benson

The story begins with an atmospheric depiction of the frost-bound village of Vail where the protagonist, Harry Vail, navigates his feelings of isolation and self-identity as he comes of age.

"The Luck of the Vails" by E. F. Benson is a novel. The story begins with an atmospheric depiction of the frost-bound village of Vail where the protagonist, Harry Vail, navigates his feelings of isolation and self-identity as he comes of age.

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Read a passage

The short winter's day was drawing to its close, and twilight, the steel and silver twilight of a windless frost, falling in throbs of clear dusk over an ice-bound land. The sun, brilliant but cold as an electric lamp, had not in all the hours of its shining been of strength sufficient to melt the rime congealed during the night before, and each blade of grass on the lawns, each spray and sprig on the bare hedgerows, had remained a spear of crystals minute and innumerable. The roofs of house and cottage sparkled and glimmered as with a soft internal lustre in the light of the moon, which had risen an hour before sunset, and the stillness of great cold, a thing more palpably motionless than even the stricken noonday of the south, gripped all in its vice. Silent, steadfast lights had sprung up and multiplied in the many-windowed village, but not a bird chirped nor dog barked. Labourers were home from the iron of the frozen fields, doors were shut, and the huge night was at hand.

Contents

  1. 01Chapter I
  2. 02The Shadows Dance
  3. 03Chapter II
  4. 04The Coming of the Luck
  5. 05Chapter III
  6. 06The Spell Begins to Work
  7. 07Chapter IV
  8. 08The Story of Mr. Francis
  9. 09Chapter V
  10. 10A Point in Casuistry
  11. 11Chapter VI
  12. 12The Point Solved—The Meeting
  13. 13Chapter VII
  14. 14The Point in Casuistry Solves Itself
  15. 15Chapter VIII
  16. 16The Second Return to Vail
  17. 17Chapter IX
  18. 18Cardiac
  19. 19Chapter X
  20. 20Mr. Francis Is Better
  21. 21Chapter XI
  22. 22Mr. Francis Sees His Doctor
  23. 23Chapter XII
  24. 24The Meeting in the Wood
  25. 25Chapter XIII
  26. 26Harry Asks a Question
  27. 27Chapter XIV
  28. 28Lady Oxted's Idea
  29. 29Part II
  30. 30Chapter XV
  31. 31Frost
  32. 32Chapter XVI
  33. 33Fire
  34. 34Chapter XVII
  35. 35A Bird of Night
  36. 36Chapter XVIII
  37. 37Rain
  38. 38Chapter XIX
  39. 39Geoffrey Leaves Vail
  40. 40Chapter XX
  41. 41Dr. Armytage Arrives
  42. 42Chapter XXI
  43. 43Geoffrey Meets the Doctor
  44. 44Chapter XXII
  45. 45Lady Oxted Has a Bad Night
  46. 46Chapter XXIII
  47. 47The Meeting in Grosvenor Square
  48. 48Chapter XXIV
  49. 49Jim Goes to Bed
  50. 50Chapter XXV
  51. 51Mr. Francis Sleeps
  52. 52Epilogue
  53. 53The End

About this edition

Author
E. F. Benson
Language
English
Era
Modern (c. 1800–1945)
Reading level
Introductory: no background needed
Formats
EPUB, PDF
Length
343 pages
This edition
Modern Philosophers

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