
A mist‑shrouded road winds through the Tuscan hills in the early September of 1719, where an exhausted English rider, Charles Wogan, battles a lame horse and the indifferent stretch of countryside. When he stumbles upon a solitary inn, a frantic lady in elegant, lace‑trimmed attire bursts forth, demanding a postillion to carry her urgently toward Bologna. Her voice, a blend of impatience and aristocratic poise, hints at a fragile world of privilege set against the rugged travel of the era.
Wogan, quick‑witted and accustomed to chance, sees an opportunity in her desperation. He offers his own ailing mount as a makeshift carriage, matching her haste with his own pressing need to reach the city. Their brief, charged exchange—marked by curious glances and a shared urgency—sets the stage for an encounter that could intertwine fate, romance, and the unexpected perils of a journey through 18th‑century Italy.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (485K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Josephine Paolucci Joshua Hutchinson and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
Release date
2004-10-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1865–1948
Best known for the adventure classic The Four Feathers and the popular Inspector Hanaud mysteries, this English writer moved easily between suspense, historical drama, and politics. His stories helped shape early twentieth-century popular fiction and kept finding new life on stage and screen.
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