THE MAN INSIDE BY NATALIE SUMNER LINCOLN AUTHOR OF "THE TREVOR CASE" AND "THE LOST DESPATCH." ILLUSTRATED D. APPLETON AND COMPANY NEW YORK AND LONDON 1914 COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY Copyright, 1914, by SMITH PUBLISHING HOUSE Printed in the United States of America [Illustration: "'My dream! See, the panels are in the shape of a cross!'"] [Page 198] TO THE LATE MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE LEWIS GILLESPIE U. S. ARMY WHOSE KINDLY FRIENDSHIP, GENEROUS ENCOURAGEMENT AND DISCRIMINATING CRITICISM MADE THIS BOOK POSSIBLE IT IS MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. "WHERE THE BEST IS LIKE THE WORST" 1 II. AFTER THE BALL 14 III. A MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY 19 IV. THE BROKEN APPOINTMENT 24 V. MUTE TESTIMONY 36 VI. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE 52 VII. A PIECE OF ORIENTAL SILK 59 VIII. KISMET 71 IX. AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT 87 X. THE THEFT 96 XI. OVER THE TEA CUPS 107 XII. A COUNCIL OF WAR 118 XIII. AT THE WHITE HOUSE 131 XIV. THE MOTH AND THE FLAME 152 XV. "THORNTON'S NEST" 171 XVI. A CRY IN THE NIGHT 188 XVII. THE MYSTERY DEEPENS 204 XVIII. IN THE NAME OF THE LAW 221 XIX. THE ACCUSATION 231 XX. WEAVING THE WEB 245 XXI. AN INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE 260 XXII. THE PURSUIT 269 XXIII. THE END OF THE QUEST 273 XXIV. THE FINAL EXPLANATION 293 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE "'My dream! See, the panels are in the shape of a cross!'" _Frontispiece_ "But Cynthia remained where she was and peeped over the butler's shoulder" 18 "He made out a shadowy form just ahead of him and darted forward" 68 "With an exclamation he rose, and walked across the room" 234 THE MAN INSIDE CHAPTER I "WHERE THE BEST IS LIKE THE WORST"