A young newly wedded couple is on the final week of their honeymoon when they arrive in Paris during the Exhibition and every lodging house is at full capacity. At well past midnight they manage to secure separate rooms at an ancient home. Morning comes and the husband is nowhere to be found. Not only has he mysteriously disappeared but the owners deny all knowledge that he even exists, insisting that the bride arrived alone.

Marie Lowndes Belloc (1868-1947) was a prolific English novelist, and sister of author Hilaire Belloc. Active from 1898 until her death, she had a literary reputation for combining exciting incidents with psychological interest. Lowndes Belloc produced mainly mysteries, well-plotted and on occasion based on real-life crime, though she herself resented being classed as a crime writer. Her best known work is The Lodger, a haunting mystery tale that revolves around the Jack the Ripper murders.