Blue Hand · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Blue Hand by Edgar Wallace.
Chapter 1
I
Mr. Salter, an elderly lawyer, scolds his secretary Jim Steele for ignoring his bell, finding him absorbed in documents about the Danton case. Jim expresses his belief that Lady Mary Danton can be found, and Mr. Salter reluctantly recounts the story: Lady Mary, daughter of the Earl of Plimstock, married millionaire Jonathan Danton unhappily; Danton made a will leaving everything to their infant daughter Dorothy, with the income to his sister Mrs. Groat if Dorothy died, but the child and nurse were lost at sea, and Lady Mary disappeared. Jim insists something is wrong and wishes he were a detective, quoting faith as evidence of things unseen. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Digby Groat.
Chapter 2
II
Digby Groat visits the law office of Mr. Salter to examine leases related to the Lakeside property. During the visit, he displays an insolent attitude toward Jim Steele, a war hero and Salter's secretary. Groat discovers Jim's private notebook on the 'Thirteen Gang' and reacts with visible tension, issuing a veiled warning before departing.
Chapter 3
III
Jim Steele meets Eunice Weldon for tea, where she reveals she has accepted a position as secretary to Mrs. Groat, the sister of Jonathan Danton. Jim, who is searching for a missing heiress to prevent Digby Groat from inheriting the Danton millions, is disturbed by this news. Later, in Mr. Salter's office, Jim discovers a private diary entry mentioning 'Madge Benson' and clues about the missing Lady Mary, including references to Holloway Prison and a boat named Saucy Belle. He copies the entry and returns to his flat, where he learns that his neighbor's nurse is named Madge Benson.
Chapter 4
IV
Digby Groat confronts his mother, Jane Groat, about her kleptomania, threatening her with a brain operation. He returns a stolen diamond bracelet to Lady Waltham and orders a search of his mother's room. Eunice Weldon arrives at the Groat house and is given a luxurious room. That night, she is awakened by an intruder who leaves a warning card signed with a blue hand. Fleeing in terror, she hears a scream from behind a padded door and escapes the house, only to find Jim Steele sitting on the front steps.
Chapter 5
V
Jim Steele encounters Eunice Weldon fleeing Digby Groat's house in terror. Digby confronts them, and Eunice explains she heard a cry from his laboratory. Digby claims he was removing glass from his dog's paw, but Jim discovers the dog is a stray and Digby intends to vivisect it without anaesthetic. Jim forces Digby to release the dog, and they later find the front door open, suggesting the intruder has left.
Chapter 6
VI
Eunice wakes feeling ashamed of her nighttime panic, but finds the mysterious card under her pillow. She wonders if Jim could have left it, but senses the hand she touched was old. At breakfast, Digby Groat offers a charming apology for lying about the dog, explaining it was a stray he intended to experiment on, though he claims he would not hurt it. He describes his anthropological work studying faces and heads, and Eunice agrees to assist him. Digby is attracted to her but restrains himself, knowing he must wait.
Chapter 7
VII
Eunice Weldon struggles to find purpose in her new role as Mrs. Groat refuses to give her work. Digby Groat forces his mother to occupy Eunice with sorting old cheques. During the task, Eunice's gold wristwatch goes missing, and Mrs. Groat is caught having taken it. When Eunice reveals a scar on her wrist, Mrs. Groat reacts with shock and collapses.
Chapter 8
VIII
Jim Steele investigates Eunice Weldon's background after she dismisses his theory about her being a fortune heiress. He cables a friend in Cape Town and learns her parents were Henry William Weldon, a musician, and Margaret May Weldon. The cable also reveals that similar inquiries were made six months earlier by Selenger & Co., a mysterious firm operating out of Brade Street Buildings. Jim visits the office, finding it locked and only active at night, with a double entrance and special privileges. The porter mentions the building was once owned by the late Mr. Danton, adding another layer of mystery.
