The Coquette's Victim: Everyday Life Library No. 1

A well-bred young man sits in the dock, accused of stealing from a French count. His crime is undeniable. His silence is inexplicable. In the cramped atmosphere of a Victorian police court, magistrate Mr. Kent watches John Smith with growing unease. Here is a young man of obvious refinement, caught red-handed in the count's rooms, yet he offers no defense, explains nothing, and meets his accusation with a composure that troubles the magistrate more than guilt would. Behind the theft lies a woman. The title tells us as much. But what manner of woman, and what manner of entanglement, drove a gentleman to theft? Brame constructs her mystery with characteristic Victorian precision: every social nuance, every raised eyebrow in the courtroom, carries weight. The reader is left to wonder whether John is victim or villain, dupe or deceiver, and what role the titular coquette truly played in his downfall.