E-text prepared by David Garcia, Martin Pettit, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 28326-h.htm or 28326-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/3/2/28326/28326-h/28326-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/3/2/28326/28326-h.zip) ALADDIN OF LONDON Or Lodestar by MAX PEMBERTON Author of "The Hundred Days," "A Gentleman's Gentleman," "Doctor Xavier," "The Lady Evelyn," etc., etc. Illustrated by Frank Parker New York Empire Book Company Publishers [Illustration: A very orgy of blood and slaughter; a carnival of whips.--Page 198] Copyright, 1907, by Max Pemberton. Entered at Stationers' Hall. All rights reserved. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE HALL BY UNION STREET 5 II. ALBAN KENNEDY MAKES A PROMISE 14 III. WITHOUT THE GATE 23 IV. THE CAVES 33 V. DISMISSAL 45 VI. THE STRANGER 56 VII. THE HOUSE OF THE FIVE GABLES 62 VIII. ALBAN KENNEDY DINES 71 IX. ANNA GESSNER 79 X. RICHARD GESSNER DEBATES AN ISSUE 90 XI. WHIRLWIND 109 XII. ALBAN SEES LIFE 121 XIII. ALBAN REVISITS UNION STREET 132 XIV. THERE ARE STRANGERS IN THE CAVES 145 XV. A STUDY IN INDIFFERENCE 152 XVI. THE INTRUDER 160 XVII. FATHER AND DAUGHTER 167 XVIII. FATE IRONICAL 182 XIX. THE PLOT HAS FAILED 192 XX. ALBAN GOES TO WARSAW 198 XXI. THE BOY IN THE BLUE BLOUSE 209 XXII. A FIGURE IN THE STRAW 224 XXIII. AN INSTRUCTION TO THE POLICE 231 XXIV. THE DAWN OF THE DAY 240 XXV. COUNT ZAMOYSKI SLEEPS 247 XXVI. AN INTERLUDE IN PICCADILLY 259 XXVII. THE PRISON YARD 268 XXVIII. THE MEETING 276 XXIX. ALBAN RETURNS TO LONDON 285 XXX. WE MEET OLD FRIENDS 294 XXXI. THE MAN UPON THE PAVEMENT 303 XXXII. IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY 307 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "You love another woman, Alban Kennedy, and you have wished to forget my daughter." 132 A very orgy of blood and slaughter; a carnival of whips. 198 "Why do you come here?" she asked him wildly. 267 ALADDIN OF LONDON OR LODESTAR CHAPTER I THE HALL BY UNION STREET