E-text prepared by Lee Dawei, Michelle Shephard, David Moynihan, Charles Franks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team The Face and the Mask BY ROBERT BARR [Illustration: "THE GIRL KISSED THE TIPS OF HER FINGERS."] THE HON. WILLIAM E. QUINBY (_United States Minister to the Netherlands_) HAS HELPED SO MANY UNKNOWN LITERARY ASPIRANTS THAT HE CAN HARDLY HAVE HOPED TO ESCAPE THE DEDICATION TO HIM OF A BOOK BY AT LEAST ONE OF THEM CONTENTS. CHAP. I. THE WOMAN OF STONE II. THE CHEMISTRY OF ANARCHY III. THE FEAR OF IT IV. THE METAMORPHOSES OF JOHNSON V. THE RECLAMATION OF JOE HOLLENDS VI. THE TYPE-WRITTEN LETTER VII. THE DOOM OF LONDON VIII. THE PREDICAMENT OF DE PLONVILLE IX. A NEW EXPLOSIVE X. THE GREAT PEGRAM MYSTERY XI. DEATH COMETH SOON OR LATE XII. HIGH STAKES XIII. "WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS" XIV. THE DEPARTURE OF CUB MCLEAN XV. OLD NUMBER EIGHTY-SIX XVI. PLAYING WITH MARKED CARDS XVII. THE BRUISER'S COURTSHIP XVIII. THE RAID ON MELLISH XIX. STRIKING BACK XX. CRANDALL'S CHOICE XXI. THE FAILURE OF BRADLEY XXII. RINGAMY'S CONVERT XXIII. A SLIPPERY CUSTOMER XXIV. THE SIXTH BENCH [Illustration] _The Personal Conductor:_ "It is a statue of no importance whatever." _The Personally Conducted:_ "Yes, but what does it mean?" _The Personal Conductor:_ "I don't suppose it means anything in particular. It is not by any well-known artist and the guidebooks say nothing about it." _The Personally Conducted:_ "Perhaps the sculptor intended to typify life; the tragic face representing one side of existence and the comic mask another." _The Personal Conductor:_ "Very likely. This way to the Louvre, if you please." THE WOMAN OF STONE.