Hugh Conway — Called Back; Dark Days

Bristol; London, J. W. Arrowsmith; Griffith & Farran; Griffith, Farran, Oreden & Welsh, 1884. First edition. Leather. A beautifully bound quarter-morocco set of two early Frederick John Fargus thrillers, including one first edition, with the bookplate of Horace Pym. Collection comprised of: (c1884) Called Back; (1884) Dark Days - first edition, "Arrowsmith's Christmas Annual".   Smartly bound in quarter morocco with green cloth boards. Signed binding by Birdsall & Son, Northampton.   Featuring the bookplate of Horatio Noble Pym (Horace Pym), a prominent solicitor, bibliophile, and editor of Caroline Fox's Memories of Old Friends.   Called Back undated, dated from the similarly bound Dark Days and a copy held by the British Library.   Three pages of advertisements towards the front of Dark Days.   Two popular works from Bristol-born novelist Frederick John Fargus, writing under the name Hugh Conway. Best remembered for his contributions to the mystery-thriller genre, his work was admired by the likes of Emily Dickinson. This collection includes his first novella Called Back and the similarly successful Dark Days, first published one year later in 1884. Smartly bound in quarter morocco with green cloth boards. Bookplate of Horatio Noble Pym to each front paste down, along with the binder's stamp of Birdsall & Son, Northampton. Externally, lovely condition with very minimal rubbing to leather and one or two marks to boards. Internally, firmly bound. Bright and clean copies with occasional light spotting, concentrated more to the first and last few pages of each work. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: None. Very Good Indeed .