THE CRIMSON CIRCLE BY EDGAR WALLACE HODDER AND STOUGHTON LTD [DEDICATION] TO BRYAN _All the characters represented in this book are purely imaginary._ Contents Prologue. The Nail Chapter I. The Initiation Chapter II. The Man Who Did Not Pay Chapter III. The Girl Who Was Indifferent Chapter IV. Mr. Felix Marl Chapter V. The Girl Who Ran Chapter VI. “Thalia Drummond is a Crook” Chapter VII. The Stolen Idol Chapter VIII. The Charge Chapter IX. Thalia in the Police Court Chapter X. The Summons of The Crimson Circle Chapter XI. The Confession Chapter XII. The Pointed Boots Chapter XIII. Mr. Marl Squeezes a Little More Chapter XIV. Thalia is Asked Out Chapter XV. Thalia Joins the Gang Chapter XVI. Mr. Marl Goes Out Chapter XVII. The Blower of Bubbles Chapter XVIII. “Flush” Barnet’s Story Chapter XIX. Thalia Accepts an Offer Chapter XX. The Key of River House Chapter XXI. River House Chapter XXII. The Messenger of The Circle Chapter XXIII. The Woman in the Cupboard Chapter XXIV. £10,000 Reward Chapter XXV. The Tenant of River House Chapter XXVI. The Bottle of Chloroform Chapter XXVII. Mr. Parr’s Mother Chapter XXVIII. A Shot in the Night Chapter XXIX. “The Red Circle” Chapter XXX. The Silencing of Froyant Chapter XXXI. Thalia Answers a Few Questions Chapter XXXII. A Trip to the Country Chapter XXXIII. The Posters Chapter XXXIV. Blackmailing a Government Chapter XXXV. Thalia Lunches with a Cabinet Minister Chapter XXXVI. The Circle Meets Chapter XXXVII. “I Will See You--If You Are Alive” Chapter XXXVIII. The Arrest of Thalia Chapter XXXIX. A Prison Diet Chapter XL. The Escape Chapter XLI. Who is The Crimson Circle? Chapter XLII. Mother Chapter XLIII. The Story Continued Prologue. The Nail It is a ponderable fact that had not the 29th of a certain September been the anniversary of Monsieur Victor Pallion’s birth, there would have been no Crimson Circle mystery; a dozen men, now dead, would in all probability be alive, and Thalia Drummond would certainly never have been described by a dispassionate inspector of police as “a thief and the associate of thieves.” M. Pallion entertained his three assistants to dinner at the Coq d’Or in the city of Toulouse, and the proceedings were both joyous and amiable. At three o’clock in the morning it dawned upon M. Pallion that the occasion of his visit to Toulouse was the execution of an English malefactor named Lightman. “My children,” he said gravely but unsteadily, “it is three hours and the ‘red lady’ has yet to be assembled!” So they adjourned to the place before the prison where a trolley containing the essential parts of the guillotine had been waiting since midnight, and with a skill born of practice they erected the grisly thing, and fitted the knife into its proper slots. But even mechanical skill is not proof against the heady wines of southern France, and when they tried the knife it did not fall truly.