CONTENTS
| [LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS] | LOI | |
| [PREFACE] | xi | |
| [Chapter I] | 1 | |
The Double Scare.—The Old Man's Arrest.—Little Jack's"Sprint." | ||
| [Chapter II] | 4 | |
The Storm.—"Bill of Particulars" not Demanded.—Sage Assurance of an Oxford Graduate.—The Dream. | ||
| [Chapter III] | 11 | |
An Interesting Meeting.—A Barrier and Siege.—At the ParishChurch.—Strange Sense of Familiarity at First Sight.—Esther'sFriend from London.—Alice Webster as an Interloper.—Alice'sInfatuation.—Visit of Paul Lanier.—Lake Excursion.—TwoProposals. | ||
| [Chapter IV] | 46 | |
A London Conference.—The Lawsuit.—The Lake Tragedy.—Paul'sFright.—Trip to London.—Investigations of Sir Donaldand the Solicitors.—The Hyde Park Confidence.— ThamesBoat-Ride.—An Embarrassing Situation.—Splash of Two Bodies.—At House of Jack Bray.—A Mysterious Drive. | ||
| [Chapter V] | 67 | |
Parental "Air Castles."—An Unexpected Call.—Hurried Departure.—SouthamptonWharf Toughs and Bullying Official.—Sledge-HammerBlows of Drooping Pedestrian.—Aboard Ship.—An"Ishmaelite" Finding "Casus Belli" in Fate.—Tempeston Bay of Biscay. | ||
| [Chapter VI] | 73 | |
Return from Opera.—Esther Piqued atAlice's Conduct.—Search for Oswald and Alice.—Finding of Hat andHandkerchief.—Harassed by Reporters and Detectives.—Sleuths Employedby Sir Donald.—An Optimist Turned Nemesis.—Esther's CloudedVision.—Sir Donald's Bluff.—The Conspirators Quit London.—SirDonald and Esther Leave for Paris. | ||
| [Chapter VII] | 85 | |
Oswald in India.—Calcutta tooCosmopolitan.—Seeking Employment.—Trip to the Himalayas. | ||
| [Chapter VIII] | 89 | |
Pierre and Paul in Bombay.—A RichEnglishman and his Niece.—The Laniers Dine with Sir CharlesChesterton.—Mutual Infatuation of Paul and Agnes.—Paul'sProposal.—Sir Charles Demands Pedigree and Inventory.—Sir Charles andPierre Vie in Villainous Recitals.—Matrimonial Decision Postponed.—SirCharles and Pierre Sail for Calcutta.—Paul's Growing Infatuation.—Agnes'Caprices.—Thursday Evening Call.—The Tableau,"Eugene Aram" Dream Lines Recital.—Chesterton RoomsVacated. | ||
| [Chapter IX] | 101 | |
Interest in Paris Poor.—Losing Zeal forMan-Capture.—The Hospital Confession.—The Convalescent's MysteriousDeparture—The Trip to Calcutta. | ||
| [Chapter X] | 132 | |
At Himalaya Camp.—"Lion" and"Bear."—"For Good of Kaiser and Tsar."—Tippoo Kalidasa.—ClaudeLeslie.—Camp Discussions.—"Citizen of the World."—Doctrine of"Merger."—New York's "Four Hundred."—The Four Bandits.—DecoratingGraves of the Robbers.—"Vot Sendimendals!" | ||
| [Chapter XI] | 155 | |
Paul Haunted.—That Grewsome Drapery ofSeaweed.—The Sunday Call.—Chesterton Rooms Vacant.—Pierre'sLetter.—"Josiah Peters" Sails from Bombay. | ||
| [Chapter XII] | 160 | |
Search for Dodge Family.—Sir Donald andEsther "Shadowed."—The Metamorphosed Stranger.—Mrs. McLaren LocatesMrs. Dodge.—Visit of Sir Donald.—The Plot.—Arrest of theConspirators.—Dodge's Confession.—Release of the Laniers. | ||
| [Chapter XIII] | 186 | |
Survey Expedition Disbanded.—TheStar.—Oswald Sees Pierre and Paul.—Meets Esther and SirDonald.—The Call.—Esther's Changed Manners.—Sir Donald'sTactics. | ||
| [Chapter XIV] | 201 | |
The Laniers Puzzled at TheirRelease.—Tentacles of the Octopus Contracting.—Sir Donald and HisDetectives Mystified.—Flight of Pierre and Paul. | ||
| [Chapter XV] | 210 | |
The Retrospect.—Acquiesces in Fate'sOpening Seals. | ||
| [Chapter XVI] | 212 | |
