The Opal Serpent
Public-domain ebook
The Opal Serpent
by Fergus Hume
Language: en5,401 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery·Novels·British Literature
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #24769.
About this book
The Opal Serpent is a late‑Victorian detective‑mystery that begins with a domestic clash in the modest Essex estate of Wargrove. The opening scene introduces Simon Beecot, a petty‑landed gentleman, and his son Paul, a restless young writer who has saved fifty pounds by penning short stories. Their bitter exchange over Paul’s ambition to “storm London as a scribbler” sets the tone for a narrative that moves from a claustrophobic country household to the bustling streets of London, where Paul’s attempts to sell his manuscripts and survive in a Bloomsbury garret become the backdrop for the intrigue that follows.
The novel’s voice is unmistakably Victorian, marked by elaborate sentence structures, a satirical edge, and a penchant for cataloguing social types, from the “turkey‑cock” father to the flamboyantly dressed Grexon Hay. Its style blends melodramatic dialogue with vivid street‑level observation, appealing to readers who enjoy richly detailed period prose, character‑driven puzzles, and a glimpse into the literary underworld of 19th‑century England.
Characters in The Opal Serpent
- Simon BeecotMiddle‑aged country gentleman, greying moustache, tweed coat, waistcoat, cravat, solemn expression
- Paul BeecotYoung man in early twenties, lean, tousled dark hair, ink‑stained shirt, eager eyes
- Grexon HayFlamboyant dandy, silk velvet coat, bright cravat, top hat, exaggerated pose, confident smile
Opening lines
Simon Beecot was a country gentleman with a small income, a small estate and a mind considerably smaller than either. He dwelt at Wargrove in Essex and spent his idle hours--of which he possessed a daily and nightly twenty-four--in snarling at his faded wife and in snapping between whiles at his son. Mrs. Beecot, having been bullied into old age long before her time, accepted sour looks and hard words as necessary to God's providence, but Paul, a fiery youth, resented useless nagging. He owned more brain-power than his progenitor, and to this favoring of Nature paterfamilias naturally objected. Paul also desired fame, which was likewise a crime in the fire-side tyrant's eyes. …
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