Romance Farnol, Jeffery: The Loring Mystery. V1. 22-Jul-2011

[weatherwax]

John Jeffery Farnol (10 February 1878 – 9 August 1952), was an English author, known for his many romantic novels, some formulaic and set in the English Regency period, and swashbucklers. He with Georgette Heyer founded the Regency romantic genre; one of his first books, The Broad Highway, has been issued in a version edited by Barbara Cartland.
He was born in Aston, Birmingham, and brought up in London and Kent. He attended the Westminster Art School, after he had lost his job in a Birmingham metal-working firm. In 1900, he married Blanche Hawley, daughter of the noted New York scenic artist Hughson Hawley; they moved to the United States, where he found work as a scene painter.

A bit of romance, a murder and some original characters.

Excerpt:
"Ha, Shrig—confound it all!" exclaimed Mr. Gillespie reproachfully, "What i' the name o' reason should bring you down on me at this time o' night?"
"Business, Mr. Gillespie sir,—and Capital business at that!"
"Capital business, Shrig——?"
"Vith a capital C, sir."
"Ha, d'ye mean—Murder?"
"As ever vas, sir."
"Why then, step in, man, step in and let me fasten the door ... though you might ha' chosen a better time——"
"V'ich, sir, I vould take the liberty to remark, the better the deed the better the hour, for this here is a murder as should inter-est you oncommon, sir!"
"Hum!" quoth Mr. Gillespie dubiously; and, having shot the last bolt, led the way into his small, comfortable parlour and motioned his visitor to be seated. Mr. Shrig forthwith drew the second elbow-chair to the hearth, in doing which he dropped his hat, which gave forth a metallic clang.
"Eh!" exclaimed Mr. Gillespie, starting, "You still wear your iron hat, it seems?"
"Steel, sir! Lined wi' steel—my own inwention, and though a bit 'eavyish p'r'aps, I've found it werry good agin' Windictiveness in the form o' bludgeons, brick-bats, and a' occasional chimbley-pot."
So saying, Mr. Shrig smoothed his headgear's shaggy nap with caressing elbow and, placing it carefully upon the floor beneath his chair together with his knobbed stick, sat down, booted legs wide-planted, a hand upon each knee, and beamed placidly round the room.
A powerfully built man was Mr. Shrig, yet an extremely genial-faced man, though of a sober habit of dress, who seemed to radiate an obtrusive mildness as he sat, albeit he possessed a very bright and roving eye.

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