Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) LOST MAN'S LANE A SECOND EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AMELIA BUTTERWORTH BY ANNA KATHARINE GREEN (MRS. CHARLES ROHLFS) Author of "That Affair Next Door," "The Leavenworth Case," "The Forsaken Inn," etc. G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK & LONDON The Knickerbocker Press 1899 COPYRIGHT, 1898 BY ANNA KATHARINE ROHLFS Entered at Stationers' Hall, London Set up and electrotyped March, 1898. Reprinted March, 1898; April, 1898; July, 1898; Aug., 1898; Oct., 1898; Aug., 1899 The Knickerbocker Press, New York To ELIZABETH D. SHEPARD COUSIN AND FRIEND THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED PREFACE A word to my readers before they begin these pages. As a woman of inborn principle and strict Presbyterian training, I hate deception and cannot abide subterfuge. This is why, after a year or more of hesitation, I have felt myself constrained to put into words the true history of the events surrounding the solution of that great mystery which made Lost Man's Lane the dread of the neighboring country. Feminine delicacy, and a natural shrinking from revealing to the world certain weaknesses on my part, inseparable from a true relation of this tale, led me to consent to the publication of that meagre and decidedly falsified account of the matter which has appeared in some of our leading papers. But conscience has regained its sway in my breast, and with all due confidence in your forbearance, I herein take my rightful place in these annals, of whose 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