The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Secret Passage, by Fergus Hume

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Title: The Secret Passage

Author: Fergus Hume

Posting Date: January 26, 2009 [EBook #4531]
Release Date: October, 2003
First Posted: February 2, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECRET PASSAGE ***

Produced by an anonymous volunteer. HTML version by Al Haines.

THE SECRET PASSAGE

by

Fergus Hume

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. THE COTTAGE
II. THE CRIME
III. A MYSTERIOUS DEATH
IV. DETAILS
V. LORD CARANBY'S ROMANCE
VI. A PERPLEXING CASE
VII. THE DETECTIVE
VIII. THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE
IX. ANOTHER MYSTERY
X. THE PARLOR-MAID'S STORY
XI. ON THE TRACK
XII. JENNINGS ASKS QUESTIONS
XIII. JULIET AT BAY
XIV. MRS. OCTAGON EXPLAINS
XV. A DANGEROUS ADMISSION
XVI. JULIET'S STORY
XVII. JULIET'S STORY CONTINUED
XVIII. THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS
XIX. SUSAN'S DISCOVERY
XX. BASIL
XXI. AN EXPERIMENT
XXII. THE SECRET ENTRANCE
XXIII. A SCAMP'S HISTORY
XXIV. REVENGE
XXV. NEMESIS
XXVI. CUTHBERT'S ENEMY

THE SECRET PASSAGE

CHAPTER I

THE COTTAGE

"What IS your name?"

"Susan Grant, Miss Loach."

"Call me ma'am. I am Miss Loach only to my equals. Your age?"

"Twenty-five, ma'am."

"Do you know your work as parlor-maid thoroughly?"

"Yes, ma'am. I was two years in one place and six months in another,
ma'am. Here are my characters from both places, ma'am."

As the girl spoke she laid two papers before the sharp old lady who
questioned her. But Miss Loach did not look at them immediately. She
examined the applicant with such close attention that a faint color
tinted the girl's cheeks and she dropped her eyes. But, in her turn,
by stealthy glances, Susan Grant tactfully managed to acquaint herself
with the looks of her possible mistress. The thoughts of each woman
ran as follows,--

Miss Loach to herself. "Humph! Plain-looking, sallow skin, rather
fine eyes and a slack mouth. Not badly dressed for a servant, and
displays some taste. She might turn my old dresse