The Stolen March
# The Stolen March

The Stolen March is a 1926 fantasy novel by the English author Dornford Yates (Cecil William Mercer), first serialised in The Windsor Magazine.

## Plot

The novel starts credibly enough, with the return of Simon and Patricia Beaulieu (previously seen in "Simon", one of the stories in As Other Men Are). Simon falls ill, and on medical advice the couple take a relaxed caravan holiday, being driving down through France to the fictional country of Etchechuria, lying in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. En route they are joined by Eulalie (previously seen in chapter VIII of Jonah & Co, 1922) and Pomfret Tudor. There, fantastic things start to happen: they are addressed by a mule speaking English, and find themselves in a land peopled by animated illustrations and nursery rhyme characters. The tone becomes darker, and some of the characters start to develop murderous intent.

## Background

Mercer himself loved the book, but recognised that many readers did not, including the editor of The Windsor Magazine. The novel would probably not have been accepted for serialisation had the editor realised at the start where the opening situation would ultimately lead.

## Chapters

| Chapter | Book Title | Windsor Title | Date | Volume | Issue | Pages | Illustrator |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| I | The Open Road | The Paying Of Paul | August 1925 | LXII | 368 | 241-255 | Norah Schlegel |
| II | Enter Pomfret | The Rule Of Three | September 1925 | LXII | 369 | 361-375 | Norah Schlegel |
| III | Blind Country | The Way Of A Man With A Mule | October 1925 | LXII | 370 | 479-492 | Norah Schlegel |
| IV | Love Among The Mountains | On Velvet | November 1925 | LXII | 371 | 589-602 | Norah Schlegel |
| V | Blood Royal | All On A Summer's Day | December 1925 | LXIII | 372 | 59-76 | Norah Schlegel |
| VI | Publican And Sinner | Up To Date | January 1926 | LXIII | 373 | 180-195 | Norah Schlegel |
| VII | The Cloven Hoof | The Short Lane | February 1926 | LXIII | 374 | 275-291 | Norah Schlegel |
| VIII | Gathering Clouds | The Peck Of Pepper | March 1926 | LXIII | 375 | 405-419 | Norah Schlegel |
| IX | King, Queen And Knave | Le Roy Le Veut | April 1926 | LXIII | 376 | 540-554 | Norah Schlegel |
| X | Hue And Cry | Le Roy Le Veut/The Last Jest | April-May 1926 | LXIII | 376-377 | 554-560 & 649-655 | Norah Schlegel |
| XI | Dolores | The Last Jest | May 1926 | LXIII | 377 | 655-667 | Norah Schlegel |

## Critical reception

Mercer’s autobiographer AJ Smithers, writing in 1982, considered that this book contains some of the author’s best pastoral writing, and that some of it is very funny indeed.

## Sequel

Mercer reported that he had "had a great many requests that I should turn again to Etchechuria" and had begun writing a book entitled The Tempered Wind which had reached fifty-one pages when his "subconscious brain stopped dead" and he eventually abandoned the project.

