The novel follows the story of a young Italian nobleman, Count Andrea di Lorenzi, who is blackmailed by a mysterious figure known only as the Blackmailer. The Blackmailer has evidence of a crime that Andrea committed in his youth, and threatens to expose him unless he pays a large sum of money. Andrea is determined to find the Blackmailer and put an end to the blackmail, but his search leads him into a web of intrigue and danger. He discovers that the Blackmailer is part of a larger criminal organization, and that his life is in danger if he does not comply with their demands. As Andrea struggles to find a way out of his predicament, he is forced to confront his own past and the secrets he has kept hidden for so long. In the end, he must decide whether to pay the blackmail or risk his life to save his honor.
By Rafael Sabatini · First published 1912 · Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Romance