The Fugitives Disguised in London.—Paul'sCaprices.—Advises Pierre to "Avoid River Fogs."—Changed Shifts. | ||
| [Chapter XVII] | 219 | |
Back at Northfield.—Esther'sMusings.—The Boat-Ride.—Repetition of "Eugene Aram" Dream Lines. | ||
| [Chapter XVIII] | 225 | |
On the "Tramp" Steamer.—OddConceits.—The Handsome Stranger.—The Consumptive.—"Ermine"Function.—It will be All Right with Mother.—The ImageReflection.—The Stuttering German.—HumanTransfiguration.—Promethean Myth.—White Heat of Life'sCrucible.—Mother Left Out.—Arrival at New York. | ||
| [Chapter XIX] | 237 | |
Thames Pantomimes.—Pierre DiscoversPaul's Craze.—Seeks to Elude Pursuer.—A Long Swoon.—Paul'sVigils.—The Pose and Threat. | ||
| [Chapter XX] | 247 | |
Rasping Paradoxes.—BecomingPessimistic.—Conference with Chief Detective.—Charles atHome.—Criticises Oswald Langdon.—"A Daniel Come to Judgment." | ||
| [Chapter XXI] | 261 | |
Studies Paul's CrazedPeculiarities.—Paul Missing.—His Return.—The NewDagger.—The Alarm Clock.—Sleeps on his Father's Arm.—TragicAwakening.—The Arrests. | ||
| [Chapter XXII] | 268 | |
The "Corpus Delicti."—Sir Donald'sQueer "Find."—Bessie "Bottled."—"Cometh withoutObservation."—Charles and the Interesting Strangers.—Visit of VeiledWoman.—Night Trip to Northfield.—An Upturned Bloody Face.—Paulin Esther's Room.—Call at Detective Headquarters.—AMisunderstanding.—Learns of the Arrests.—A Recognition.—MuteBenediction. | ||
| [Chapter XXIII] | 302 | |
A Strange Story. | ||
| [Chapter XXIV] | 363 | |
At the Threshold of a New World'sView.—The "Modus Vivendi."—Letters to Sir Donald.—Oswald and theNewsboy.—Escorted to "Old Slip."—The Arraignment.—"Turn YourKidnaper Loose."—Diplomatic Man-Catcher.—Oswald AttendsChurch.—"Overcoming the World."—Meets Claude Leslie inCentral Park.—Enigma to Social Belles.—Claude Leaves for theWest.—Marco Salvini.—At Saint Vincent's.—The Delirium.—"TheStar! The Star! Mother!"—Inverted Spike-Prints.—MysticWhisperings—The Letter. | ||
| [Chapter XXV] | 387 | |
The Evening's Meeting.—Angles ofCross-Purpose.—Sir Donald's Letter to Oswald.—Paul Committed as aMadman.—Pierre's Odd Ethical Caprices.—"Do Equity."—EstherInspects Postmarks and Consults Ship Schedules.—An Expected Proposal.—ASad Home-Coming.—A Northfield Reunion.—Ingenuous Assurance.—PuzzlingInterrogatory.—Wordless Betrothal.—Pierre's Release.—DoubleWedding.—Hopefully "Shadowed." |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| PAGE | |
| "THE STAR! THE STAR! MOTHER!" | [Frontispiece] |
| "THERE WAS A FLASH OF STEEL, A BLOW AND THRUST, FOLLOWED BY THE SPLASH OF TWO BODIES" | [60] |
| "WITH UPLIFTED HAND THE APPARITION SLOWLY ADVANCED TOWARD THE COWERING PAUL, AS IF TO STRIKE" | [98] |
| "WHEN WITHIN ABOUT A HALF-MILE, THE FOUR RAISED THEIR WEAPONS" | [149] |
| "RAPTLY GAZING AT THE CHILD'S INNOCENT FACE, PAUL SOFTLY CROONS SOME CRADLE MELODY" | [283] |
| "PO' SICK CHILE! YO' WHITE FACE 'MINDS ME OF MY OWN MANDY CAR'LINE JUST 'FO' SHE DIED!" | [306] |
| "THEN BEHOLDING PIERRE IRONED AND HELPLESS, PAUL BURST OUT IN A HYSTERICAL LAUGH" | [359] |
| "THIS SAGE REPLY IS HEARD BY THE EAVESDROPPING BESSIE" | [407] |
PREFACE
Though to explain incurs a risk, the author accepts the hazard of a word in advance.
While the novelist's license has been so used that there is need neither to resent an innuendo nor to prove an "alibi," yet, substantially, the incidents narrated occurred within the time stated, and nearly all the actors are still upon life's "boards."