The Sign of Silence

109

pages

English

Documents

2010

Écrit par
William Le Queux

Publié par
shaem

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109

pages

English

Ebook

2010

Lire

Le téléchargement nécessite un accès à la bibliothèque YouScribe Tout savoir sur nos offres

Publié par

shaem

Publié le

08 décembre 2010

Nombre de lectures

Langue

English

Publié par

shaem

Publié le

08 décembre 2010

Nombre de lectures

Langue

English

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sign of Silence, by William Le Queux This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Sign of Silence Author: William Le Queux Release Date: November 15, 2009 [EBook #30477] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SIGN OF SILENCE *** Produced by Brownfox and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Pg 2] "'Well,' she asked, 'are you ready?'" (Chap. vi.) The Sign of Silence ] [Frontispiece [Pg 3] THE SIGN OF SILENCE BY WILLIAM LE QUEUX Author of "If Sinners Entice Thee," "The Room of Secrets," etc. WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED LONDON, MELBOURNE AND TORONTO 1917 [Pg 4] "THE MASTER OF MYSTERY" WILLIAM LE QUEUX'S NOVELS WORLD'S OPINIONS. EUROPE. "Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as 'The Master of Mystery.' ... He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought; he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book."—Pall Mall Gazette. "There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux."—Daily Mail. "Mr. William Le Queux is 'The Master of Mystery.' His reputation is world-famed."—Le Matin (Paris). "Mr. William Le Queux's romances are always enthralling. He is the Master of the Mystery-story."—Berliner Tageblatt (Berlin). "Mr. William Le Queux is the most entrancing and thrilling English novelist of to-day."—Neue Freie Presse (Vienna). ASIA. "We always enjoy Mr. Le Queux's novels. His mysteries are perfect." —Englishman (Calcutta). "Mr. William Le Queux has justly earned the title of 'The Master of Mystery.'"—Hong Kong Telegraph. AFRICA. "As a weaver of mysteries, Mr. William Le Queux has surely no equal. To dash about Europe in his company, hot on the heels of an enigma, is a pastime both exciting and exhilarating."—Johannesburg Star. AMERICA. "Mr. William Le Queux's popularity is steadily increasing. No writer has brought mystery and adventure to such a high degree of art. He never fails to enthral and entertain us."—New York Herald. "Mr. William Le Queux's work is always excellent, and always exciting."—San Francisco Examiner. "Not without good cause has Mr. Le Queux earned his very apt title, 'The Master of Mystery.'"—El Diario (Buenos Ayres). AUSTRALIA. "Mr. Le Queux is always fresh and original, and one can rely on being interested and amused by his stories."—Sydney Morning Herald. "For mystery and sensation Mr. Le Queux cannot be beaten." —Melbourne Argus. "Mr. Le Queux's large public are never satisfied. They always crave for more from his pen."—Christchurch Weekly Press (New Zealand). [Pg 5] CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I.—INTRODUCES A GENTLEMAN II.—THE SCENT III.—DESCRIBES THE TRYSTING-PLACE IV.—"DEAR OLD DIG" V.—"TIME WILL PROVE" VI.—THE PIECE OF CONVICTION VII.—FATAL FINGERS VIII.—CONTAINS FURTHER EVIDENCE IX.—DESCRIBES THE YELLOW SIGN X.—CHERCHEZ LA FEMME XI.—IN WHICH AN ALLEGATION IS MADE XII.—PHRIDA MAKES CONFESSION XIII.—THE FUGITIVE'S SECRET XIV.—REVEALS A FURTHER DECEPTION XV.—AN EFFACED IDENTITY XVI.—REVEALS ANOTHER ENIGMA XVII.—CONCERNS MRS. PETRE XVIII.—DISCLOSES THE TRAP XIX.—THE SEAL OF SILENCE XX.—FROM THE TOMB XXI.—RECORDS A STRANGE STATEMENT XXII.—"MARIE BRACQ!" XXIII.—LOVE'S CONFESSION XXIV.—OFFICIAL SECRECY XXV.—FRÉMY OF THE SURETÉ , XXVI.—SHOWS EXPERT METHODS 7 20 35 45 54 63 71 80 89 97 108 117 126 136 144 153 162 170 179 187 195 203 213 222 231 239 [Pg 6] XXVII.—EDWARDS BECOMES MORE PUZZLED 248 XXVIII.—FURTHER ADMISSIONS XXIX.—THE SELLER OF SHAWLS XXX.—FACE TO FACE XXXI.—SHOWS THE TRUTH-TELLER XXXII.—IS THE CONCLUSION 256 265 274 284 294 [Pg 7] THE SIGN OF SILENCE. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCES A GENTLEMAN. "THEN it's an entire mystery?" "Yes, Phrida." "But it's astounding! It really seems so utterly impossible," declared my well-beloved, amazed at what I had just related. "I've simply stated hard facts." "But there's been nothing about this affair in the papers." "For certain reasons the authorities are not exactly anxious for any publicity. It is a very puzzling problem, and they do not care to own themselves baffled," I replied. "Really, it's the most extraordinary story of London life that I've ever heard," Phrida Shand declared, leaning forward in her chair, clasping her small white hands as, with her elbows upon the table-à-deux, she looked at [Pg 8] me with her wondrous dark eyes across the bowl of red tulips between us. We were lunching together at the Berkeley, in Piccadilly, one January day last year, and had just arrived at the dessert. "The whole thing is quite bewildering, Teddy—an utter enigma," she exclaimed in a low, rather strained voice, her pretty, pointed chin resting upon the back of her hand as she gazed upon me from beneath those long, curved lashes. "I quite agree," was my answer. "The police are mystified, and so am I. Sir Digby Kemsley is my friend, you know." "I remember," she said. "You once introduced me—at the opening of the Motor Show at Olympia, I believe. A very brilliant and famous man, isn't he?" "Rather! A famous engineer. He made the new railway across the Andes, and possesses huge rubber interests in Peru. His name, both in Seina and Valparaiso, is one to conjure with," was my reply; "but——" "But what?" queried my well-beloved. "Well, there's one fact which greatly increases the mystery—a fact which is yet to be told." "What's that?" she asked eagerly. I hesitated. "Well, I've been making inquiries this morning," I replied with some reluctance, "and I learn to my blank amazement that there is no such person as my friend." "No such person!" she echoed, staring at me, her lips parted. Being seated in a corner, no one could overhear our conversation. "I don't follow you!" "Well, Sir Digby died somewhere in South America about a year ago," was my quiet response. "What? Was your friend a fraud, eh?" "Apparently so. And yet, if he was, he must have been a man of marvellous cunning and subterfuge," I said. "He was most popular at the club, known at the Ritz and the Savoy, and other places about town." "He struck me as a man of great refinement—a gentleman, in fact," Phrida said. "I recollect him perfectly: tall, rather thin, with a pointed, grey beard, a long, oval face, and thinnish, grey hair. A very lithe, erect man, whose polite, elegant manner was that of a diplomat, and in whose dark eyes was an expression of constant merriment and good humour. He spoke with a slight accent—Scotch, isn't it?" "Exactly. You remember him perfectly, dear. A most excellent description," I said; "and that same description has been circulated this morning to every police office throughout the United Kingdom, as well as to the prefectures of police

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