A serialized crime-adventure story written in the early 20th century. The tale follows gentleman-criminal Lord Lister, alias Raffles, as he probes the sinister goings-on at the isolated castle Bartram-Haugh, where the domineering La Rougière keeps his daughter Charlotte and her governess Mademoiselle Rochefort under near-house arrest. Secret-society plots, regicide, and locked‑castle intrigue drive a rescue-and-infiltration mission led by Raffles and his companion Charly Brand. The opening of the story sketches the gloomy history of Bartram-Haugh and its takeover by the secretive Frenchman La Rougière, who hates light, keeps vicious dogs, and controls every movement within the walls. Mademoiselle Rochefort arrives to teach Charlotte, clashes with the oppressive rules, wins the girl’s trust, and learns La Rougière leads nihilists behind recent royal assassinations; fearing for their lives, she seeks outside help. Raffles and Charly, in Derbyshire for “rest,” encounter the veiled pair, arrange a signal, and Raffles later scales the tower to retrieve a plea for rescue. That night he crosses the moat, silently neutralizes a guard dog, observes a clandestine meeting and a hidden cash box, then ambushes La Rougière and forces entry—just as the scene shifts toward alerting Charly and subduing the mute gatekeeper.
