On Ernesto
Villa Rocca's handsome face is the pallor of death. Lagunitas and
its millions are his by right of power and cunning.
Marie Berard's avenger is thousands of miles away from her grave,
and his cunning plan already woven to ensnare the Italian when off
his guard. Yet Hardin's blood boils to feel that "the secret for
a price" is buried in Marie Berard's grave. Toss as he may, his
dreams do not discover the lost secret. Even Philip Hardin may
meet a Nemesis.
Villa Rocca, slain by a well-contrived accident, died for a secret
he knew not.
His own hand slew the woman who knew alone of the changelings, save
the bright and defiant ex-queen of the El Dorado.
Dark memories hover around some of the great mines of the Pacific.
Giant stock operations resulted from a seeming accidental fire.
A mine filled with water by mysterious breakage of huge pumps.
Hoisting machinery suddenly unmanageable; dashing to their doom
unsuspecting wretches. Imprisoned miners, walled up in rich drifts,
have died under stifling smoke, so that their secrets would die
with them.
Grinning Molochs of finance have turned markets on these ghastly
tricks.
Madame de Santos may never suspect how a steel spike adroitly set
could cut a rope and dash even a noble Villa Rocca to his doom,
carrying down innocent men as a mask to the crime.
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