Chapter 9
Chapter IX
Jim Steele informs Mr. Salter he will be out of the office for appointments, and questions him about Digby Groat's many Spanish connections. Salter reveals a history of the Danton family, including the estrangement between Jonathan Danton and his sister (Mrs. Groat), the old man's dislike of her, and Groat's humble background. Jim then visits the Home Office, where his contact Mr. Fenningleigh provides a record of Madge Benson's theft conviction, though Jim hesitates to involve Salter in further inquiries.
Chapter 10
The Secret Will
Eunice Weldon discovers a secret drawer in Mrs. Groat's bureau containing a recently executed will that leaves most of the estate to a Spanish marquis instead of Digby. She also finds a miniature of a young Mrs. Groat. Digby reacts with fury, burns the will, and lies about the marquis's existence. He also questions Eunice about a scar on her wrist, linking it to his mother's stroke.
Chapter 11
Chapter XI
Digby Groat grows increasingly anxious about Eunice Weldon's knowledge of his destroyed legal document and his mother's will. He resolves to bring her under his influence to neutralize her potential threat, driven also by his hatred for Jim Steele. At dinner, he tests her discretion, and she feels guilty for having already spoken to Jim. He shows her his laboratory, which she finds clean but unsettling. Later, he brings her chocolates from his club. As she prepares for bed, a thump against her window leads her to discover the print of a blue hand on the glass, a mysterious warning.
Chapter 12
XII
Eunice discovers a blue handprint on her window, leading her to suspect a mysterious woman in black who left a warning. She sends the chocolates Digby gave her to Jim for analysis. Jim investigates, extinguishes a fire at Mrs. Fane's flat, and realizes Mrs. Fane knows his name despite being bedridden.
Chapter 13
XIII
Eunice learns from Jackson that a blue handprint was found on the laboratory door, signaling an intruder. Digby Groat appears haggard and suspicious. Later, at a reception, Lord Waltham comments on Mrs. Groat's decline, and Digby reflects on his mother's drug addiction and his control over her. Jim Steele consults his employer, Mr. Salter, about the blue hand and Mrs. Groat's will, then brings chocolates from Digby to an analyst, Mendhlesohn, who finds traces of bromide, hyacin, and cannabis indica.
Chapter 14
XIV
Jim Steele is captivated by Eunice Weldon's beauty as they dine at the Ritz-Carlton. They discuss her letter, the suspicious chocolates, and the mysterious blue handprint. Jim confesses his love but insists on waiting until he can offer her a secure future. Eunice, deeply in love, wishes he were less restrained. They part with unspoken tension.
Chapter 15
The Key
Jim Steele returns to his flat in a daze after his romantic evening, only to discover that someone has broken in and left a key labeled 'D. G.'s master key' in his notebook. He deduces that the woman in black he passed at the entrance was the intruder, and that the key is meant to help him enter Digby Groat's premises.
Chapter 16
Chapter XVI
Eunice wakes with a sense of disappointment over Jim not kissing her, but resolves to be practical. Digby Groat, now determined to possess Eunice as a 'decoration,' confronts his mother about a will she made in favor of Estremeda, which he has destroyed. He forces Mrs. Groat to tell Eunice the will was made during a lapse of memory. Eunice, unaware of the manipulation, sympathizes with Mrs. Groat, who hides her hatred and warns that Eunice will become closer to Digby than she imagines.
Chapter 17
XVII
Jim reflects on his love for London compared to other cities, then meets with Mr. Salter to discuss the case. Salter urges him to investigate the mysterious Selengers, suspecting the Groats may be behind them, and suggests that finding Lady Mary Danton could help unravel other mysteries.
Chapter 18
Chapter XVIII
Eunice discovers that Jim Steele is the mysterious midnight visitor, leading to a confrontation and her deep disillusionment. Jim, feeling miserable, later investigates the Selengers' premises and stumbles upon a shocking revelation: the supposedly bedridden Mrs. Fane is secretly active and veiled in the office.
Chapter 19
XIX
Jim Steele confronts Digby Groat about Eunice Weldon's whereabouts, but lawyer Septimus Salter prevents revealing her inheritance to protect her. Salter hires ex-police detectives to investigate, while Digby Groat proceeds with transferring the Danton estate and plans to force Eunice's compliance.
