A few days after landing Maxwell Cheyne and Joan Merrill had occasion to pay a short visit to the church of St. Margaret’s in the Fields, after which Cheyne whirled his wife away to Devonshire, so that she might make the acquaintance of his family and see the country where began that strange series of events which in the beginning of the story I alluded to as THE CHEYNE MYSTERY. Transcriber’s Note This transcription follows the text of the Penguin Books edition published in 1978. The following alterations have been made to correct what are believed to be unambiguous printer’s errors. * Five erroneous quotation marks have been repaired. * “desparate” has been changed to “desperate” (Ch. II). * “wondered it he” has been changed to “wondered if he” (Ch. II). * “Chayne” has been changed to “Cheyne” (Chs. IX and X). * “Walting Street” has been changed to “Watling Street” (Ch. X). * “noncommital” has been changed to “noncommittal” (Ch. XIV). * “pessmist” has been changed to “pessimist” (Ch. XV). * “Sargeant” has been changed to “Sergeant” (Ch. XVI). * “similiar” has been changed to “similar” (Ch. XVII).