
In a sweltering South‑American prison, a wealthy American financier faces his final hours with a mixture of bitterness and defiance. When a half‑caste jailer named Steinbaum delivers an unexpected request—a mysterious, veiled American woman wants the condemned to marry her—Maseden’s world is turned upside down. The dialogue crackles with sharp wit, cynical bravado, and the uneasy tension of a man who has everything to lose yet still clings to a sliver of honor.
The proposition sets off a strange, almost farcical quest: a death‑row inmate must navigate bureaucratic intrigue, a dubious priest, and a shadowy bride who remains unseen. As the clock ticks, the story balances dark humor with a flicker of romance, exploring how a single, absurd promise can ignite hope, desperation, and the lingering question of what truly matters when life’s end looms near.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (396K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2011-01-26
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1863–1928
Best known for fast-moving adventure and mystery fiction, this prolific English novelist wrote dozens of popular books in the late Victorian and Edwardian era. His stories often mix suspense, travel, romance, and a lively sense of danger.
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