Chapter 20
Chapter XX
Eunice Weldon learns the secret of Digby Groat's parentage from Mrs. Groat, who reveals that Digby is the son of the Marquis of Estremeda. Eunice sends an angry letter to Jim Steele, accusing him of deception, but later regrets it when Digby shows her a photograph proving the Blue Hand print is a woman's. She tries to call Jim but cannot reach him. That evening, she sits with Mrs. Groat, who shares more of her past and asks about Eunice's scar and birthplace.
Chapter 21
XXI
Eunice Weldon sits with old Mrs. Groat, who rambles about her youth and warns her about her son Digby. Mrs. Groat reveals that Digby is not like his father, hinting at a secret. When Digby enters, he discusses a mysterious female intruder who left a blue handprint on his door, identified by Scotland Yard as Madge Benson. The revelation terrifies Mrs. Groat, who collapses in Eunice's arms.
Chapter 22
XXII
Jim Steele, having trailed Digby Groat, sneaks into his house to intercept a letter. He retrieves the letter, knocks out a servant, and escapes. Reading the letter, he learns that someone is plotting against him. He is followed by two men, confronts them, and bluffs his way out by threatening to charge them with carrying weapons.
Chapter 23
XXIII
Eunice Weldon, increasingly nervous and waiting for word from Jim Steele, assists Mrs. Groat in secretly writing to Mary Weatherwale. Mrs. Weatherwale arrives but is quickly thrown out by Digby Groat after a heated confrontation. Meanwhile, Digby deals with the fallout from his servants' arrest, blames Jim Steele for the police scrutiny, and learns that Eunice plans to leave his household.
Chapter 24
XXIV
Eunice meets Jim in the park and tells him she is leaving Mrs. Groat's house. She recounts Mrs. Weatherwale's brief visit and expulsion by Digby. Jim reveals the inheritance transfer is next Thursday and he is still unable to stop it. They go to Jim's flat for tea, where a woman (Lady Mary Danton, introduced as Mrs. Fane) enters using a key, causing Eunice to become suspicious and hurt. After Eunice leaves, Lady Mary shows Jim a telegram revealing that the real Eunice May Weldon died in infancy, casting doubt on the girl's identity.
Chapter 25
XXV
Jim Steele learns from Mr. Salter that Mrs. Weatherwale is a legatee in Mrs. Groat's will and that Estremeda, a Spanish Marquis, is likely Digby Groat's father. A cablegram from South Africa reveals that the infant Eunice Weldon was buried at twelve months, contradicting her current existence. Lady Mary Danton suspects Eunice may be her lost daughter, but refuses to explain how she lost sight of her. Jim resolves to investigate Mrs. Weatherwale and Jane Groat to uncover the mystery.
Chapter 26
XXVI
Jim Steele travels to Somerset to visit Mrs. Weatherwale, seeking information about Jane Groat and Digby Groat. Mrs. Weatherwale reveals that she has burned most of Jane's letters, but shares a crucial detail: as a boy, Digby cruelly burned a baby's wrist with a hot sixpence, leaving a circular scar. Jim realizes this means the true heiress to the Danton fortune is not Digby or his mother, but Eunice Weldon, who is actually Dorothy Danton.
Chapter 27
XXVII
Jim Steele discovers that Eunice is Lady Mary Danton's daughter, confirmed by a scar on her wrist from a burn inflicted by Digby Groat. He gathers evidence from Mrs. Weatherwale and the shipping company, linking the child's disappearance to a ship passing the Goodwins in 1901. Jim confronts Eunice at Digby's house, but she rejects his claims and leaves, hurt by his perceived betrayal. Digby plans to sell the Danton estate quickly, and Jim races to protect Eunice and prove her identity.
Chapter 28
XXVIII
Jim Steele secures the log of the Battledore, which proves the identity of Lady Mary's daughter and establishes Eunice Weldon's rightful fortune. He presents the evidence to Mr. Salter, then confronts Digby Groat, who lies that Eunice has left for Paris. Digby, sensing the end, plans to flee to a ranch in San Paulo and intends to take Eunice with him.
