THE WHITE LIE.
For a few seconds Jean stood motionless, staring at the lifeless body of
her husband, who lay with face upturned, the evil eyes closed, the hands
listless by his sides.
His head was towards the window, close to a small gilt settee, his feet
towards the door.
She stood with her eyes full of horror, fixed upon the white, dead face.
In that dread moment a veritable lifetime of despair swept through her
fevered brain.
The servants, with hushed, terrified voices, were searching the rooms on
the ground floor. She could hear Miss Oliver speaking.
Their footsteps sounded on the big, tiled hall outside the door. What if
Adolphe were captured leaving the premises?
She held her breath. All her self-possession was required now, for she
also recognised Bracondale's voice. He had returned!
Was silence judicious in those circumstances? She decided it was not.
Therefore she gave vent to a loud scream--a scream which told them where
she was.
In a moment they all burst into the room--Bracondale in his evening
clothes, Miss Oliver in her dressing-gown, and the two footmen, who had
hastily dressed, one of them without his coat.
The servants, seeing a man lying upon the carpet, halted upon the
threshold, but Bracondale dashed forward to his wife, who stood with her
hands to her brow in frantic terror. She was, he saw, on the verge of
fainting. Therefore he took her in his arms and hastily inquired what
had occurred.
"He's dead--I believe!" gasped one of the footmen, in French.
"Jean! What has happened?" Bracondale demanded, in amazement. "Tell me,
dearest."
But she was too agitated to speak. She only clung to him and, burying
her face upon his shoulder, sobbed hysterically, while Miss Oliver
rushed away for a smelling-bottle.
"Who is this man?" Bracondale asked in a hard voice. "What is the
matter? The servants heard a shot just after I came in. They came to me
in the study--but I had heard nothing."
She raised her wild eyes to his, and then glanced round the pretty
apartment. Her gaze fell upon Ralph Ansell's dead face, and she
shuddered and shrank back. Her mouth was twitching. She was hysterical,
and could say nothing.
"Tell me, Jean. What does all this mean?" asked Bracondale, very
quietly, considering the circumstances.
"Ah! no dear!" she cried. "Don't ask me--don't ask me! I--I killed him!"
"Killed him!" echoed her husband blankly. "What do you mean? You are not
yourself, dearest."
She looked at the servants meaningly.
"Will you leave us alone?" Bracondale said, turning to them just as Miss
Oliver returned with the bottle of smelling-salts.
They all left the room, including the governess, husband and wife being
left with the dead man.
"Tell me, darling, what has occurred?" asked Bracondale in a soft,
sympathetic voice, endeavouring to calm her.
For a long time she refused to answer. She could not bring herself to
speak a lie to him, not even a white lie! The night had been so full of
horror and tragedy that she was beside herself. She wondered whether it
were not, after all, a horrible dream.
Yet no! It was true. Ralph Ansell was dead. He had carried his secret
with him to the grave, and she was free--free! She was really Lady
Bracondale, the mother of Bracondale's child!
She had been at the point of confessing. But no. Bracondale must know
nothing.
"You killed this man, Jean?" her husband was saying in a low, intense
voice. "Why?"
"I--I--he attacked me, and I----"
She did not conclude her sentence.
"Why, your neck is all black and blue!" Bracondale said, noticing it for
the first time.
"He tried to strangle me, then he intended to shoot me," she said
hysterically. "We struggled--and--and it--it went off!"
"But who is he?"
"How can I tell?" she asked frantically. "I came in here unexpectedly,
and saw him with my pearls in his hand. I--I demanded them back, but he
refused. I threatened to shout and alarm the servants, but he sprang
upon me and tried to strangle me!"
Bracondale, for the first time, noticed that the morocco jewel-case
stood open on the table.
"He must have got them from your bedroom!" he exclaimed; and then, his
quick eye catching sight of the tinder of the burnt letter in the fender
of the stove, he bent, picked it up, and remarked:
"He seems to have also burnt something. I wonder what it was?"
His lordship crossed the carpet and stood looking upon the dead face.
"Who is he? Do you know, Jean?" he inquired in a serious, intense tone.
"I--I have no idea."
"The police will establish his identity, no doubt. I will telephone for
them," he said. "But where are the pearls now?"
"In his pocket, I expect," she said.
Bracondale bent and hastily felt the outside of one of the dead man's
pockets. But they were not there.
He felt the other, and, discovering them, drew out the beautiful string,
and replaced it in its box.
"An expert thief, I should say, from his dress," remarked Bracondale.
"He wears gloves, too--just as all modern burglars do."
"He nearly strangled me," Jean declared weakly.
