The Wages of Virtue

by Percival Christopher Wren

Layout 2

 

THE
WAGES OF VIRTUE

BY PERCIVAL CHRISTOPHER WREN

 

CHEAPER EDITION

 

LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBERMARLE STREET

 

[Front matter]

 

First Edition	November, 1916
Reprinted	December, 1916
Reprinted	May, 1917
Reprinted	September, 1917
Reprinted (2/-)	January, 1920
Reprinted (3/6)	April, 1925

 

All rights reserved

 

 

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

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BEAU GESTE
Sixth Large Edition. 7s. 6d. net.

“Well-told, absorbing romance.” —Morning Post.

“A story of rare quality from every point of view.”–Daily Telegraph.

STEPSONS OF FRANCE
Third Edition. 7s. 6d. net.

“Clear-cut stories of the French Foreign Legion. All the strong lights and shadows of that cruel world where their scenes are laid are in his work.”–Country Life.

 

 

TO

THE CHARMINGEST WOMAN

 

CONTENTS

CHAPTER		PAGE
	Prologue	xi
I.	Soap and Sit Montague Merline	1
II.	A Barrack-Room of the Legion	37
III.	Carmelita et Cie	62
IV.	The Canteen of the Legion	99
V.	The Trivial Round	120
VI.	Le Cafard and Other Things	156
VII.	The Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing	178
VIII.	The Temptation of Sir Montague Merline⁠	211
IX.	The Café and the Canteen	231
X.	The Wages of Sin	255
XI.	Greater Love…	270
	Epilogue	299

 

“Vivandière du régiment,
C’est Catin qu’on me nomme;
Je vends, je donne, je bois gaiment,
Mon vin et mon rogomme;
J’ai le pied leste et l’œil mutin,
Tintin, tintin, tintin, r’lin tintin,
Soldats, voilà Catin!

“Je fus chère à tous nos héros;
Hélas! combien j’en pleure,
Ainsi soldats et généraux
Me comblaient à tout heure
D’amour, de gloire et de butin,
Soldats, voilà Catin!”

Béranger.