Transcriber’s Notes Misspelled words have been corrected. These are identified by ♦♠ symbols in the text and are shown immediately below the paragraph or section in which they appear. Details and other notes may be found at the end of this text. THE ROMAN HAT MYSTERY _A Problem in Deduction_ _By_ ELLERY QUEEN [Illustration: Publisher flying-horse logo] FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY NEW YORK MCMXXIX _Copyright, 1929, by_ Frederick A. Stokes Company _All Rights Reserved_ Published August 15, 1929 Second Printing (before publication) July 2, 1929 Third Printing (before publication) August 8, 1929 Fourth Printing, September 10, 1929 _Printed in the United States of America_ Grateful Acknowledgment Is Made to PROFESSOR ALEXANDER GOETTLER _Chief Toxicologist of the City of New York_ For His Friendly Offices in the Preparation of This Tale CONTENTS PART ONE PAGE Foreword vii CHAPTER I. In Which Are Introduced a Theatre-Audience and a Corpse 3 II. In Which One Queen Works and Another Queen Watches 12 III. In Which a “Parson” Comes to Grief 29 IV. In Which Many Are Called and Two Are Chosen 47 V. In Which Inspector Queen Conducts Some Legal Conversations ♦56 VI. In Which the District Attorney Turns Biographer 79 VII. The Queens Take Stock 90 PART TWO VIII. In Which the Queens Meet Mr. Field’s Very Best Friend 105 IX. In Which the Mysterious Mr. Michaels Appears 123 X. In Which Mr. Field’s Tophats Begin to Assume Proportions 131 XI. In Which the Past Casts a Shadow 145 XII. In Which the Queens Invade Society 158 XIII. Queen to Queen 174 PART THREE XIV. In Which the Hat Grows 197 XV. In Which an Accusation Is Made 214 XVI. In Which the Queens Go to the Theatre 226 XVII. In Which More Hats Grow 240 XVIII. Stalemate 261 INTERLUDE In Which the Reader’s Attention Is Respectfully Requested ♠271