
BOOK THE FIRST.
CHAPTER I. TWO IN THE FIELD.
CHAPTER II. A MAN DOWN.
CHAPTER III. A SEA DOG.
CHAPTER IV. PURGATORIO.
CHAPTER V. THE VALLEY OF REPOSE.
CHAPTER VI. AN ACTOR PASSES OFF THE STAGE.
CHAPTER VII. IN THE STREET OF THE PEACE.
CHAPTER VIII. THE DEAL.
CHAPTER IX. CUT FOR PARTNERS.
Two brothers travel together aboard the swift “Flying Dutchman,” their quiet carriage a world apart from the bustling fields outside. Henry, thoughtful and steady, watches the landscape blur while his brother Luke wrestles with a looming disappointment—Luke’s hoped‑for commission in the Royal Navy has been denied, and the weight of family expectation hangs heavy between them. Their conversation hints at a larger, shadowy presence that has long haunted their lineage, a “Grey Lady” whose reputation lingers like a whispered legend across generations.
Against the backdrop of late‑Victorian England—train whistles, looming London, and the ever‑present sea—both men confront the choices that will shape their futures. As the train speeds onward, the brothers must decide whether loyalty, pride, or an unseen destiny will guide them, setting the stage for a tale of duty, rivalry, and the lingering echo of a mysterious lady whose influence reaches far beyond a single family.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (382K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Les Bowler, St. Ives, Dorset.
Release date
2004-09-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1862–1903
Best known for adventure and historical novels with a strong sense of place, this English writer found wide popularity in the 1890s, especially with The Sowers. Behind the pen name was Hugh Stowell Scott, a businessman and Lloyd’s underwriter who turned his gift for storytelling into a successful literary career.
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