"It was fortunate that the revolver went off during the struggle, or he
might have killed you, dearest. Ah! you are a brave girl. The papers
will, no doubt, be full of this!"
"Ah! no!" she implored. "Do not let us have any publicity. I--I hate to
think that I have killed a man--even though he be an armed burglar."
"But the law permits you to take life in self-defence, therefore do not
trouble yourself over it. He would, no doubt, have killed you with
little compunction, rather than forego carrying away his prize."
"Yes--but----"
"No," urged her husband kindly. "Do not let us discuss it further. Come
with me to your room. I will telephone to the police in Havre, and leave
the rest to them. Come, dearest, you have had a terrible experience, and
you must rest quietly now--and recover."
He linked his arms in hers tenderly, and conducted her slowly from the
presence of that white, dead countenance she knew, alas! too well.
After taking her to her room and leaving her in the hands of Bates, her
maid, he descended, and from the study telephoned to the Chef de la
Surete at Havre.
Then, receiving a reply that three agents of police would at once be
dispatched on cycles, he went upstairs to where she was seated in a big
arm-chair, pale and trembling, still suffering from the shock.
It was only when they were again alone, and he took her in his strong
arms, kissed her fondly upon the lips, and softly reassured her, that
she could summon courage to speak.
"You do love me, Jack?" she asked with intense, eager eyes. "You do
really love me? Tell me."
"Why, of course I do, dearest," he declared. "Why do you ask? Have you
not seen that I love you?"
"I--I--yes, I know. But I thought perhaps you----"
She hesitated. She was wondering if he suspected anything. But no. She
was free! Adolphe, ever sympathetic and ever faithful to her interests,
had saved her. Yet, poor fellow, he was only a thief!
She swallowed the big lump that arose in her throat, and then, throwing
her long, white arms wildly about her husband's neck, she kissed him
with a fierce, intense passion, bursting into tears--tears of joy.
True, she had told a white lie, but in the circumstances, could you, my
reader, blame her?
THE END.
LONDON: WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED.
Ward, Lock & Co.'s
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THE IMPOSTOR. 6_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE QUEEN.--"Mr. Bindloss writes books which are always good to read.
His writing is uniformly good, and his books are always sane, intensely
interesting, and dealing with subjects that cannot fail to concern a
wide public."
THE WASTREL. 6_s._
THE TIMES.--"Mr. Bindloss's books are unchangeably true to type; and in
the distracting medley of modern fiction they calm and regulate the
mind."
THE ALLINSON HONOUR. 6_s._
THE SPORTSMAN.--"The simplicity and force of the language, and the
abiding air of reality about the several adventures, make it hard to
put down before it had been gone through to the last page."
BLAKE'S BURDEN. 6_s._
A story of brisk, unflagging interest and adventure.
J. S. FLETCHER
THE SECRET CARGO. 6_s._
SHEFFIELD DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"Those who enjoy a good detective story
will revel in Mr. J. S. Fletcher's 'The Secret Cargo.' The plot is
clever and novel and it is capably worked out."
GUY BOOTHBY
THE RACE OF LIFE. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE ENGLISH REVIEW.--"Ahead even of Mr. Cutcliffe Hyne and Conan Doyle,
Mr. Boothby may be said to have topped popularity's pole."
THE CRIME OF THE UNDER SEAS. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE SPEAKER.--"Is quite the equal in art, observation, and dramatic
intensity to any of Mr. Guy Boothby's numerous other romances."
A BID FOR FREEDOM. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE SHEFFIELD TELEGRAPH.--"A fully written romance, which bristles with
thrilling passages, exciting adventures, and hairbreadth escapes."
A TWO-FOLD INHERITANCE. 5_s._, and 6_d._
PUNCH.--"Just the very book that a hard-working man should read for
genuine relaxation."
CONNIE BURT. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE BIRMINGHAM GAZETTE.--"One of the best stories we have seen of Mr.
Boothby's."
THE KIDNAPPED PRESIDENT. 5_s._, and 6_d._
PUBLIC OPINION.--"Brighter, crisper, and more entertaining than any of
its predecessors from the same pen."
MY STRANGEST CASE. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE YORKSHIRE POST.--"No work of Mr. Boothby's seems to us to have
approached in skill his new story."
FAREWELL, NIKOLA. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"Guy Boothby's famous creation of Dr. Nikola
has become familiar to every reader of fiction."
MY INDIAN QUEEN. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE SUNDAY SPECIAL.--"A vivid story of adventure and daring, bearing
all the characteristics of careful workmanship."