Chapter 29
XIX
Jim Steele confronts Digby Groat about Eunice Weldon's whereabouts, but lawyer Septimus Salter prevents revealing her inheritance to protect her. Salter hires ex-police detectives to investigate, while Digby Groat proceeds with transferring the Danton estate and plans to force Eunice's compliance.
Chapter 30
The Retreat to Kennett Hall
Digby Groat travels to Kennett Hall, a neglected family estate, to establish a temporary headquarters. He meets Villa, who has arrived by aeroplane, and discusses plans for a potential escape. Digby instructs Villa to purchase Maxilla's yacht in Deauville, preparing for a possible flight.
Chapter 31
XXXI
Digby Groat finalizes a property transfer deal with the Northern Land Syndicate, but the sale is halted by a caveat entered by Salter on behalf of Dorothy Danton, who is revealed to be alive. Meanwhile, Digby secures his mother's signature on documents, and receives a telegram from Villa confirming the purchase of Pealigo.
Chapter 32
XXXII
Digby Groat confronts Eunice Weldon, revealing his true intentions and forcibly kissing her. She fights him off and locks herself in the bathroom. Digby then encounters his mother, who, under the influence of morphine, confronts him about his misuse of her property and reveals that Dorothy Danton is alive, bearing a scar from a cruel act Digby committed in childhood. The chapter ends with Digby realizing the police, led by Jim Steele and Mr. Salter, have arrived.
Chapter 33
XXXIII
Digby Groat drugs Eunice Weldon with morphine and hyacin to erase her memory and will, then disguises himself as a chauffeur and transports her in a covered van to a hidden garage in Paddington, evading police barriers. He keeps her sedated and confined, planning his escape to a ranch in Brazil.
Chapter 34
XXXIV
Lady Mary Danton reveals the tragic story of her past: how Jane Groat framed her for shoplifting, leading to her imprisonment and the subsequent death of her husband Jonathan Danton upon learning of their daughter Dorothy's apparent death. She explains the origin of the 'Blue Hand' as a symbol of her unjust imprisonment and her quest to find her daughter, whom she now knows is alive.
Chapter 35
XXXV
Eunice Weldon wakes in a shabby, locked room after being drugged by Digby Groat. He reveals he has fled Grosvenor Square and demands she marry him, threatening dire consequences if she refuses. She defies him with contempt, vowing to kill herself if he forces her, and he is shaken by her resolve.
Chapter 36
XXXVI
Eunice Weldon, recovering from drug-induced stupor, is manipulated by Digby Groat disguised as a woman in black. She is taken by train northward as part of Groat's escape plan, while he coordinates with Villa, Bronson, Fuentes, and Silva to intercept the train and flee to Kennett Hall and then by air. Eunice, believing she is being rescued by the mysterious Blue Hand, follows instructions, unaware that her rescuer is actually Groat himself.
Chapter 37
XXXVII
Eunice Danton is abducted by Digby Groat, who disguises himself as an elderly woman to force her compliance. Jim Steele, alerted by Lady Mary Danton, risks his life by climbing onto the moving train to rescue her. The chapter ends with Jim falling from the train as it approaches Rugby.
Chapter 38
XXXVIII
Digby forces Eunice off a train in the rain, leading her through muddy fields to a car and then to a secluded house. Despite her fear, Eunice maintains her composure. She changes clothes, tries to escape but finds Villa guarding the door, and learns she is to be taken by aeroplane.
Chapter 39
XXXIX
Jim Steele survives a near-drowning in a muddy pond and tracks Digby Groat's associates to a house near Rugby. Overhearing Villa and Bronson discuss an aeroplane and Eunice Weldon's captivity, Jim disarms and strips Bronson, taking his clothes to infiltrate the operation.
