interest and importance I now leave you to judge.

AMELIA BUTTERWORTH.

GRAMERCY PARK, NEW YORK.

CONTENTS

_BOOK I_ THE KNOLLYS FAMILY

I.--A VISIT FROM MR. GRYCE

II.--I AM TEMPTED

III.--I SUCCUMB

IV.--A GHOSTLY INTERIOR

V.--A STRANGE HOUSEHOLD

VI.--A SOMBRE EVENING

VII.--THE FIRST NIGHT

VIII.--ON THE STAIRS

IX.--A NEW ACQUAINTANCE

X.--SECRET INSTRUCTIONS

XI.--MEN, WOMEN, AND GHOSTS

XII.--THE PHANTOM COACH

XIII.--GOSSIP

XIV.--I FORGET MY AGE, OR, RATHER, REMEMBER IT

_BOOK II_ THE FLOWER PARLOR

XV.--LUCETTA FULFILS MY EXPECTATION OF HER

XVI.--LOREEN

XVII.--THE FLOWER PARLOR

XVIII.--THE SECOND NIGHT

XIX.--A KNOT OF CRAPE

XX.--QUESTIONS

XXI.--MOTHER JANE

XXII.--THE THIRD NIGHT

_BOOK III_ FORWARD AND BACK

XXIII.--ROOM 3, HOTEL CARTER

XXIV.--THE ENIGMA OF NUMBERS

XXV.--TRIFLES, BUT NOT TRIFLING

XXVI.--A POINT GAINED

XXVII.--THE TEXT WITNESSETH

XXVIII.--AN INTRUSION

XXIX.--IN THE CELLAR

XXX.--INVESTIGATION

XXXI.--STRATEGY

XXXII.--RELIEF

_BOOK IV_ THE BIRDS OF THE AIR

XXXIII.--LUCETTA

XXXIV.--CONDITIONS

XXXV--THE DOVE

XXXVI.--AN HOUR OF STARTLING EXPERIENCES

XXXVII.--I ASTONISH MR. GRYCE AND HE ASTONISHES ME

XXXVIII.--A FEW WORDS

XXXIX.--UNDER A CRIMSON SKY

XL.--EXPLANATIONS

EPILOGUE

LOST MAN'S LANE

_BOOK I_

THE KNOLLYS FAMILY

I

A VISIT FROM MR. GRYCE

Ever since my fortunate--or shall I say unfortunate?--connection with
that famous case of murder in Gramercy Park, I have had it intimated to
me by many of my friends--and by some who were not my friends--that no
woman who had met with such success as myself in detective work would
ever be satisfied with a single display of her powers, and that sooner
or later I would find myself again at work upon some other case of
striking peculiarities.

As vanity has never been my foible, and as, moreover, I never have
forsaken and never am likely to forsake the plain path marked out for my
sex, at any other call than that of duty, I invariably responded to
these insinuations by an affable but incredulous smile, striving to
excuse the presumption of my friends by remembering their ignorance of
my nature and the very excellent reasons I had for my one notable
interference in the police affairs of New York City.

Besides, though I appeared to be resting quietly, if not in entire
contentment, on my laurels, I was not so utte