Produced by Andrew Wainwright, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net The Opal Serpent By Fergus Hume AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "THE RAINBOW FEATHER," "A COIN OF EDWARD VII.," "THE PAGAN'S CUP," "THE SECRET PASSAGE," "THE RED WINDOW," "THE MANDARIN'S FAN," ETC. G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK COPYRIGHT, 1905, BY G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY. _Issued July, 1905._ [Illustration: "LOOK! LOOK!" CRIED SYLVIA, GASPING--"THE MOUTH!"] CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. DON QUIXOTE IN LONDON 7 II. DEBORAH JUNK, DUENNA 19 III. DULCINEA OF GWYNNE STREET 32 IV. THE UNFORESEEN 44 V. TROUBLE 56 VI. A NOISE IN THE NIGHT 68 VII. A TERRIBLE NIGHT 80 VIII. THE VERDICT OF THE JURY 91 IX. CASTLES IN THE AIR 103 X. A BOLT FROM THE BLUE 115 XI. A CUCKOO IN THE NEST 126 XII. THE NEW LIFE 137 XIII. THE DETECTIVE'S VIEWS 148 XIV. MR. HAY'S LITTLE DINNER 161 XV. A NEW CLUE 172 XVI. SYLVIA'S THEORY 185 XVII. HURD'S INFORMATION 196 XVIII. AT CHRISTCHURCH, HANTS 208 XIX. CAPTAIN JESSOP 219 XX. PART OF THE TRUTH 228 XXI. MISS QIAN'S PARTY 241 XXII. FURTHER EVIDENCE 254 XXIII. WHAT PASH SAID 266 XXIV. MRS. KRILL AT BAY 278 XXV. A CRUEL WOMAN 291 XXVI. A FINAL EXPLANATION 306 CHAPTER I DON QUIXOTE IN LONDON