The hush of the court, which had been broken when the foreman of the jury returned their verdict, was intensified as the Judge, with a quick glance over his pince-nez at the tall prisoner, marshalled his papers with the precision and method which old men display in tense moments such as these. He gathered them together, white paper and blue and buff and stacked them in a neat heap on a tiny ledge to the left of his desk. Then he took his pen and wrote a few words on a printed paper before him.
The hush of the court, which had been broken when the foreman of the jury returned their verdict, was intensified as the Judge, with a quick glance over his pince-nez at the tall prisoner, marshalled his papers with the precision and method which old men display in tense moments such as these. He gathered them together, white paper and blue and buff and stacked them in a neat heap on a tiny ledge to the left of his desk.
Then he took his pen and wrote a few words on a printed paper before him.Another breathless pause and he groped beneath the desk and brought out a small square of black silk and carefully laid it over his white wig. Then he spoke:"James Meredith, you have been convicted after a long and patient trial of the awful crime of wilful murder. With the verdict of the jury I am in complete agreement. There is little doubt, after hearing the evidence of the unfortunate lady to whom you were engaged, and whose evidence you attempted in the most brutal manner to refute, that, instigated by your jealousy, you shot Ferdinand Bulford. The evidence of Miss Briggerland that you had threatened this poor young man, and that you left her presence in a temper, is unshaken. By a terrible coincidence, Mr. Bulford was in the street outside your fiancee's door when you left, and maddened by your insane jealousy, you shot him dead."To suggest, as you have through your counsel, that you called at Miss Briggerland's that night to break off your engagement and that the interview was a mild one and unattended by recriminations is to suggest that this lady has deliberately committed perjury in order to swear away your life, and when to that disgraceful charge you produce a motive, namely that by your death or imprisonment Miss Briggerland, who is your cousin, would benefit to a considerable extent, you merely add to your infamy. Nobody who saw the young girl in the box, a pathetic, and if I may say, a beautiful figure, could accept for one moment your fantastic explanation."Who killed Ferdinand Bulford? A man without an enemy in the world. That tragedy cannot be explained away. It now only remains for me to pass the sentence which the law imposes. The jury's recommendation to mercy will be forwarded to the proper quarter...."He then proceeded to pass sentence of death, and the tall man in the dock listened without a muscle of his face moving.So ended the great Berkeley Street Murder Trial, and when a few days later it was announced that the sentence of death had been commuted to one of penal servitude for life, there were newspapers and people who hinted at mistaken leniency and suggested that James Meredith would have been hanged if he were a poor man instead of being, as he was, the master of vast wealth."That's that," said Jack Glover between his teeth, as he came out of court with the eminent King's Counsel who had defended his friend and client, "the little lady wins."His companion looked sideways at him and smiled."Honestly, Glover, do you believe that poor girl could do so dastardly a thing as lie about the man she loves?""She loves!" repeated Jack Glover witheringly."I think you are prejudiced," said the counsel, shaking his head. "Personally, I believe that Meredith is a lunatic; I am satisfied that all he told us about the interview he had with the girl was born of a diseased imagination. I was terribly impressed when I saw Jean Briggerland in the box. She--by Jove, there is the lady!"They had reached the entrance of the Court. A big car was standing by the kerb and one of the attendants was holding open the door for a girl dressed in black. They had a glimpse of a pale, sad face of extraordinary beauty, and then she disappeared behind the drawn blinds.The counsel drew a long sigh."Mad!" he said huskily. "He must be mad! If ever I saw a pure soul in a woman's face, it is in hers!""You've been in the sun, Sir John--you're getting sentimental," said Jack Glover brutally, and the eminent lawyer choked indignantly.Jack Glover had a trick of saying rude things to his friends, even when those friends were twenty years his senior, and by every rule of professional etiquette entitled to respectful treatment."Really!" said the outraged Sir John. "There are times, Glover, when you are insufferable!"But by this time Jack Glover was swinging along the Old Bailey, his hands in his pockets, his silk hat on the back of his head.He found the grey-haired senior member of the firm of Rennett, Glover and Simpson (there had been no Simpson in the firm for ten years) on the point of going home.Mr. Rennett sat down at the sight of his junior."I heard the news by 'phone," he said. "Ellbery says there is no ground for appeal, but I think the recommendation to mercy will save his life--besides it is a _crime passionelle_, and they don't hang for homicidal jealousy. I suppose it was the girl's evidence that turned the trick?"Jack nodded."And she looked like an angel just out of the refrigerator," he said despairingly. "Ellbery did his poor best to shake her, but the old fool is half in love with her--I left him raving about her pure soul and her other celestial etceteras."Mr. Rennett stroked his iron grey beard."She's won," he said, but the other turned on him with a snarl."Not yet!" he said almost harshly. "She hasn't won till Jimmy Meredith is dead or----""Or----?" repeated his partner significantly. "That 'or' won't come off, Jack. He'll get a life sentence as sure as 'eggs is eggs.' I'd go a long way to help Jimmy; I'd risk my practice and my name."Jack Glover looked at his partner in astonishment."You old sportsman!" he said admiringly. "I didn't know you were so fond of Jimmy?"Mr. Rennett got up and began pulling on his gloves. He seemed a little uncomfortable at the sensation he had created."His father was my first client," he said apologetically. "One of the best fellows that ever lived. He married late in life, that was why he was such a crank over the question of marriage. You might say that old Meredith founded our firm. Your father and Simpson and I were nearly at our last gasp when Meredith gave us his business. That was our turning point. Your father--God rest him--was never tired of talking about it. I wonder he never told you.""I think he did," said Jack thoughtfully. "And you really would go a long way--Rennett--I mean, to help Jim Meredith?""All the way," said old Rennett shortly.Jack Glover began whistling a long lugubrious tune."I'm seeing the old boy to-morrow," he said. "By the way, Rennett, did you see that a fellow had been released from prison to a nursing home for a minor operation the other day? There was a question asked in Parliament about it. Is it usual?""It can be arranged," said Rennett. "Why?""Do you think in a few months' time we could get Jim Meredith into a nursing home for--say an appendix operation?""Has he appendicitis?" asked the other in surprise."He can fake it," said Jack calmly. "It's the easiest thing in the world to fake."Rennett looked at the other under his heavy eyebrows."You're thinking of the 'or'?" he challenged, and Jack nodded."It can be done--if he's alive," said Rennett after a pause."He'll be alive," prophesied his partner, "now the only thing is--where shall I find the girl?"
