CONTENTS
[CHAPTER I. Enter Miss Sorel]
[CHAPTER II. Exit the Blighter]
[CHAPTER III. A Cabin Window]
[CHAPTER IV. Reprisals—Et Cetera]
[CHAPTER V. Anonymous]
[CHAPTER VI. On Sunday at Three]
[CHAPTER VII. Samson Agonistes]
[CHAPTER VIII. What the Star Said]
[CHAPTER IX. Something Out of Ancient Rome]
[CHAPTER X. The Thing She Could Not Explain]
[CHAPTER XI. Every Man Has His Price]
[CHAPTER XII. "Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too!"]
[CHAPTER XIII. "Can You Keep a Secret?"]
[CHAPTER XIV. Marise Puts on Black]
[CHAPTER XV. The Church Door]
[CHAPTER XVI. For Better, For Worse]
[CHAPTER XVII. The Speaking-Tube]
[CHAPTER XVIII. Au Revoir—Till Sometime!]
[CHAPTER XIX. Why the Bargain Was Off]
[CHAPTER XX. The Bridal Suite]
[CHAPTER XXI. Keeping Up Appearances]
[CHAPTER XXII. A Shock and a Snub or Two]
[CHAPTER XXIII. The Dream]
[CHAPTER XXIV. According to Mums]
[CHAPTER XXV. "Some Day—Some Way—Somehow!"]
[CHAPTER XXVI. The End of the Journey]
[CHAPTER XXVII. Second Fiddle]
[CHAPTER XXVIII. Mothereen]
[CHAPTER XXIX. The White Dove]
[CHAPTER XXX. The Vigil Light]
[CHAPTER XXXI. The Album]
[CHAPTER XXXII. The Bereaved One]
[CHAPTER XXXIII. The Visitors' Book]
[CHAPTER XXXIV. The Terrace]
[CHAPTER XXXV. Straight Talk]
[CHAPTER XXXVI. Stumbling in the Dark]
[CHAPTER XXXVII. Zélie Gets Even]
[CHAPTER XXXVIII. When Severance Threw Down the Key]
VISION HOUSE
CHAPTER I
ENTER MISS SOREL
It was the third day out from Liverpool on the way to New York, and people were just beginning to take an interest in each other's names and looks.
The passenger list of the Britannia was posted up close to the lift on B deck, but the weather had not encouraged curious groups to study and inwardly digest its items. In fact, digestion of all sorts had been difficult. To-day, however, the huge ship had ceased to step on and stumble over monster waves, and had slipped into a sea of silken blue. Bad sailors and lazy ones were on deck staring at their fellows as at unearthly creatures who had dropped on board since the vessel sailed, miraculously like manna from heaven. The news had flown round, as news flies in an Eastern bazaar, that there were three names of conspicuous interest on the hitherto neglected list, and that now was the moment for "spotting" their owners.
Two of these should be easy to find, for their steamer chairs, plainly labelled, stood side by side on A deck, where everyone sat or was supposed to sit. The sea dogs and dogesses who braved all weathers had nosed out those labels, but had so far watched in vain for the chairs to be occupied. They had observed, also, that corresponding places at the captain's table were vacant. There were three chairs together on deck, and in the dining-saloon, but the third did not count with the public. It was that of a mere chaperon—The Girl's mother. She was not the third of the Three Thrilling Passengers. That person happened to be a man, and he had neither chair nor label. If he had eaten a meal outside his cabin he had somehow passed unrecognised.