The Lost Million

by William Le Queux

"The Lost Million" by William Le Queux is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story follows Lionel Kemball, who becomes entangled in a mysterious and foreboding situation after befriending a dying man named Melvill Arnold. As Arnold reveals his secrets, including a substantial fortune and a strange bronze cylinder, Kemball is thrust into a web of intrigue and forewarnings about the dangers tied to his late friend's past. The opening of the story establishes a grim atmosphere as Kemball attends to the feverish Arnold in a hotel bedroom, where Arnold urgently entrusts him with both a promise to follow his final wishes and the task of disposing of his money, leading to the revelation of the bronze cylinder. After Arnold's death, Kemball discovers layers of mystery through a letter that hints at Arnold's true identity and past connections with treacherous individuals. The narrative intensifies with Kemball’s encounters with Arthur Dawnay, adding new layers of suspense, as he learns that he holds the fate of secrets and potential dangers that span beyond mere financial legacies into realms of personal peril and deception.