BEHIND THE BRONZE DOOR [Illustration: Thoroughly frightened, she turned away as the sound of the weird knocker shattered the ghostly stillness.] BEHIND THE BRONZE DOOR BY WILLIAM LE QUEUX AUTHOR OF “THE VOICE FROM THE VOID” FRONTISPIECE BY G. W. GAGE NEW YORK THE MACAULAY COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY THE MACAULAY COMPANY PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE EPIDEMIC OF MYSTERY 9 II HUSBAND, WIFE--AND ANOTHER 17 III THE HIDDEN SCANDAL 30 IV THE BRONZE FACE 41 V BEHIND THE DOOR 52 VI CORA HARTSILVER’S CONFESSION 61 VII CONCERNS “DEAR JESSICA” 72 VIII IN WHICH A DISCOVERY IS MADE 81 IX BEFRIENDING A REPORTER 91 X A PARAGRAPH FOR THE PAPERS 104 XI HUSH MONEY 112 XII YOOTHA’S PRESENTIMENT 122 XIII BOX NUMBER THIRTEEN 133 XIV CONCERNS A NECKLACE 142 XV SOME CROOKED QUESTIONS 153 XVI GATHERING CLOUDS 163 XVII “NOBODY MUST KNOW” 173 XVIII WHAT DR. JOHNSON KNEW 182 XIX WITHOUT A STAIN 194 XX CONCERNS A RUMOR 205 XXI THE LITTLE HORSES 215 XXII ANOTHER MYSTERY MAN 226 XXIII A FRIEND INDEED 236 XXIV THE TIGHTENING GRIP 247 XXV THE CITY OF SMILES 257 XXVI SUNSET LOVE 266 XXVII AGAINST THE WIND 276 XXVIII NUMBER FIFTEEN 286 XXIX A MESSAGE FROM YOOTHA 291 XXX BLENKIRON’S NARRATIVE 301 XXXI CONCLUSION 307 BEHIND THE BRONZE DOOR BEHIND THE BRONZE DOOR CHAPTER I. THE EPIDEMIC OF MYSTERY. “Isn’t this terrible, Henry? Where is it going to end?”