The Wooings of Jezebel Pettyfer inscribed copy to his wife, Haldane Macfall 1925

MACFALL, Haldane. The Wooings of Jezebel Pettyfer. Inscribed by the Author to His Wife; Later Barry Humphries's Copy.
 
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1925.
 
First American edition. 8vo. 371 pp. Original green cloth boards with red cloth spine, titles and decoration in black to the spine, and the device of Knopf's Blue Jade Library blind-stamped to the upper board. Inscribed by Haldane MacFall to his wife on the front free endpaper: "Mabel Haldane Macfall / with the love of her husband / Haldane Macfall", dated 12 September 1925. With Mabel Haldane MacFall's large pictorial bookplate and the later bookplate of Barry Humphries to the front pastedown. Some irregular fading and light marking to the green cloth, the spine lettering dulled, and minor rubbing to the extremities. Internally clean and firm. Very Good.
 
A family association copy of the first American edition of MacFall's scarce first novel, inscribed by the author to his wife. First published in London by Grant Richards in 1898, The Wooings of Jezebel Pettyfer was revived by Alfred A. Knopf in 1925 following continued demand for a work whose first edition had rapidly become difficult to obtain.
 
Set principally in the West Indies and narrated by Jehu Sennacherib Dyle, commonly known as Masheen Dyle, the novel hinges on a supernatural incident. MacFall drew upon his own experience of service in Jamaica. Haldane MacFall was a soldier, novelist, artist and influential critic of art.  A scarce first American edition due previous ownership: inscribed by the author to his wife and subsequently owned by Barry Humphries.