Chapter I: Front Matter

THE INDISCRETIONS OF A LADY’S MAID

“THE MASTER OF MYSTERY”

WILLIAM LE QUEUX’S NOVELS

“Mr. William Le Queux retains his position as ‘The Master of Mystery.’... He is far too skilful to allow pause for thought: he whirls his readers from incident to incident, holding their attention from the first page to the close of the book.”—_Pall Mall Gazette._

“Mr. Le Queux is the master of mystery. He never fails to produce the correct illusion. He always leaves us panting for more—a brilliant feat.”—_Daily Graphic._

“Mr. Le Queux is still ‘The Master of Mystery.’”—_Madame._

“Mr. Le Queux is a most experienced hand in writing sensational fiction. He never loses the grip of his readers.”—_Publishers’ Circular._

“Mr. Le Queux always grips his reader, and holds him to the last page.”—_Bristol Times and Mirror._

“Mr. Le Queux’s books once begun must be read to the end.”—_Evening News._

“There is no better companion on a railway journey than Mr. William Le Queux.”—_Daily Mail._

“Mr. Le Queux knows his business, and carries it on vigorously and prosperously. His stories are always fantastic and thrilling.”—_Daily Telegraph._

“Mr. Le Queux is an adept at the semi-detective story. His work is always excellent.”—_Review of Reviews._

“Mr. Le Queux is always so refreshing in his stories of adventure that one knows on taking up a new book of his that one will be amused.”—_Birmingham Post._

“Mr. Le Queux’s books are delightfully convincing.”—_Scotsman._

“Mr. Le Queux’s books are always exciting and absorbing. His mysteries are enthralling and his skill is world-famous.”—_Liverpool Daily Post._

“Mr. Le Queux has brought the art of the sensational novel to high perfection.”—_Northern Whig._

“Mr. Le Queux is so true to his own style that any one familiar with his books would certainly guess him to be the author, even if his name were not given.”—_Methodist Recorder._

“As ‘good wine needs no bush’ so no mystery story by Mr. Le Queux, the popular weaver of tales of crime, needs praise for its skill. Any novel with this author’s name appended is sure to be ingenious in design and cleverly worked out.”—_Bookseller._

“Mr. Le Queux is always reliable. The reader who picks up any of his latest novels knows what to expect.”—_Bookman._

“Mr. Le Queux’s admirers are legion, and the issue of a new novel is to them one of the most felicitous events that can happen.”—_Newcastle Daily Chronicle._

“Mr. Le Queux is the master of the art of mystery-creating.”—_Liverpool Daily Post._

THE INDISCRETIONS
OF A LADY’S MAID

BEING SOME STRANGE STORIES RELATED BY
MADEMOISELLE MARIETTE LE BAS
FEMME-DE-CHAMBRE

AND CHRONICLED BY
WILLIAM LE QUEUX

“_Nobody in a large household knows so much, or sees so much,
as Madame’s maid—especially if Madame is ‘chic’ and inclined to
be—well a trifle vain and frivolous, as is so often the case._”

LONDON
EVELEIGH NASH
1912

_Second Impression._

_Copyright in the United States of America
by William Le Queux, 1911._

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I MADAME’S GENTLEMAN FRIEND 7

II THE WARDROBE DRAWER 31

III LITTLE MRS. OTWAY 55

IV THE NOAH’S ARK 80

V GUILTY BONDS 108

VI THE MYSTERY OF MONSIEUR 137

VII THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS 161

VIII WHAT WAS IN THE STRONG ROOM 184

IX CONCERNS TWO VISITORS 207

X CONTAINS SOME REVELATIONS 219

XI A QUEER MÉNAGE 233

XII A PEER OF THE REALM 257

XIII CONCERNING MADAME’S LUGGAGE 268

XIV MADAME AND THE BUTLER 287

XV THE PEOPLE AT LANCASTER GATE 309