Transcriber's Notes: 1. Page scan source: http:// arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/6/3/1/public/B14644101.pdf (La Trobe University, Australia) [Illustration: Front cover] THE AMETHYST CROSS ------------------------------------- _BY THE SAME AUTHOR_ ------------------------------------- THE MYSTERY OF A SHADOW ------------------------------------- CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD. LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK, TORONTO AND MELBOURNE ------------------------------------- [Frontispiece: "'Father!' she shrieked!" (_see page 194_.)] THE AMETHYST CROSS BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "FLIES IN THE WEB," "THE PURPLE FERN," "THE MYSTERY OF A SHADOW," ETC. WITH COLOURED FRONTISPIECE BY C. DUDLEY TENNANT CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK, TORONTO AND MELBOURNE 1908 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE BEGINNING OF A MYSTERY II. THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS III. ANOTHER MYSTERY IV. A FAMILY HISTORY V. MRS. WALKER'S OPINION VI. PURPLE AND FINE LINEN VII. AFTER MIDNIGHT VIII. UNDER A CLOUD IX. TWO GIRLS X. THE _DEUS EX MACHINA_ XI. THE SEAMY SIDE XII. A COUNTERPLOT XIII. MRS. WALKER'S VISIT XIV. THE FAMILY LAWYER XV. A STARTLING LETTER XVI. RECOGNITION XVII. DISGRACE XVIII. LADY CHARVINGTON'S ACCUSATIONS XIX. MR. HALE EXPLAINS XX. JOURNEYS END IN LOVERS' MEETING XXI. TWO INTERVIEWS XXII. THE PLOT XXIII. ONE PART OF THE TRUTH XXIV. ANOTHER PART OF THE TRUTH XXV. REVENGE XXVI. THE END OF IT ALL THE AMETHYST CROSS CHAPTER I THE BEGINNING OF A MYSTERY THE blackbird knew. He had paired for the fifth time in as many years, and esteemed himself wise in the matters, of love. Therefore, from the budding chestnut wherein his nest was built, did he sympathetically watch the bachelor and maid who sat below. They were lovers as he knew very well, for only lovers could have gazed so persistently into one another's eyes, and therein did they behold each other as each wished to be. Which sentence is cryptic to those who are not lovers as these were. They might have looked at the smoothly-flowing river, singing quietly to itself not a stone-cast away, or round a tangled garden, delicately beautiful with the young greenery of May, or up into the azure depths of a sky, flecked with silvery clouds. But they preferred--wisely it may be--to look into each other's eyes, to clasp hands and to remain silent with that eloquent muteness, which is the speech of true love. Oh! the blackbird knew the meaning of these things very thoroughly, and chuckled with such glee that he finally broke into glorious song concerning the new love, the true love, the old love, the bold love, which comes evermore with the blossoms of spring. But these inhabitants of Paradise did not require the bird to reveal the obvious. Their hearts were also singing the song of the early year.