Project Gutenberg's The Kingdom of the Blind, by E. Phillips Oppenheim

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Title: The Kingdom of the Blind

Author: E. Phillips Oppenheim

Posting Date: August 22, 2008 [EBook #1442]
Release Date: September, 1998

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KINGDOM OF THE BLIND ***

Produced by Jim Grinsfelder

THE KINGDOM OF THE BLIND

by E. Phillips Oppenheim

CHAPTER I

Lady Anselman stood in the centre of the lounge at the Ritz Hotel and
with a delicately-poised forefinger counted her guests. There was the
great French actress who had every charm but youth, chatting vivaciously
with a tall, pale-faced man whose French seemed to be as perfect as his
attitude was correct. The popular wife of a great actor was discussing
her husband's latest play with a Cabinet Minister who had the air of a
school-boy present at an illicit feast. A very beautiful young woman,
tall and fair, with grey-blue eyes and a wealth of golden, almost
yellow hair, was talking to a famous musician. A little further in
the background, a young man in the uniform of a naval lieutenant was
exchanging what seemed to be rather impressive chaff with a petite but
exceedingly good-looking girl. Lady Anselman counted them twice, glanced
at the clock and frowned.

"I can't remember whom we are waiting for!" she exclaimed a little
helplessly to the remaining guest, a somewhat tired-looking publisher
who stood by her side. "I am one short. I dare say it will come to me in
a minute. You know every one, I suppose, Mr. Daniell?"

The publisher shook his head.

"I have met Lord Romsey and also Madame Selarne," he observed. "For the
rest, I was just thinking what a stranger I felt."

"The man who talks French so well," Lady Anselman told him, dropping her
voice a little, "is Surgeon-Major Thomson. He is inspector of hospitals
at the front, or something of the sort. The tall, fair girl--isn't she
pretty!--is Geraldine Conyers, daughter of Admiral Sir Seymour Conyers.
That's her brother, the sailor over there, talking to Olive Moreton;
their engagement was announced last week. Lady Patrick of course you
know, and Signor Scobel, and