E-text prepared by D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org) Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://www.archive.org/details/latetenant00tracrich THE LATE TENANT by GORDON HOLMES Author of "A Mysterious Disappearance," "The Arncliffe Puzzle." New York Edward J. Clode 156 Fifth Avenue 1906 Copyright, 1906, by Edward J. Clode Entered at Stationers Hall The Plimpton Press Norwood Mass. U.S.A. CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE A WHIFF OF VIOLETS 1 CHAPTER II A SIGNATURE WITH A FLOURISH 15 CHAPTER III VIOLET 27 CHAPTER IV "JOHANN STRAUSS" 36 CHAPTER V VON OR VAN? 45 CHAPTER VI THE WORD OF JOY 60 CHAPTER VII VIOLET'S CONDITIONS 70 CHAPTER VIII AT DEAD OF NIGHT 83 CHAPTER IX COMING NEAR 96 CHAPTER X THE MARRIAGE-LINES 106 CHAPTER XI SWORDS DRAWN 117 CHAPTER XII THE NIGHT-WATCHES 133 CHAPTER XIII NO MORE VIOLET 144 CHAPTER XIV THE DIARY 163 CHAPTER XV IN PAIN 173 CHAPTER XVI HAND TO HAND 180 CHAPTER XVII DAVID MORE THAN REGAINS LOST GROUND 197 CHAPTER XVIII FROM THE DEPTHS 213 CHAPTER XIX VIOLET DECIDES 227 CHAPTER XX DAVID HAS ONE VISITOR, AND EXPECTS OTHERS 242 CHAPTER XXI THE MIDNIGHT GATHERING 257 CHAPTER XXII VAN HUPFELDT MAKES AMENDS 271 _The Late Tenant_ CHAPTER I A WHIFF OF VIOLETS "I suppose one becomes used to this sort of thing in time," thought David Harcourt, as he peered through the dusty plate-glass windows of his third-floor flat. "At present I can appreciate the feelings of a Wyoming steer when he first experiences the restraint of a cattle-truck. Or am I a caged bird? or a menagerie ape? or a mere ass? There is something in the evolution theory, after all. Obviously, one of my respected ancestors is kicking."