Trajectory presents classics of world literature with 21st century features! Our original-text editions include the following visual enhancements to foster a deeper understanding of the work: Word Clouds at the start of each chapter highlight important words. Word, sentence, paragraph counts, and reading time help readers and teachers determine chapter complexity. Co-occurrence graphs depict character-to-character interactions as well character to place interactions. Sentiment indexes identify positive and negative trends in mood within each chapter. Frequency graphs help display the impact this book has had on popular culture since its original date of publication. Use Trajectory analytics to deepen comprehension, to provide a focus for discussions and writing assignments, and to engage new readers with some of the greatest stories ever told."The Moving Picture Girls: Or, First Appearances in Photo Dramas" is part of "The Moving Picture Girls" series. "The Moving Picture Girls" is a series about the adventures of Ruth and Alice DeVere who live with their father who is an actor.
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was an English writer Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at 12. He joined the army at 21 and was a war correspondent during the Second Boer War for Reuters and the Daily Mail. Struggling with debt, he left South Africa, returned to London and began writing thrillers to raise income, publishing books including The Four Just Men (1905). "The Man Who Knew" is another nice convoluted story from Wallace. A memory expert, murder, an inheritance, bigamy, kidnapping, drugs, corruption and all the usual Wallace ingredients go to make up a story that is pure Edgar Wallace from start to finish.
The Keepers of the King's Peace was written in the year 1917 by Edgar Wallace. This book is one of the most popular novels of Edgar Wallace, and has been translated into several other languages around the world.This book is published by Booklassic which brings young readers closer to classic literature globally.
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was the illegitimate son of an actress, adopted by a Billingsgate Fish porter named Dick Freeman. He sold newspapers in London at age 11 and joined the army at 21. He was a Reuters war correspondent during the Second Boer War and wrote thrillers to earn extra money from books such as The Four Just Men (1905).He failed in his bid to stand as Liberal MP for Blackpool and moved to Hollywood to work as a script writer. While drafting the blockbuster film King Kong, he died from diabetes.
"Sign them. Now!" He threw the papers across the bed and they fluttered in front of me, taunting me with words boldly spelled on them. Divorce. My blood had fizzled out. I refused to believe this was happening. I had never filled myself with delusions of Ezekiel ever loving me, but I had truly believed we could both tolerate our obligations to each other. Perhaps I was just blinded by love. "You're breaking this marriage because of Ellen? Because of my sister?" **** As though the death of her grandmother and a painful divorce weren't enough torture for one day, Camille Manor stands frozen in the face of a family annulment. Letting go of her past life, she leaves for the States where she aims to start life afresh and raise her children not even the father knew about. Things change when she receives a shocking letter that changes everything. Now, after four years of staying away, Camille must return to London to face the lurking shadows of her past. But with her ex-husband back in her life, will her plans for revenge go smoothly? In the midst of exposing buried family secrets, she struggles to tame the feelings she still has for Zeke despite his betrayal while hiding his paternity over her children. Meanwhile, she takes down the Manor's one by one in a bid to reclaim the honor that was once hers. Delve into the soul-gripping romance between Kamille and Ezekiel as they navigate a web of lies, betrayal and deceit within family ties. As well as unravel a secret nobody saw coming.
