
A weary traveler aboard a sea‑bound vessel discovers a sealed letter from his enigmatic great‑uncle, a man whose loyalties shifted with the tides of the French Revolution. The missive, stamped with both French and English seals, summons the young heir back to the contested estate of Grosbois, promising protection from old family feuds and the favor of Napoleon’s regime. As the protagonist reads, he confronts the tangled legacy of a noble lineage torn between royalist tradition and republican fervor, while the weight of an inherited conflict presses upon him.
Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, the story follows his uneasy decision to heed the urgent call, navigating the murky motives of relatives and the looming presence of the empire. Listeners will be drawn into a world of secret correspondences, shifting allegiances, and the personal struggle of a man caught between duty to his ancestors and the uncertain promise of a new order.
Language
fi
Duration
~3 hours (214K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-12-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1859–1930
Best known for creating Sherlock Holmes, this Scottish writer also built a remarkably varied career as a doctor, historian, and storyteller. His work ranges from sharp detective fiction to adventure tales like The Lost World.
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