Anna the Adventuress   By: Edward Phillips Oppenheim (1866-1946)

By

E. Phillips Oppenheim

AUTHOR OF "THE SECRET", "THE TRAITORS", ETC.

WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED LONDON AND MELBOURNE

MADE IN ENGLAND

Printed in Great Britain by C. Tinling & Co., Ltd., Liverpool, London and Prescot.

ABOUT THE STORY

Annabel Pellissier, for reasons of her own, allows Sir John Ferringhall to believe that she is her sister Anna. Anna lets the deception continue and has to bear the burden of her sister's reputation which, in Paris at any rate, is that of being a coquette. Endless complications ensue when both sisters return to London.

This is one of the late E. Phillips Oppenheim's most intriguing stories.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I THE CARPET KNIGHT AND THE LADY 7 II THE ADVENTURE OF ANNABEL 15 III ANNA? OR ANNABEL? 20 IV THE TEMPERAMENT OF AN ARTIST 26 V "ALCIDE" 31 VI A QUESTION OF IDENTIFICATION 36 VII MISS PELLISSIER'S SUSPICIONS 41 VIII "WHITE'S" 45 IX BRENDON'S LUCK 54 X THE TRAGEDY OF AN APPETITE 61 XI THE PUZZLEMENT OF NIGEL ENNISON 66 XII THE POSTER OF "ALCIDE" 70 XIII "HE WILL NOT FORGET!" 76 XIV "THIS IS MY WIFE" 81 XV A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE 89 XVI THE DISCOMFITURE OF SIR JOHN 96 XVII THE CHANGE IN "ALCIDE" 103 XVIII ANNABEL AND "ALCIDE" 109 XIX "THIS IS NOT THE END" 115 XX ANNA'S SURRENDER 121 XXI HER SISTER'S SECRET 126 XXII AN OLD FOOL 134 XXIII MONTAGUE HILL SEES LIGHT AT LAST 138 XXIV A CASE FOR THE POLICE 144 XXV THE STEEL EDGE OF THE TRUTH 150 XXVI ANNABEL IS WARNED 156 XXVII JOHN FERRINGHAM, GENTLEMAN 162 XXVIII THE HISSING OF "ALCIDE" 169 XXIX MONTAGUE HILL PLAYS THE GAME 174 XXX SIR JOHN'S NECKTIE 178 XXXI ANNA'S TEA PARTY 183 XXXII SIX MONTHS AFTER 188

ANNA THE ADVENTURESS

Chapter I

THE CARPET KNIGHT AND THE LADY

The girl paused and steadied herself for a moment against a field gate. Her breath came fast in little sobbing pants. Her dainty shoes were soiled with dust and there was a great tear in her skirt. Very slowly, very fearfully, she turned her head. Her cheeks were the colour of chalk, her eyes were filled with terror. If a cart were coming, or those labourers in the field had heard, escape was impossible.

The terror faded from her eyes. A faint gleam of returning colour gave her at once a more natural appearance. So far as the eye could reach, the white level road, with its fringe of elm trees, was empty. Away off in the fields the blue smocked peasants bent still at their toil. They had heard nothing, seen nothing. A few more minutes, and she was safe.