E-text prepared by Al Haines Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 20131-h.htm or 20131-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/1/3/20131/20131-h/20131-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/1/3/20131/20131-h.zip) THE MASK A Story of Love and Adventure by ARTHUR HORNBLOW Author of the Novels "The Lion and the Mouse," "The Gamblers," "Bought and Paid For," "By Right of Conquest," "The End of the Game," Etc. Illustrations by Paul Stahr [Frontispiece: A small jewelled hand struck him full on the mouth.] G. W. Dillingham Company Publishers -------- New York Copyright, 1913, by G. W. Dillingham Company _The Mask_ ILLUSTRATIONS A small jewelled hand struck him full on the mouth. . . . _Frontispiece_ "Yes, you are my brother. We are twins." "I adore you--I adore you," he murmured, as he kissed her again. THE MASK CHAPTER I "There! What did I tell you? The news is out!" With a muttered exclamation of annoyance, Kenneth Traynor put down his coffee cup with a crash and, leaning over the table, pointed out to his wife a despatch from London, given prominence in the morning paper, which ran as follows: Advices from Cape Town report the finding on a farm near Fontein, a hundred miles north of here, of a diamond which in size is only second to the famous Koh-i-noor. The stone, which is in the shape of an egg with the top cut off, weighs 1,649 carats, and was discovered after blasting at the foot of some rocks on land adjacent to the tract owned by the Americo-African Mining Company of New York. It is understood that the American Company is negotiating for the property; some say the transfer has already been made. If this is true, the finding of this colossal stone means a windfall for the Yankee stockholders. The Traynor home, No. ---- Gramercy Park, was one of those dignified, old-fashioned residences that still remain in New York to remind our vulgar, ostentatious _nouveaux riches_ of the days when culture and refinement counted for something more than mere wealth. Overlooking the railed-in square with its green lawns, pretty winding paths and well-dressed children romping at play, it had a high stoop which opened into a wide hall, decorated with obsolete weapons and trophies of the hunt. On the right were rich tapestries, masking the folding doors of a spacious drawing-room, richly decorated and furnished in Louis XIV. period. Beyond this, to the rear of the house which had been built out to the extreme end of the lot, was the splendidly appointed dining-room with its magnificent fireplace of sculptured white marble, surmounted by a striking portrait in oils by Carolus Duran of Mrs. Traynor--a painting which had been one of the most successful pictures of the previous year's salon.