Dr. Shannon Kelsey: A respected archaeologist, a woman of fierce independence and beauty, her passion for the great ancient mysteries has brought her to the mountains of Peru, where she stands on the threshold of an astounding discovery and on the verge of death. . .Joseph Zolar: Within a labyrinth of legitimate business enterprises, he has created a vast international empire built on illegal trade in antiquities. Now he has set his sights on the ultimate prize-golden antiquities worth almost a billion dollars and from his lavish headquarters he coolly signs the death warrant of anyone who da　

　(Starring Three Witches, also kings, daggers, crowns, storms, dwarfs, cats, ghosts, spectres, apes, bandits, demons, forests, heirs, jesters, tortures, trolls, turntables, general rejoicing and drivers alarums.)　　The wind howled. Lightning stabbed at the earth erratically, like an inefficient assassin. Thunder rolled back and forth across the dark, rain-lashed hills.　The night was as black as the inside of a cat. It was the kind of night, you could believe, on which gods moved men as though they were pawns on the chessboard of fate. In the middle of this elemental storm a fire gleamed among 　

Meditationsby Marcus AureliusCONTENTSINTRODUCTIONFIRST BOOKSECOND BOOKTHIRD BOOKFOURTH BOOKFIFTH BOOKSIXTH BOOKSEVENTH BOOKEIGHTH BOOKNINTH BOOKTENTH BOOKELEVENTH BOOKTWELFTH BOOKAPPENDIXGLOSSARYMeditationsMarcus AureliusIntroductionMARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS was born on April 26, A.D. 121. His real name was M. Annius Verus, and he was sprung of a noble family which claimed descent from Numa, second King of Rome. Thus the most religious of emperors came of the blood of the most pious of early kings. His father, Annius Verus, had held high office in Rome, and his grandfather, of the same name,　

The Half-Brothersby Elizabeth GaskellMy mother was twice married. She never spoke of her first husband,and it is only from other people that I have learnt what little Iknow about him. I believe she was scarcely seventeen when she wasmarried to him: and he was barely one-and-twenty. He rented a smallfarm up in Cumberland, somewhere towards the sea-coast; but he wasperhaps too young and inexperienced to have the charge of land andcattle: anyhow, his affairs did not prosper, and he fell into illhealth, and died of consumption before they had been three years man...　

The Origin of the Distinction of Ranksby John Millar (1735-1801)1771The Origin of the Distinction of Ranks:or, An Inquiry into the Circumstanceswhich give rise to Influence and Authority,In the Different Members of Society.by John Millar, Esq.Professor of Law in the University of GlasgowThe fourth edition, corrected.Edinburgh:Printed for William Blackwood, South-Bridge Street;And Longman, Huest, Rees, & Orme, Paternoster-Row,London, 1806.IntroductionThose who have examined the manners and custom of nations have had chiefly two objects in view. By observing the system of law established in dif　

THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARKHAMLET, PRINCE OFDENMARKWilliam Shakespeare16041- Page 2-THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARKDramatis PersonaeClaudius, King of Denmark. Marcellus, Officer. Hamlet, son to theformer, and nephew to the present king. Polonius, Lord Chamberlain.Horatio, friend to Hamlet. Laertes, son to Polonius. Voltemand, courtier....　

The Queen of the Pirate Isleby Bret HarteI first knew her as the Queen of the Pirate Isle. To the best ofmy recollection she had no reasonable right to that title. She wasonly nine years old, inclined to plumpness and good humor,deprecated violence, and had never been to sea. Need it be addedthat she did NOT live in an island and that her name was Polly?Perhaps I ought to explain that she had already known otherexperiences of a purely imaginative character. Part of herexistence had been passed as a Beggar Child,solely indicated by ashawl tightly folded round her shoulders, and chills; as 　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENIN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE SEAby Hans Christian AndersenSOME years ago, large ships were sent towards the north pole, toexplore the distant coasts, and to try how far men could penetrateinto those unknown regions. For more than a year one of these shipshad been pushing its way northward, amid snow and ice, and the sailorshad endured many hardships; till at length winter set in, and thesun entirely disappeared; for many weeks there would be constantnight. All around, as far as the eye could reach, nothing could be...　

