THE LONE WOLF RETURNS
BY LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
AUTHOR OF ALIAS THE LONE WOLF, THE DARK MIRROR, Etc.
ILLUSTRATED WITH SCENES
FROM THE PHOTOPLAY
A COLUMBIA PRODUCTION
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
Published by Arrangement with E. P. Dutton & Company
Copyright, 1923
By INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE CO. (COSMOPOLITANMAGAZINE)
Copyright, 1923
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
All rights reserved, including the rights of translation intoforeign languages, including the Scandinavian
First printing, August, 1923
Second printing, August, 1923
Third printing, August, 1923
Fourth printing, August, 1923
Fifth printing, August, 1923
Sixth printing, August, 1923
Seventh printing, October, 1923
Eighth printing, October, 1923
Ninth printing, December, 1923
Printed in the United States of America
To
FRANK EDWIN VERNEY
because he asked for more andbecause there won't be any more
Note—This is the fifth, and in the intention of the author the last, ofthe Lone Wolf stories. Although in strict sense a sequel it is, like"The Lone Wolf," "The False Faces," "Red Masquerade," and "Alias theLone Wolf," entirely self-contained and able to stand on its own plot.
If anybody else cares . . .
Louis Joseph Vance.
Darien, August, 1923.
BILLIE DOVE AS EVE DE MONTALAIS AND BERT LYTELL AS THELONE WOLF.
The Lone Wolf Returns
I
"I love you," said Michael Lanyard.
He spoke in French; and that simple phrase, covered by the surging songof strings and woodwinds, was inaudible to other ears. Only the womanwith him heard and, hearing, roused from the reverie into which she tooinsensibly had lapsed, turning back from the prismatic pageantry of thedance eyes whose grave regard gave never a clue to the emotions hiswords inspired.
Making no more acknowledgment than this, she studied him intently butkindly, touched by the wistfulness that shadowed the demeanour ofunpretending dignity which she had learned to like best of all the manyphases of the man their friendship had revealed.
The severity of evening dress in line and lack of colour became himwell, setting off the lean, sculptured contours of his face, givingvalue to its even warmth of tone. Traces of silver at his temples hintedat that history, not too happy, with which she was in part acquainted.The strength with which his mouth was modelled affected her, as always,with a faint, strangely pleasant thrill of alarm, the dark, clear eyes,at once deferential and demanding, held her in a spell she had no wishto break.
"I love you," he repeated.
Her brows took on a quaintly plaintive cast. "I know, my friend," shereplied in the same tongue and tone. "For a long time I have known . . .as you have known my love was all for you. And yet . . ." The slendershoulders lifting their fairness out of the corsage of her jetted gownsketched a shrug.
"I had to wait to tell you," he said, "till I was sure—"
In indulgent raillery she i