The Beckoning Hand, and Other Stories by Grant Allen
"The Beckoning Hand, and Other Stories" by Grant Allen is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century. The tales delve into themes of intrigue, mystery, and human relationships, featuring a diverse array of characters and situations. In this particular collection, the opening story introduces us to Harry Tristram, who becomes captivated by the enigmatic Césarine Vivian after a chance encounter at a theatre. The opening of the story
focuses on a dramatic evening when Harry attends a French play with his childhood friend Irene and her mother. As he becomes intrigued by the striking Césarine, their lives are abruptly interrupted by a fire that breaks out in the theatre. While assisting Césarine in escaping the chaos, Harry feels a bizarre mix of fascination and wariness toward her. After the incident, Harry becomes unwillingly drawn into Césarine's world, setting the stage for a tumultuous relationship filled with complicated dynamics of attraction, danger, and the supernatural. This opening lays the groundwork for exploring the depths of Césarine's character and the eventual impact of her presence on Harry's life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
The beckoning hand -- Lucretia -- The third time -- The gold Wulfric -- My uncle's will -- The two Carnegies -- Olga Davidoff's husband -- John Cann's treasure -- Isaline and I -- Professor Milliter's dilemma -- In strict confidence -- The search party's find -- Harry's inheritance.
Credits
E-text prepared by Annie R. McGuire from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org)
Reading Level
Reading ease score: 72.9 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