A Face Illuminedby E. P. RoePrefaceAs may be gathered from the following pages, my title was obtaineda number of years ago, and the story has since been taking formand color in my mind. What has become of the beautiful but discordantface I saw at the concert garden I do not know, but I trust thatthe countenance it suggested, and its changes may not proveso vague and unsatisfactory as to be indistinct to the reader. Ithas looked upon the writer during the past year almost like the faceof a living maiden, and I have felt, in a way that would be hard...　

HOW TO TELL A TRUE PRINCESSThere was once upon a time a Prince who wanted to marry aPrincess, but she must be a true Princess. So he travelledthrough the whole world to find one, but there was alwayssomething against each. There were plenty of Princesses, but hecould not find out if they were true Princesses. In every casethere was some little defect, which showed the genuine articlewas not yet found. So he came home again in very low spirits,for he had wanted very much to have a true Princess. One nightthere was a dreadful storm; it thundered and lightened and the...　

The Boy CaptivesAn Incident of the Indian War of 1695by John Greenleaf WhittierTHE township of Haverhill, even as late as the close of theseventeenth century, was a frontier settlement, occupying anadvanced position in the great wilderness, which, unbroken by theclearing of a white man, extended from the Merrimac River to theFrench villages on the St. Francois. A tract of twelve miles on theriver and three or four northwardly was occupied by scatteredsettlers, while in the centre of the town a compact village hadgrown up. In the immediate vicinity there were but few Indians,...　

Annajanska, the Bolshevik Empressby George Bernard ShawANNAJANSKA is frankly a bravura piece. The modern variety theatredemands for its "turns" little plays called sketches, to lasttwenty minutes or so, and to enable some favorite performer tomake a brief but dazzling appearance on some barely passabledramatic pretext. Miss Lillah McCarthy and I, as author andactress, have helped to make one another famous on many seriousoccasions, from Man and Superman to Androcles; and Mr CharlesRicketts has not disdained to snatch moments from his paintingand sculpture to design some wonderful dresses for 　

THE GREAT HOGGARTY DIAMONDTHE GREATHOGGARTY DIAMONDBy Thackeray1- Page 2-THE GREAT HOGGARTY DIAMONDCHAPTER IGIVES AN ACCOUNT OF OUR VILLAGE AND THE FIRSTGLIMPSE OF THE DIAMONDWhen I came up to town for my second year, my aunt Hoggarty mademe a present of a diamond-pin; that is to say, it was not a diamond- pin...　

A LaodiceanA STORY OF TO-DAYby Thomas HardyCONTENTS.PREFACE CHAPTERSBOOK THE FIRST. GEORGE SOMERSET. I - XV.BOOK THE SECOND. DARE AND HAVILL. I - VII.BOOK THE THIRD. DE STANCY. I - XI.BOOK THE FOURTH. SOMERSET, DARE, AND DE STANCY. I - V.BOOK THE FIFTH. DE STANCY AND PAULA. I - XIV.BOOK THE SIXTH. PAULA. I - V.PREFACEThe changing of the old order in country manors and mansionsmay be slow or sudden, may have many issues romantic or...　

PAUL THE PEDDLEROR THE FORTUNES OF A YOUNG STREET MERCHANTBY HORATIO ALGER, JR.BIOGRAPHY AND BIBLIOGRAPHYHoratio Alger, Jr., an author who lived among and for boys andhimself remained a boy in heart and association till death, wasborn at Revere, Mass., January 13, 1834. He was the son of aclergyman, was graduated at Harvard College in 1852, and at itsDivinity School in 1860 and was pastor of the Unitarian Church atBrewster, Mass., in 1862-66.In the latter year he settled in New York and began drawing...　

The Illustrious Gaudissartby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Katharine Prescott WormeleyDEDICATIONTo Madame la Duchesse de Castries.THE ILLUSTRIOUS GAUDISSARTCHAPTER IThe commercial traveller, a personage unknown to antiquity, is one ofthe striking figures created by the manners and customs of our presentepoch. May he not, in some conceivable order of things, be destined tomark for coming philosophers the great transition which welds a periodof material enterprise to the period of intellectual strength? Our...