LONG LIVE THE KING. 5_s._, 2_s._ net, and 6_d._
THE ABERDEEN FREE PRESS.--"It is marvellous that Mr. Boothby's novels
should be all so uniformly good."
A PRINCE OF SWINDLERS. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE SCOTSMAN.--"Of absorbing interest. The exploits are described in
an enthralling vein."
A MAKER OF NATIONS. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE SPECTATOR.--"'A Maker of Nations' enables us to understand Mr.
Boothby's vogue. It has no lack of movement or incident."
THE RED RAT'S DAUGHTER. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"Mr. Guy Boothby's name on the title-page of a
novel carries with it the assurance of a good story to follow."
LOVE MADE MANIFEST. 5_s._, and 6_d._
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"One of those tales of exciting adventure in the
confection of which Mr. Boothby is not excelled by any novelist of the
day."
PHAROS THE EGYPTIAN. 5_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE SCOTSMAN.--"This powerful novel is weird and soul-thrilling. There
never was in this world so strange and wonderful a love story."
ACROSS THE WORLD FOR A WIFE. 5_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE BRITISH WEEKLY.--"This stirring tale ranks next to 'Dr. Nikola' in
the list of Mr. Boothby's novels."
THE LUST OF HATE. 5_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE DAILY GRAPHIC.--"Whoever wants dramatic interest let him read 'The
Lust of Hate.'"
THE FASCINATION OF THE KING. 5_s._, 2_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE BRISTOL MERCURY.--"Unquestionably the best work we have yet seen
from the pen of Mr. Guy Boothby."
DR. NIKOLA. 5_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE SCOTSMAN.--"One hairbreadth escape succeeds another with rapidity
that scarce leaves the reader breathing space."
THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE DEVIL. 5_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE YORKSHIRE POST.--"A more exciting romance no man could reasonably
ask for."
A BID FOR FORTUNE. 5_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE MANCHESTER COURIER.--"It is impossible to give any idea of the
verve with which the story is told. The most original novel of the
year."
IN STRANGE COMPANY. 5_s._, 1_s._, 6_d._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE WORLD.--"A capital novel. It has the quality of life and stir, and
will carry the reader with curiosity unabated to the end."
THE MARRIAGE OF ESTHER. 5_s._, 7_d._ net, and 6_d._
THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.--"There is a vigour and a power of illusion
about it that raises it quite above the level of the ordinary novel of
adventure."
BUSHIGRAMS. 5_s._
THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN.--"Intensely interesting. Forces from us, by
its powerful artistic realism, those choky sensations which it should
be the aim of the human writer to elicit, whether in comedy or
tragedy."
SHEILAH McLEOD. 5_s._, and 6_d._
MR. W. L. ALDEN IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.--"Mr. Boothby can crowd more
adventure into a square foot of canvas than any other novelist."
DR. NIKOLA'S EXPERIMENT. 5_s._, and 6_d._
Illustrated by Sidney Cowell.
THE MAN OF THE CRAG. 5_s._, and 6_d._
ARTHUR W. MARCHMONT
IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE. 6_s._
NORTH DEVON JOURNAL.--"A novel of absorbing interest. The plot is
developed very cleverly, and there is a delightful love theme."
IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. 6_s._
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"A well-sustained and thrilling narrative."
THE LITTLE ANARCHIST. 6_s._
THE SCOTSMAN.--"A romance brimful of incident and arousing in the
reader a healthy interest that carries him along with never a pause."
AN IMPERIAL MARRIAGE. 6_s._
THE SCOTSMAN.--"The action never flags, the romantic element is always
paramount, so that the production is bound to appeal successfully to
all lovers of spirited fiction."
UNDER THE BLACK EAGLE. 6_s._
SHEFFIELD DAILY TELEGRAPH.--"Is a sensational story of very
considerable merit, with a clever plot and a series of exciting
incidents. It is a capital piece of work."
THE HEIR TO THE THRONE. 6_s._
This new novel of Mr. Marchmont's is more attractive than any that have
preceded it. From cover to cover it compels attention.
BERTRAM MITFORD
A DUAL RESURRECTION. 6_s._, and 6_d._
READING STANDARD.--"The novel reader who loves a really good novel full
of desperate adventure will never be disappointed when Mr. Mitford's
books are in question. This is a strong and clever piece of work, the
plot is ingenious and the characterization uncommonly well done."
SEAFORD'S SNAKE. 6_s._, and 6_d._
MADAME.--"If you like well-written stories of adventure you should get
Mr. Mitford's latest novel. The characters are well portrayed, the
story written in a brisk, virile style that proves very attractive."
