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Title: Mademoiselle of Monte Carlo

Author: William Le Queux

Release Date: April 13, 2006 [EBook #4694]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MADEMOISELLE OF MONTE CARLO ***

Produced by Dagny; John Bickers

MADEMOISELLE OF MONTE CARLO

By William Le Queux

1921

MADEMOISELLE OF MONTE CARLO

FIRST CHAPTER

THE SUICIDE'S CHAIR

"Yes! I'm not mistaken at all! _It's the same woman!_" whispered the
tall, good-looking young Englishman in a well-cut navy suit as he stood
with his friend, a man some ten years older than himself, at one of the
roulette tables at Monte Carlo, the first on the right on entering the
room--that one known to habitual gamblers as "The Suicide's Table."

"Are you quite certain?" asked his friend.

"Positive. I should know her again anywhere."

"She's very handsome. And look, too, by Jove!--how she is winning!"

"Yes. But let's get away. She might recognize me," exclaimed the younger
man anxiously. "Ah! If I could only induce her to disclose what she
knows about my poor father's mysterious end then we might clear up the
mystery."

"I'm afraid, if all we hear is true about her, Mademoiselle of Monte
Carlo will never do that," was the other's reply as they moved away
together down the long saloon towards the trente-et-quarante room.

"_Messieurs! Faites vos jeux_," the croupiers were crying in their
strident, monotonous voices, inviting players to stake their counters
of cent-sous, their louis, or their hundred or five hundred franc notes
upon the spin of the red and black wheel. It was the month of March, the
height of the Riviera season, the fetes of Mi-Careme were in full swing.
That afternoon the rooms were overcrowded, and the tense atmosphere of
gambling was laden with the combined odours of perspiration and perfume.

Around each table were crowds four or five deep behind those fortunate
enough to obtain seats, all eager and anxious to try their fortune upon
the rouge or noir, or upon one of the thirty-six numbers, the columns,
or the transversales. There was but little ch