S. Levett Yeats

S. K. Levett-Yeats was a British government official attached to the Public Works Dept. of the Indian Civil Service. He wrote in his spare time. He is reputed to have much admired Rudyard Kipling's works, but apart from a few short stories none of his published works reflect his experiences in India. He chose instead to write historical romances set mainly in sixteenth century France, much in the vein of Stanley J. Weyman, who was one of the most successful writers of that genre in the late 19th century. Little is known of Levett-Yeats' private life. There is a rumour that as a young man he and Kipling once vied for the affections of the same young lady. Whether there is any truth in this story remains conjecture. However, a letter by Kipling confirms that they knew each other 'in the old days' from the Punjab Club in Lahore, and discussed story-telling. His active writing period was from 1895 to 1904. In 1906 he married a lady named Mildred Eagles, and does not appear to have published anything after this date. He was awarded the C.I.E. in recognition of his services in India. His published works (with date of first edition) are: The Chevalier d'Auriac. London : Longmans, Green, 1897. A Galahad of the Creeks and other stories. London : Longmans, Green, 1897. The Heart of Denise and other tales. London : Longmans, Green, 1898. The Honour of Savelli : a Romance. London : Sa…