THE
EMERALD
CATHERINE THE GREAT
By Hilaire Belloc
With Illustrations by
G. K. Chesterton
1926
Publishers
New York and London
Harper & Brothers
TO MAURICE BARING
MY DEAR MAURICE:
This is the fourth book I have dedicated to you, and you will see why ifyou read it—which no one need do.
First, emeralds are green; and, on principle, like the Green Overcoat,it owes to you of the Green Elephant, a dedication. Next, there isCatherine the Great. She plays no long part, but she founded thefortunes of them all; and we are in communion in the matter of thatlarge and generous but regal soul; we agree that it is a pity she diedbefore we were born. Also, you who know all about Russia, and I who knownothing, have, in the matter of Russia, this Monarch of all the Russiasfor a link.
Lastly, you have often urged me to write a detective story, because (youassured me) they have gigantic sales. I promised you I would, oncondition there was nothing to find out.
Here it is.
KING'S LAND,
Whitsun, 1926.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TALE-PIECE
THE EMERALD OF
CATHERINE THE GREAT
CHAPTER ONE
William Bones was a stalwart man, some thirty-five years of age, themaster of a Brig which sailed from the port of Boston in Lincolnshireand was half his own property. He was a native of that town, his fatherhaving been therein a pork butcher in a fair way of business, his motherthe daughter of a small farmer in the Wring