THE
POISONED PARADISE
A ROMANCE OF MONTE CARLO
BY
ROBERT W. SERVICE
AUTHOR OF “THE TRAIL OF NINETY-EIGHT,” “RHYMES OF
A ROLLING STONE,” “THE PRETENDER,” ETC.
NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
1922
Copyright, 1922,
By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, Inc.
First Printing, Oct., 1922
Second Printing, Nov., 1922
Third Printing, Jan., 1923
PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. BY
The Quinn & Roden Company
BOOK MANUFACTURERS
RAHWAY NEW JERSEY
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
| Prologue | 1 |
| Book One—The Story of Margot | 5 |
| Book Two—The Story of Hugh | 77 |
| Book Three—The Wheel | 131 |
| Book Four—The Vortex | 245 |
| Book Five—The Man Hunt | 341 |
THE
POISONED PARADISE
PROLOGUE
The boy was sitting in a corner of the shabby room.The mother watched him from her pillow.
“What are you doing, dear?”
“Drawing, Mother Lovely.”
“Strange! Always drawing. Did I ever tell you thatyour father was an artist?”
The boy looked at her thoughtfully. His eyes were likeher own, dark and velvety; but his sunny hair contrastedwith her black braids.
“No, Mother Lovely. Had I a father?”
“Yes, dearest. He died just before you were born. Icame here hoping that his people, so rich, so proud, wouldbe glad to see you. But, no, they cannot understand....We’ll go home together, you and I, to my home.”
“Where is that, Mother?”
“Monaco, the great rock that rises from the sea, wheremy family has lived for generations. Listen, little son... if I should not be able to go with you, you must goalone. You will find the house where lives my mother, aplain, quiet house with brown shutters near the Cathedral.In front four pepper-trees shield it from the sun, andthrough the pines one can see the blue glimmer of thesea....”
[2]“Is it beautiful, my mother?”
“Always beautiful. The people sing from very joy.In the garden of the Prince, just in front of our house,there is a broken pillar covered with ivy. Beside it is aspring where flowers bloom even in summer heat. It wasthere we used to meet, your father and I.... Ah! Ihave never re