Chapter 40
XL
Jim Steele, having captured and bound Bronson, takes his place as the pilot of an aeroplane to rescue Eunice Weldon from Villa. Eunice experiences her first flight, marveling at the scenery, while Villa grows suspicious of the pilot's course. Jim attempts to land at a house, but is ambushed by Xavier Silva and another assailant, who drop a noose over his head and drag him to the ground.
Chapter 41
XLI
Digby Groat captures Jim Steele and Eunice Weldon at Kennett Hall. Eunice fiercely defends Jim, insulting Digby's character and heritage. Digby binds Eunice and has Jim taken away. He bribes the uneasy servant Masters to ensure his silence. Later, Bronson and a Spaniard arrive asking for Villa.
Chapter 42
XLII
Jim is imprisoned and interrogated about Villa's fate, revealing he killed Villa during an aerial stunt. Digby, shaken by the discovery of Villa's body and a receipt linking him to a yacht, plans to flee with Eunice by aeroplane that night.
Chapter 43
XLIII
Eunice is locked in her room, realizing her peril as Digby prepares to flee by aeroplane. Digby sends Silva ahead to ready the yacht and tests equipment for night flight. Fuentes confronts Digby about being left behind, and Digby suggests killing Jim, but Fuentes refuses. Meanwhile, Jim manages to free himself by breaking a window and cutting his bonds. He hears Eunice scream and, after failing to break down the door, uses a fireplace grate to smash it open. He rushes outside to see the aeroplane taking off and finds the dying Fuentes, who reveals Digby shot him. The police arrive, and Salter declares Digby will hang, but Jim has his own thoughts on Digby's fate.
Chapter 44
XLIV
Jim Steele learns that Digby Groat has fled with Eunice Weldon by seaplane, having killed the Spaniard Villa. Jim interviews the arrested Masters, who was duped by Groat, and plans to pursue Groat by seaplane with the help of Mr. Salter's Admiralty contacts.
Chapter 45
XLV
Eunice Weldon is taken aboard Digby Groat's yacht, the Pealigo, where she is forced to dine with him. Digby reveals their destination is South America via a secret route to avoid detection. A wireless message from Scotland Yard orders all ships to report the yacht's position. Eunice discovers the bolt has been removed from her cabin door, leaving her trapped. The chapter also recounts the earlier escape by plane, during which Digby deliberately drowns Bronson by strapping him to the sinking aircraft.
Chapter 46
XLVI
Eunice barricades herself in her cabin on the Pealigo after discovering the bolts have been removed. Digby Groat learns from the ship's captain that a wireless message has been received offering a £5,000 reward for his arrest on charges of murder and conspiracy. The captain, revealing he speaks English, negotiates with Digby for a bribe of £100,000 to ensure safe passage. Meanwhile, a warship's searchlight forces the yacht to change course. Digby eventually pays the captain a portion of the money, and the sentry outside Eunice's door is removed.
Chapter 47
XLVII
Eunice Weldon, trapped in her cabin aboard a ship, receives a revolver from the sympathetic captain, José Montigano, who refuses to see her harmed. When Digby Groat enters, she threatens him with the pistol, but he tricks her and assaults her. The captain interrupts, reporting an aeroplane searching for them, likely sent by Jim Steele, and forces Digby to leave at gunpoint.
Chapter 48
XLVIII
Digby Groat confronts the Brazilian captain after learning he gave Eunice a revolver. The captain warns that Jim Steele is approaching and suggests fleeing west to avoid capture. Digby, feeling defeated, prepares poison but decides to wait, hoping to win Eunice over during the voyage. Eunice offers half her fortune to be returned to England, but Digby refuses, threatening to kill her rather than let her be with Jim Steele.
Chapter 49
XLIX
Jim Steele, searching by seaplane for Eunice Weldon, spots a distant ship and uses wireless to communicate. Digby Groat, aboard the yacht Pealigo (being repainted as Malaga), tries to evade detection but the captain, after receiving Jim's message and seeing a smoke bomb, stops the ship and has Digby put in irons. Jim lands, boards the yacht, and finds Digby attacking Eunice in her cabin. Jim subdues Digby and reunites with Eunice.
