The story begins with Miss Daisy Strong who has met a rather fascinating young man named Mr Lawrence whilst in Brighton. "He was holding her hand in his, and looking at her with something in his eyes which there and then she told herself would never do." Unfortunately, she is already engaged to Mr. Cyril Paxton, a feckless speculator on the stock market. Mr Paxton is always claiming to be on the next big thing and has consequently lost his fortune. Daisy gives him an ultimatum - make your fortune back or we can't be married - and, of course, Mr Paxton goes and loses it all in a final disastrous speculation. (Goodreads)
Richard Marsh (12 October 1857 – 9 August 1915) was the pseudonym of the English author born Richard Bernard Heldmann. A best-selling and prolific author of the late 19th century and the Edwardian period, Marsh is best known now for his supernatural thriller novel The Beetle, which was published the same year as Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897), and was initially even more popular, outselling Dracula six times over. The Beetle remained in print until 1960. Marsh produced nearly 80 volumes of fiction and numerous short stories, in genres including horror, crime, romance and humour.