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Title: The Czar's Spy
The Mystery of a Silent Love

Author: William Le Queux

Release Date: November 17, 2003 [EBook #10102]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE CZAR'S SPY

_The Mystery of a Silent Love_

By CHEVALIER WILLIAM LE QUEUX
_Author of "The Closed Book," Etc._

1905.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S SERVICE

II. WHY THE SAFE WAS OPENED

III. THE HOUSE "OVER THE WATER"

IV. IN WHICH THE MYSTERY INCREASES

V. CONTAINS CERTAIN CONFIDENCES

VI. THE GATHERING OF THE CLOUDS

VII. CONTAINS A SURPRISE

VIII. LIFE'S COUNTER-CLAIM

IX. STRANGE DISCLOSURES ARE MADE

X. I SHOW MY HAND

XI. THE CASTLE OF THE TERROR

XII. "THE STRANGLER"

XIII. A DOUBLE GAME AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

XIV. HER HIGHNESS IS INQUISITIVE

XV. JUST OFF THE STRAND

XVI. MARKED MEN

XVII. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE "LOLA"

XVIII. CONTAINS ELMA'S STORY

CONCLUSION

CHAPTER I

HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S SERVICE

"There was a mysterious affair last night, signore."

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Anything that interests us?"

"Yes, signore," replied the tall, thin Italian Consular-clerk, speaking
with a strong accent. "An English steam yacht ran aground on the Meloria
about ten miles out, and was discovered by a fishing-boat who brought
the news to harbor. The Admiral sent out two torpedo-boats, which
managed after a lot of difficulty to bring in the yacht safely, but the
Captain of the Port has a suspicion that the crew were trying to make
away with the vessel."

"To lose her, you mean?"

The faithful Francesco, whose English had mostly been acquired from
sea-faring men, and was not the choicest vocabulary, nodded, and, true
Tuscan that he was, placed his finger upon his closed lips, indicative
of silence.

"Sounds curious," I remarked. "Since the Consul went away on leave
things seem to have been humming--two stabbing affrays, eight drunken
seamen