Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole, CBE (1884-1941) was a 20th-century English novelist with a large and varied output. Between 1909 and 1941 he wrote 36 novels, five volumes of short stories, two original plays and three volumes of memoirs. His range included disturbing studies of the macabre, children's stories and historical fiction, most notably his Herries Chronicle series set in the Lake District. One of his earlier works, this novel was first published in 1912 and is reprinted from the new edition of 1919.