AVERNO. 6_s._, and 6_d._
DAILY GRAPHIC.--"Mr. Bertram Mitford can always be depended upon to
spin a rattling story, and in 'Averno' he has made no exception to his
excellent rule."
AN ISLAND OF EDEN. 6_s._
THE SCOTSMAN.--"Mr. Mitford can be relied on to write a stirring novel
of adventure, and to this class his latest work belongs. The book is
vigorously and effectively written."
JOSEPH HOCKING
THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD. 3_s._, 6_d._, and 6_d._
THE FINANCIAL TIMES.--"A strong knowledge of human nature, for which
Mr. Hocking is famous, is well portrayed in the pages of this novel,
and this, in conjunction with the interesting nature of the plot,
renders it particularly successful. The book will be appreciated by
novel readers."
ROGER TREWINION. 3_s._, 6_d._, 2_s._ net, and 6_d._
T. P.'S WEEKLY.--"It is a foregone conclusion that Mr. Hocking will
always have a good story to tell. 'Roger Trewinion' can stand forth
with the best, a strong love interest, plenty of adventure, an
atmosphere of superstition, and Cornwall as the scene."
THE COMING OF THE KING. 3_s._ 6_d._
THE GLASGOW HERALD.--"Mr. Hocking's imagination is fertile, and his
skill in the arrangement of incident far above the average, and there
is an air of reality in all his writing which is peculiarly charming."
ESAU. 3_s._ 6_d._
THE OUTLOOK.--"Remarkable for the dramatic power with which the scenes
are drawn and the intense human interest which Mr. Hocking has woven
about his characters. 'Esau' is sure to be one of the novels of the
season."
GREATER LOVE. 3_s._ 6_d._
THE NEWCASTLE CHRONICLE.--"Though of a totally different character from
'Lest We Forget,' Mr. Hocking's latest story is entitled to take rank
along with that fine romance."
LEST WE FORGET. 3_s._ 6_d._
PUBLIC OPINION.--"His story is quite as good as any we have read of the
Stanley Weyman's school, and presents an excellent picture of the
exciting times of Gardiner and Bonner."
AND SHALL TRELAWNEY DIE? 3_s._ 6_d._
THE WEEKLY SUN.--"An engaging and fascinating romance. The reader puts
the story down with a sigh, and wished there were more of these breezy
Cornish uplands, for Mr. Joseph Hocking's easy style of narrative does
not soon tire."
JABEZ EASTERBROOK. 3_s._ 6_d._
THE ROCK.--"Real strength is shown in the sketches, of which that of
Brother Bowman is most prominent. In its way it is delightful."
THE WEAPONS OF MYSTERY. 3_s._ 6_d._, and 6_d._
"Weapons of Mystery" is a singularly powerful story of occult influences
and of their exertion for evil purposes.
ZILLAH: A ROMANCE. 3_s._ 6_d._
THE SPECTATOR.--"The drawing of some of the characters indicates the
possession by Mr. Hocking of a considerable gift of humour. The
contents of his book indicate that he takes a genuine interest in the
deeper problems of the day."
THE MONK OF MAR-SABA. 3_s._ 6_d._
THE STAR.--"Great power and thrilling interest.... The scenery of the
Holy Land has rarely been so vividly described as in this charming book
of Mr. Hocking's."
THE PURPLE ROBE. 3_s._, 6_d._, and 2_s._ net.
THE QUEEN.--"It is exceedingly clever, and excites the reader's
interest and brings out the powerful nature of the clever young
minister. This most engrossing book challenges comparison with the
brilliance of Lothair."
THE SCARLET WOMAN. 3_s._, 6_d._, and 2_s._ net.
THE METHODIST RECORDER.--"This is Mr. Hocking's strongest and best
book. We advise every one to read it. The plot is simple, compact and
strenuous; the writing powerful."
ALL MEN ARE LIARS. 3_s._, 6_d._, and 1_s._ net.
THE CHRISTIAN WORLD.--"This is a notable book. Thoughtful people will
be fascinated by its actuality, its fearlessness, and the insight it
gives into the influence of modern thought and literature."
ISHMAEL PENGELLY: AN OUTCAST. 3_s._, 6_d._
THE ATHENAEUM.--"The book is to be recommended for the dramatic
effectiveness of some of the scenes."
THE STORY OF ANDREW FAIRFAX. 3_s._, 6_d._
THE MANCHESTER EXAMINER.--"Rustic scenes are drawn with free, broad
touches, without Mr. Buchanan's artificiality, and, if we may venture
to say it, with more realism than Mr. Hardy's country pictures."
