Berenice   By: Edward Phillips Oppenheim (1866-1946)

BY

E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM

AUTHOR OF "THE LOST AMBASSADOR," "THE MISSIONER," "THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE," ETC.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY HOWARD CHANDLER CHRISTY AND HOWARD SOMERVILLE

BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1911

Copyright, 1907, 1911, BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

All rights reserved

Published, January, 1911

Second Printing

Printers S. J. PARKHILL & CO., BOSTON, U. S. A.

THE NOVELS OF E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM

A Prince of Sinners A Lost Leader Anna the Adventuress The Great Secret The Master Mummer The Avenger A Maker of History As a Man Lives Mysterious Mr. Sabin The Missioner The Yellow Crayon The Governors The Betrayal The Man and His The Traitors Kingdom Enoch Strone A Millionaire of Yesterday A Sleeping Memory The Long Arm of The Malefactor Mannister A Daughter of the Jeanne of the Marshes Marionis The Illustrious Prince The Mystery of Mr. The Lost Ambassador Bernard Brown Berenice

[Illustration]

ILLUSTRATIONS

Her dark, wet eyes seemed touched with smouldering fire Frontispiece

"What I have seen," Matravers said gravely, "I do not like" Page 15

But nothing in her words or in his alluded to it " 25

Her companion, who was intent upon the wine list, noticed nothing " 31

"Friends," she repeated, with a certain wistfulness in her tone " 65

At half past four his servant brought in a small tea equipage " 83

With an old fashioned courtesy ... he offered her his arm " 105

There seemed to him something almost unearthly about this woman with her soft grey gown and marble face " 111

Matravers was suddenly conscious of an odd sense of disturbance " 135

"I can do it," she assured him. "I believe you doubt my ability, but you need not" " 143

"Do you know that man is driving me slowly mad?" " 149

Matravers found himself wondering at this new and very natural note of domesticity in her " 169

She did not answer him. But indeed there was no need " 173

"I am compelled to tell you, and these gentlemen, that your statement is a lie!" " 191

"You mean this!" he cried thickly. "Say it again quick!" " 211

Berenice was lying in a crumpled heap on the low couch " 233

But there was no answer there never could be any answer " 259

BERENICE

CHAPTER I

"You may not care for the play," Ellison said eagerly. "You are of the old world, and Isteinism to you will simply spell chaos and vulgarity. But the woman! well, you will see her! I don't want to prejudice you by praises which you would certainly think extravagant! I will say nothing."

Matravers smiled gravely as he took his seat in the box and looked out with some wonder at the ill lit, half empty theatre.