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Ravensdene Court By: Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935) |
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by J. S. FLETCHER New York
Alfred A. Knopf
MCMXXII Copyright, 1922, by
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Published July, 1922 CONTENTS
I THE INN ON THE CLIFF 9 II RAVENSDENE COURT 21 III THE MORNING TIDE 34 IV THE TOBACCO BOX 46 V THE NEWS FROM DEVONPORT 58 VI SECRET THEFT 71 VII YELLOWFACE 84 VIII WAS IT A WOMAN? 96 IX THE ENLARGED PHOTOGRAPH 108 X THE YELLOW SEA 120 XI THE FIVE CONCLUSIONS 133 XII NETHERFIELD BAXTER 145 XIII THE SPOILS OF SACRILEGE 157 XIV SOLOMON FISH 169 XV MR. JALLANBY SHIP BROKER 181 XVI THE PATHLESS WOOD 193 XVII HUMFREY DE KNAYTHVILLE 206 XVIII THE PLUM CAKE 218 XIX BLACK MEMORIES 230 XX THE POSSIBLE REASON 242 XXI THE CHINESE GENTLEMAN 254 XXII RED DAWN 267 XXIII THE FOURTH CHINAMAN 279 XXIV THE SILK CAP 291 XXV CLEAR DECKS 304 RAVENSDENE COURT CHAPTER I THE INN ON THE CLIFF
According to an entry in my book of engagements, I left London for
Ravensdene Court on March 8th, 1912. Until about a fortnight earlier I
had never heard of the place, but there was nothing remarkable in my
ignorance of it, seeing that it stands on a remote part of the
Northumbrian coast, and at least three hundred miles from my usual
haunts. But then, towards the end of February, I received the
following letter which I may as well print in full: it serves as a
fitting and an explanatory introduction to a series of adventures, so
extraordinary, mysterious, and fraught with danger, that I am still
wondering how I, until then a man of peaceful and even dull life, ever
came safely through them. "RAVENSDENE COURT, NEAR ALNWICK
NORTHUMBERLAND
February 24, 1912 " Dear Sir , "I am told by my friend Mr. Gervase Witherby of Monks
Welborough, with whom I understand you to be well
acquainted, that you are one of our leading experts in
matters relating to old books, documents, and the like, and
the very man to inspect, value, and generally criticize the
contents of an ancient library. Accordingly, I should be
very glad to secure your valuable services. I have recently
entered into possession of this place, a very old
manor house on the Northumbrian coast, wherein the senior
branch of my family has been settled for some four hundred
years. There are here many thousands of volumes, the
majority of considerable age; there are also large
collections of pamphlets, manuscripts, and broadsheets my
immediate predecessor, my uncle, John Christopher Raven, was
a great collector; but, from what I have seen of his
collection up to now, I cannot say that he was a great
exponent of the art of order, or a devotee of system, for an
entire wing on this house is neither more nor less than a
museum, into which books, papers, antiques, and similar
things appear to have been dumped without regard to
classification or arrangement. I am not a bookman, nor an
antiquary; my life until recently has been spent in far
different fashion, as a Financial Commissioner in India. I
am, however, sincerely anxious that these new possessions of
mine should be properly cared for, and I should like an
expert to examine everything that is here, and to advise me
as to proper arrangement and provision for the future. I
should accordingly be greatly obliged to you if you could
make it convenient to come here as my guest, give me the
benefit of your expert knowledge, and charge me whatever fee
seems good to you... Continue reading book >>
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Literature |
Mystery |
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