It took only a second for a person's world to come crashing down. This was what happened in Hannah's case. For four years, she gave her husband her all, but one day, he said emotionlessly, "Let's get divorced." Hannah's heart broke into a million pieces as she signed the divorce papers, marking the end of her role as a devoted wife. Within Hannah, a strong woman awakened, vowing never to be beholden to any man again. Embracing her new life, she embarked on a journey to find herself and command her own destiny. By the time she returned, she had experienced so much growth and was now completely different from the docile wife everyone once knew. "Is this your latest trick to get my attention?" Hannah's ever-so-arrogant husband asked. Before she could retort, a handsome and domineering CEO pulled her into his embrace. He smiled down at her and said boldly to her ex, "Just a little heads-up, mister. This is my beloved wife. Keep off!"
Broken, damaged beyond repair; that's how Katherine Isobelle would describe her marriage with Nikolai. She shouldn't have married a man who was still in the process of moving on from his first love. What's done is done. The wife returns with the divorce papers, ready to walk away from that chapter of her life, but as soon as Nikolai discovers their child's existence, he is prepared to step up and stop her from leaving.
Frederick Winston wakes up in a messy room with a woman after a night of heavy drinking. Realizing the events of the previous night were real, he notices red stains on the bedsheet and discovers that the woman was a virgin. Despite a brief desire to see her face, Frederick decides to leave, but a necklace falls off the woman and gets caught on his suit. While on his way to work, Frederick recalls the sweet scent from the night before, which surprises him since he lost his sense of smell three years ago. His assistant, Chuck, informs him of a resident causing issues on Cedarbrook Street, and Frederick decides to handle the matter personally. As Frederick is on his way, he finds the dropped pendant with a stunning sapphire, realizing it might belong to the woman he spent the night with. Intrigued and determined to find her, he instructs Chuck to track down someone based on the information about the Regal Haven Hotel between 11 PM and 10 AM. Frederick reminisces about a little girl who had saved him fifteen years ago and gave him a necklace, promising to marry him in the future. He is now driven to find her, despite being the successful CEO of the Winston Group. The story ends with Frederick's determination to fulfill the promise made to the little girl...
"Get undressed and wait for me in bed. Keep your legs open until I finish my shower," he commanded with the power of his Alpha status and as her mate. She wanted to resist. "Do you think I'm the same Luna you forced in the past? I refuse to submit to you. I won't let you touch me." He growled softly, feeling a hot desire for her. She was no longer the unattractive Luna he remembered - she was gorgeous. He wanted to devour her with his tongue. He pulled her close and pushed her onto the bed, licking the back of her ear, making her moan in pleasure. He whispered, "I won't touch your body. Just your p*ssy until you beg for more." He used to be next in line for Alpha and was under the control of his grandfather, the Alpha king. He had to accept mating with the woman he disliked the most - the daughter of one of the most powerful Alphas in the werewolf kingdom. If he didn't, he might lose his chance at being Alpha king after his grandfather's death. He thought he was mateless at the time. He didn't choose to mate with the unattractive woman, so he cheated on her day and night. But, one drunken night, he lost control and slept with her. Later, he forced her to break their mating bond. But, he discovered she was carrying his triplets. He forced her to be his mate again, or she wouldn't see her children again. Six years later, he was no longer weak. He was the Alpha king of werewolves.
Book1 (Chapter 1~188, completed): “Please...come back to me, be my Luna again, Charlotte,” Hayden said. I sneered. “You don't even qualify to be my Omega. What makes you think I would want to be your Luna?” “Then let me be your slave,” the shameless mate who had rejected me begged. ------------------- I had been claimed and married to my mate, Hayden for three years, but everything changed when his brother died. He began to ignore me and get closer to his brother’s widow, Sofia. Everyone could see how much he favored Sofia over his own mate, me. I turned a blind eye and endured it all because he was my destined mate and I loved him so much. But Sofia framed me for causing her miscarriage and everyone blamed me for it, not to mention my mate. My mate forced me to kneel and apologize to that bitch who had tried many times to drive wedges between me and my mate, with the help of his sister, Milla. Hayden didn't even want to listen to my explanations. He gave me a choice - apologize or divorce. I would never apologize for something I didn't do and thus I chose divorce. No one knew I was actually the next-Alpha-in-line of one of the most powerful packs. After the divorce, I went back to my pack and take over my birthright - becoming a powerful Alpha and showing Hayden that he was nothing to me and my life was better off without him! ******************************* Book2( From chapter 189~287, completed): As the Alpha princess, I enjoy all the glory and wealth, but my heart only yearns for freedom and love. Much to my luck, I found my fated mate, Alpha Shawn Evander when I was nineteen. He is one the most eligible bachelors currently, but my parents, especially Dad is so against our mateship, he keeps urging me to break up with Shawn. Why should I break up with my fated mate? I love him too much and decided to make a bold choice - to marry him during my twentieth birthday party secretly. So, it should be a happy day, right? Nope. Imagine my shock when I saw my bestie and Shawn together, betraying me during what was supposed to be our wedding day! In the end, I didn’t get married to him and went to a bar to drown my sorrow when I stumbled across an Alpha who needed a mate to break his curse, and we decided to have a contract marriage between us. But when I went home and sobered up, I realized who that Alpha was - Alpha Maximillian Vestvertine, also known as the most ruthless and arrogant Alpha of all. However, I never ezxpect that this coldest Alpha would be so eagar to have me....