[Frontispiece: Then, just in the nick of time, he turned to meet the driver of the cart. There was no chance of repeating his former tactics, for the sheer weight of the latter's rush had brought him into close quarters, and the next instant they were swaying up and down clutched in each other's arms.] The Lady from Long Acre By Victor Bridges Author of "A Rogue by Compulsion," "The Man from Nowhere," "Jetsam" _Illustrated by Ray Rohn_ G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London The Knickerbocker Press 1919 Copyright, 1919 BY VICTOR BRIDGES The Knickerbocker Press, New York CONTENTS CHAPTER I.--"Tiger" Bugg Versus "Lightning" Lopez II.--The Morals of Molly III.--Two Yellow-Faced Foreigners IV.--Like a Fairy Story V.--The Leniency of Justice VI.--Pricing an Heirloom VII.--Bugg's Strategy VIII.--Affairs in Livadia IX.--A Run-Away Queen X.--The Royal Enterprise XI.--The Baited Trap XII.--Molly Becomes an Ally XIII.--A Move by the Enemy XIV.--A Disturbance in Hampstead XV.--Impending Events XVI.--An Artistic Forgery XVII.--A Decoy Message XVIII.--The Royal Pass XIX.--Jimmy Dale XX.--Counterplotting XXI.--The Solution XXII.--Getting Access to Isabel XXIII.--Kidnapping the Bride XXIV.--Making Sure of Isabel ILLUSTRATIONS Just in the Nick of Time he Turned to Meet the Driver of the Car . . . _Frontispiece_ Tony Sent the Fellow Staggering Back to the Edge of the Pavement "I am so Sorry to have Kept you Waiting," Said Tony "And do you Mean to Say," he Remarked, "that you really Waste this on Dramatic Critics?" His Gaze finally Came to Rest on the Barrel of the Mauser Pistol "I will Tell you the Whole Story if you Like, Aunt Fanny" The Lady from Long Acre CHAPTER I "TIGER" BUGG VERSUS "LIGHTNING" LOPEZ Lady Jocelyn sighed gently and put down her cup on the tea-table. "I suppose, Tony," she said, "that when one gets to seventy-two, one's conscience begins to decay just as one's body does. I seem to like good people less and immoral and useless ones more. You are the only member of the family it gives me the faintest pleasure to see nowadays." Sir Antony Raymond Fulk Desmoleyn Conway--Conway Bart., more commonly known as Tony, nodded his head. "They are rather a stuffy lot the others, aren't they!" he answered cheerfully. "Who's been round to see you?" "Only Laura and Henry as yet." Lady Jocelyn spoke with some thankfulness. "Well, that's enough," observed Tony. "Ten minutes with either of them always makes me feel I want to do something improper." "Allowing for age and infirmity," said Lady Jocelyn, "they have a rather similar effect on me." Tony laughed. "So you have heard all about my misdeeds?" "I would hardly go as far as that. They were only here for two hours. You may smoke you know, Tony, if you want to."