The Mandarin's Fan
by Fergus Hume (1859–1932)
- Free to read
- 5 hours to read
- 25 chapters
- Reading level: 6th grade
"The Mandarin's Fan" by Fergus Hume is a novel written during the early 20th century. It centers around Rupert Ainsleigh, a young man burdened by his family's misfortunes, who is on a quest for a valuable jade fan that holds the promise of wealth and resolution to his financial woes. The story weaves themes of love, curses, and the supernatural, setting the stage for a mix of romance and mystery. At the start of the narrative, Rupert is engaged in a conversation with Major Tidman, revealing the tension of his financial troubles and an ancestral curse associated with the Ainsleigh family. He learns about a mysterious jade fan belonging to Mandarin Lo-Keong, which is said to bring fortune to its possessor, and he believes it could help save his estate. As Rupert expresses his determination to find the fan, discussions about his love for Olivia Rayner, the daughter of his aunt Sophia Wharf, introduce further complication, as Miss Wharf holds a mortgage on his estate. As Rupert navigates the intricate web of personal and familial conflict, hints of darker mysteries surrounding the fan begin to emerge, foreshadowing the challenges he will face in his quest.
- Detective and mystery stories
- Murder · Investigation
- Chinese · England
Read the opening
Chapter I
THE ADVERTISEMENT
One July evening in the first year of the present century, two gentlemen were seated on the terrace of the mansion, known as Royabay. A small rose-wood table was placed between the deep arm-chairs, and thereon appeared wine, coffee, and a box of cigars. The young host smoked a briar and sipped coffee, but his guest, very wisely, devoted himself to superlative port and a fragrant cigar. Major Tidman was a battered old soldier of fortune, who appreciated good quarters and made the most of civilised luxuries, when other people paid for them. He had done full justice to a dinner admirably cooked and served, while Ainsleigh, the master of the feast had merely trifled with his food. Now, the wary Tidman gave himself up to the perfect enjoyment of wine, cigar and the quiet evening, while his host restlessly changed his position a dozen times in ten minutes and gloomed misanthropically at the beautiful surroundings.
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About this edition
This free edition of The Mandarin's Fan by Fergus Hume comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #36346, released 2011-06-07. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Romance, Crime, Thrillers and Mystery, Novels.
Other editions: eBook #55606.
Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).
