[Cover Illustration] THE WONDERFUL YEAR _=BY THE SAME AUTHOR=_ Idols Jaffery Septimus Viviette Derelicts The Usurper Stella Maris Where Love Is The White Dove Simon the Jester A Study in Shadows The Fortunate Youth A Christmas Mystery The Belovèd Vagabond At the Gate of Samaria The Glory of Clementina The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne The Demagogue and Lady Phayre The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol THE WONDERFUL YEAR BY WILLIAM J. LOCKE AUTHOR OF “JAFFERY,” “THE FORTUNATE YOUTH,” “THE BELOVÈD VAGABOND,” ETC. NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD MCMXVI Copyright, 1915, 1916, By International Magazine Company ———— Copyright, 1916, By John Lane Company Press of J. J. Little & Ives Company New York, U. S. A. THE WONDERFUL YEAR THE WONDERFUL YEAR CHAPTER I “THERE is a letter for you, monsieur,” said the concierge of the Hôtel du Soleil et de l’Ecosse. He was a shabby concierge sharing in the tarnish of the shabby hotel which (for the information of those fortunate ones who only know of the Ritz, and the Meurice and other such-like palaces) is situated in the unaristocratic neighbourhood of the Halles Centrales. “As it bears the Paris postmark, it must be the one which monsieur was expecting,” said he, detaching it from the clip on the keyboard. “You are perfectly right,” said Martin Overshaw. “I recognise the handwriting.” The young Englishman sat on the worn cane seat in the little vestibule and read his letter. It ran: Dear Martin,