The Chink in the Armour

Name: The Chink in the Armour
Author: Marie Belloc Lowndes

"The Chink in the Armour" by Marie Belloc Lowndes follows Sylvia Bailey, a young English widow vacationing in Paris, who discovers a fortune-teller's card from Madame Cagliostra. Intrigued by the prospect of a reading, she and her new friend, Anna Wolsky, decide to visit the fortune-teller in Montmartre. Upon arrival, they find Madame Cagliostra to be an eccentric and somewhat comical figure, living in a quaint, cluttered house. Despite Sylvia's skepticism about fortune-tellers, Anna insists on having a reading, and they both pay for the Grand Jeu. During the reading, Madame Cagliostra predicts that Sylvia will soon experience love, describing it as a new and intense emotion for her. She hints at a romantic connection with a fair man, while also mentioning a dark man already in her life, which refers to her friend Bill Chester. As the reading progresses, Sylvia feels a mix of disbelief and discomfort, particularly as the fortune-teller's predictions become more personal. The story explores themes of love, fate, and the intersection of superstition and reality, culminating in Sylvia's internal conflict about her future and the influence of the fortune-teller's words.

By Marie Belloc Lowndes · First published 1909 · Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Psychological Fiction · 25 chapters · 121,546 words

First lines

A small, shiny, pink card lay on the round table in Sylvia Bailey's sitting-room at the Hotel de l'Horloge in Paris.

She had become quite accustomed to finding one or more cards -- cards from dressmakers, cards from corset-makers, cards from hairdressers -- lying on her sitting-room table, but there had never been a card quite like this card.

What this Textopian page supports

The Chink in the Armour is listed on Textopian as a novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, dated 1909 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Marie Belloc Lowndes
Date: 1909 CE
Language: English
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Drama, Literary Fiction
Length: 121,546 words
Structure: 25 chapters, 2,501 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Mystery — The plot revolves around suspenseful elements and the unraveling of secrets.
Thriller — The narrative includes tension and high stakes, characteristic of thriller literature.
Psychological Fiction — The themes explore the complexities of the human mind and emotional states.
Drama — The story contains intense character interactions and emotional conflicts.