THE BIRTHRIGHT. 3_s._, 6_d._
THE SPECTATOR.--"'The Birthright' is, in its way, quite as well
constructed, as well written, and as full of incident as any story that
has come from the pen of Sir Conan Doyle or Mr. Stanley Weyman."
MISTRESS NANCY MOLESWORTH. 3_s._, 6_d._
THE SCOTSMAN.--"'Mistress Nancy Molesworth' is as charming a story of
the kind as could be wished, and it excels in literary workmanship as
well as in imaginative vigour and daring invention."
FIELDS OF FAIR RENOWN. 3_s._, 6_d._
THE DUNDEE ADVERTISER.--"Mr. Hocking has produced a work which his
readers of all classes will appreciate.... There are exhibited some of
the most beautiful aspects of disposition."
GOD AND MAMMON. 3_s._, 6_d._, and 6_d._
THE LITERARY WORLD.--"The story is vigorously told, his struggles, his
success and his love affairs are vividly described, while a strong
religious tone pervades the book."
AN ENEMY HATH DONE THIS. 3_s._, 6_d._
Is a story in almost a new vein for Mr. Hocking. He has written of
Cornwall before, but never such a story of plot and counterplot,
mystery and adventure, so deftly intermingled as this.
MARIE CONNOR LEIGHTON
HER CONVICT HUSBAND. 6_s._
Although Mrs. Leighton's work is often spoken of as "melodramatic,"
it is of the kind that one enthuses over by reason of its emotional
interest and unusual realism.
DUCKS AND DRAKES. 6_s._
A tale comparable to "Convict 99" in its actuality and holding
interest.
THE MISSING MISS RANDOLPH. 6_s._
Marie C. Leighton has done full justice to her reputation as a writer
of highly sensational and dramatic fiction.
THE TRIANGLE. 6_s._
THE COMMENTATOR.--"Altogether a most powerful and well-written novel;
and one likely to maintain a permanently conspicuous position upon
every library list."
BLACK SILENCE. 6_s._
THE FINANCIAL TIMES.--"With each new production Mrs. Leighton contrives
to add to her reputation as a writer of sensational fiction, but we
doubt if any of her previous efforts, not excepting the famous 'Convict
99,' can claim equality in this respect with 'Black Silence.'"
GERALDINE WALTON--WOMAN. 6_s._
A fine novel of the "Convict 99" type.
EDGAR WALLACE
GREY TIMOTHY. 6_s._
DAILY NEWS AND LEADER.--"Mr. Wallace has written one of the most
exciting and sensational stories we have read for some time."
THE PEOPLE OF THE RIVER. 6_s._, and 6_d._
THE GENTLEMAN'S JOURNAL.--"There is masculine virility in every line,
and from first to last our attention is closely gripped; a grand book,
unaffected and sincere."
THE RIVER OF STARS. 6_s._, and 6_d._
Another of Mr. Edgar Wallace's strenuous tales of crime and adventure.
THE FOURTH PLAGUE. 6_s._
THE FINANCIAL TIMES.--"This is a novel abounding in excitement and
fascinating throughout."
A DEBT DISCHARGED. 6_s._
There is no lack of excitement in this brightly-written novel, which
holds the attention and interest of the reader to the end.
LINDSAY RUSSELL
SOULS IN PAWN. 6_s._
MORNING POST.--"The characters are drawn with sincerity and vigour; the
narrative holds attention at every stage."
THE YEARS OF FORGETTING. 6_s._
Nearly 30,000 copies (nine editions) of the author's last novel "Souls
in Pawn" have been sold, and "The Years of Forgetting" should attain
even greater popularity.
SILAS K. HOCKING
UNCLE PETER'S WILL. 3_s._ 6_d._
One of the most enthralling stories Mr. Silas Hocking has ever written.
FERGUS HUME
THE THIRTEENTH GUEST. 6_s._
THE GLOBE.--"In a word, 'The Thirteenth Guest' is Fergus Hume at his
best, and will doubtless please this popular author's many admirers."
THE LOST PARCHMENT. 6_s._
As full of incident and excitement as any novel Mr. Hume has written
since "The Mystery of the Hansom Cab."
ALICE AND CLAUDE ASKEW
THE GOLDEN GIRL. 6_s._, and 6_d._
THE LIVERPOOL COURIER.--"The plot is very ingenious, and it is worked
out after a fashion which keeps the reader's attention from start to
finish."
THROUGH FOLLY'S MILL. 6_s._
Mr. and Mrs. Askew have, in the course of this moving story, presented
a remarkable problem that is likely to be the cause of much discussion.
A. E. W. MASON
LAWRENCE CLAVERING. 6_s._, and 2_s._ net.
A remarkably powerful and stirring historical romance, full of life and
movement.