The Double Four

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

28091

Title

The Double Four

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In this gripping thriller, retired spy Peter Ruff is summoned by the enigmatic Madame de Maupassim to rejoin the secret organization, the Double Four. As she dies, she names him successor, thrusting him back into a world of international intrigue, political manipulation, and high-stakes espionage where the fate of nations hangs in the balance.

Summary up to 500 words

In E. Phillips Oppenheim's *The Double Four*, retired English farmer Peter Ruff is summoned by the dying Madame de Maupassim, the leader of the clandestine organization known as the Double Four. Despite his four-year retirement and desire for a peaceful life on his Somerset farm, Madame reveals that he has been secretly chosen as her successor. Upon her death, Peter reluctantly returns to London to become the organization's ambassador, wielding immense power behind the scenes. He quickly learns that the Double Four operates globally, influencing international politics and controlling criminal networks. Peter's first major test involves a complex financial scheme orchestrated by the German Count von Hern and Major Kosuth. The plot involves a Turkish loan and the sale of warships to Germany, using the financier Mr. Heseltine-Wrigge as a pawn. Peter uncovers that the security for the loan consisted of British-built ships that had reverted to the shipbuilders due to unpaid installments by Turkey. The Germans intended to use Heseltine-Wrigge to fund the acquisition of these vessels. Using his legal acumen, Peter exposes the fraud, purchasing the ships himself to save Heseltine-Wrigge from ruin, though this action escalates tensions with the German agents. The narrative takes a dramatic turn when Peter, the Marquis de Sogrange, and others are trapped in a Parisian house by the villainous Bernadine de Grost. After a tense standoff involving police intervention and a bluff with a whistle, the house suddenly collapses in a catastrophic explosion, seemingly killing Bernadine. The Baroness de Grost, who had been posing as Bernadine's companion, reveals she was an accomplice in the deception. Peter resolves to retire from the dangerous life of the Double Four, honoring his vow to leave the world of intrigue, though the organization's influence remains potent. The novel explores themes of duty versus personal happiness, the hidden machinery of international politics, and the moral complexities of power.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Local file path

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Categories

• Fiction
• Secret Societies