One of two : a novel

Front matter

pi pfee ty

SS Aw fe

ANW LANDS’ ~___MACASSAR OIL

Preface

To one of Mr Thackeray’s stories—which is so English, that no one would have the slightest suspicion that it was a transplantation—the author appends a note, explaining that the plot came from a foreign source. In a like manner, the writer of the following pages would acknowledge his indebtedness to M. Emile Gaboriau for the motif? of this story, and for outlines of some of the principal characters. He hopes, however, that as his “scene,” to speak dramatically, is as thoroughly English as that of the “‘ Bedford Row Conspiracy,” referred to above, so also the puppets which move and speak upon his stage—many of which appear for the first time—may be claimed as original, and entirely of our country ; while the “time” of the story is more than forty years anterior to the date of that which suggested it.

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Exigencies of narration have made the author take a shght liberty with the Criminal Law, which his good-natured readers will, he hopes, be as ready to pardon as he is to confess his necessary shortcoming ; he also begs to be permitted to explain that the quotations from the newspapers are from contemporary sources.

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Contents

WHAT WAS FOUND AT ACACIA VILLA, KENSAL-GREEN .

MR TOM FORSTER PUTS HIMSELF ON THE QUI VIVE.

CABINET-WORK 3 OR, PIECING TOGETHER , : : :