Chapter I: Front Matter

MISS BRADDON’S NOVELS

AUTHOR’S AUTOGRAPH EDITION

Cloth Gilt 2s. 6d. Picture Boards 2s.

1. LADY AUDLEY’S SECRET. 29. HOSTAGES TO FORTUNE. 2. HENRY DUNBAR. 30. DEAD MEN’S SHOES. 3. ELEANOR’S VICTORY. 31. JOSHUA HAGGARD. 4. AURORA FLOYD. 32. WEAVERS AND WEFT. 5. JOHN MARCHMONT’S LEGACY. 33. AN OPEN VERDICT. 6. THE DOCTOR’S WIFE. 34. VIXEN. 7. ONLY A CLOD. 35. THE CLOVEN FOOT. 8. SIR JASPER’S TENANT. 36. THE STORY OF BARBARA. 9. TRAIL OF THE SERPENT. 37. JUST AS I AM. 10. LADY’S MILE. 38. ASPHODEL. 11. LADY LISLE. 39. MOUNT ROYAL. 12. CAPTAIN OF THE VULTURE. 40. THE GOLDEN CALF. 13. BIRDS OF PREY. 41. PHANTOM FORTUNE. 14. CHARLOTTE’S INHERITANCE. 42. FLOWER AND WEED. 15. RUPERT GODWIN. 43. ISHMAEL. 16. RUN TO EARTH. 44. WYLLARD’S WEIRD. 17. DEAD SEA FRUIT. 45. UNDER THE RED FLAG. 18. RALPH THE BAILIFF. 46. ONE THING NEEDFUL. 19. FENTON’S QUEST. 47. MOHAWKS. 20. LOVELS OF ARDEN. 48. LIKE AND UNLIKE. 21. ROBERT AINSLEIGH. 49. THE FATAL THREE. 22. TO THE BITTER END. 50. THE DAY WILL COME. 23. MILLY DARRELL. 51. ONE LIFE, ONE LOVE. 24. STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS. 52. GERARD. 25. LUCIUS DAVOREN. 53. THE VENETIANS. 26. TAKEN AT THE FLOOD. 54. ALL ALONG THE RIVER. 27. LOST FOR LOVE. 55. THOU ART THE MAN. 28. A STRANGE WORLD. 56. SONS OF FIRE.

THE

TRAIL OF THE SERPENT

A Novel

BY THE AUTHOR OF

‘LADY AUDLEY’S SECRET,’ ‘AURORA FLOYD,’
‘VIXEN,’ ‘ISHMAEL,’ ETC., ETC.

“Poor race of men, said the pitying Spirit,
Dearly ye pay for your primal fall;
Some flowers of Eden ye yet inherit,
But the trail of the Serpent is over them all”
_Moore._

Stereotyped Edition

LONDON:
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO.
LIMITED.
STATIONERS’ HALL COURT
[_All rights reserved._]

MISS BRADDON’S NOVELS.

NOW READY AT ALL BOOKSELLERS’ AND BOOKSTALLS,
PRICE 2_s._ 6_d._ EACH, CLOTH GILT.

THE AUTHOR’S AUTOGRAPH EDITION
OF MISS BRADDON’S NOVELS.

“No one can be dull who has a novel by Miss Braddon in hand.
The most tiresome journey is beguiled, and the most wearisome
illness is brightened, by any one of her books.”

“Miss Braddon is the Queen of the circulating libraries.”

_The World._

LONDON:
SIMPKIN & CO., LIMITED,
STATIONERS’ HALL COURT.
_And at all Railway Bookstalls, Booksellers’, and Libraries._

CONTENTS

=Book the First.=

A RESPECTABLE YOUNG MAN.

CHAP. PAGE

I. THE GOOD SCHOOLMASTER 5

II. GOOD FOR NOTHING 10

III. THE USHER WASHES HIS HANDS 17

IV. RICHARD MARWOOD LIGHTS HIS PIPE 21

V. THE HEALING WATERS 28

VI. TWO CORONER’S INQUESTS 34

VII. THE DUMB DETECTIVE A PHILANTHROPIST 38

VIII. SEVEN LETTERS ON THE DIRTY ALPHABET 43

IX. “MAD, GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY” 48

=Book the Second.=

A CLEARANCE OF ALL SCORES.

I. BLIND PETER 58

II. LIKE AND UNLIKE 63

III. A GOLDEN SECRET 66

IV. JIM LOOKS OVER THE BRINK OF THE TERRIBLE GULF 71

V. MIDNIGHT BY THE SLOPPERTON CLOCKS 78

VI. THE QUIET FIGURE ON THE HEATH 82

VII. THE USHER RESIGNS HIS SITUATION 91

=Book the Third.=

A HOLY INSTITUTION.

I. THE VALUE OF AN OPERA-GLASS 95

II. WORKING IN THE DARK 99

III. THE WRONG FOOTSTEP 104

IV. OCULAR DEMONSTRATION 111

V. THE KING OF SPADES 116

VI. A GLASS OF WINE 124

VII. THE LAST ACT OF LUCRETIA BORGIA 129

VIII. BAD DREAMS AND A WORSE WAKING 133

IX. A MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE 141

X. ANIMAL MAGNETISM 145

=Book the Fourth.=

NAPOLEON THE GREAT.

I. THE BOY FROM SLOPPERTON 150

II. MR. AUGUSTUS DARLEY AND MR. JOSEPH PETERS GO OUT
FISHING 162

III. THE EMPEROR BIDS ADIEU TO ELBA 167

IV. JOY AND HAPPINESS FOR EVERYBODY 177

V. THE CHEROKEES TAKE AN OATH 181

VI. MR. PETERS RELATES HOW HE THOUGHT HE HAD A CLUE,
AND HOW HE LOST IT 187

=Book the Fifth.=

THE DUMB DETECTIVE.

I. THE COUNT DE MAROLLES AT HOME 200

II. MR. PETERS SEES A GHOST 205

III. THE CHEROKEES MARK THEIR MAN 212

IV. THE CAPTAIN, THE CHEMIST, AND THE LASCAR 217

V. THE NEW MILKMAN IN PARK LANE 221

VI. SIGNOR MOSQUETTI RELATES AN ADVENTURE 225

VII. THE GOLDEN SECRET IS TOLD, AND THE GOLDEN BOWL IS
BROKEN 230

VIII. ONE STEP FURTHER ON THE RIGHT TRACK 235

IX. CAPTAIN LANDSOWN OVERHEARS A CONVERSATION WHICH
APPEARS TO INTEREST HIM 241

=Book the Sixth.=

ON THE TRACK.

I. FATHER AND SON 247

II. RAYMOND DE MAROLLES SHOWS HIMSELF BETTER THAN ALL
BOW STREET 258

III. THE LEFT-HANDED SMASHER MAKES HIS MARK 263

IV. WHAT THEY FIND IN THE ROOM IN WHICH THE MURDER
WAS COMMITTED 271

V. MR. PETERS DECIDES ON A STRANGE STEP, AND ARRESTS THE
DEAD 282

VI. THE END OF THE DARK ROAD 300

VII. FAREWELL TO ENGLAND 313

THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT

=Book the First.=

A RESPECTABLE YOUNG MAN.