"The Bond of Black" by William Le Queux is a tale set in London at the close of the 19th century, where the protagonist, Clifton Cleeve, a man weary of the world, meets the alluring Aline Cloud. This chance encounter draws him into a web of mystery and potential danger. Aline believes she carries a curse that endangers those around her causing Clifton to investigate deeper. As Clifton grapples with his growing feelings for her, he becomes entangled in strange events and unsettling realities, with dark omens and uncanny experiences that hint at a connection to powers beyond understanding and a love threatened by supernatural elements.

The Bond of Black
By William Le Queux
In a shadowy London, a man's fascination with a bewitching woman spirals into a perilous dance with love, destiny, and hidden, ominous forces.
Summary
About the AuthorWilliam Tufnell Le Queux was an Anglo-French journalist and writer. He was also a diplomat, a traveller, a flying buff who officiated at the first British air meeting at Doncaster in 1909, and a wireless pioneer who broadcast music from his own station long before radio was generally available; his claims regarding his own abilities and exploits, however, were usually exaggerated. His best-known works are the anti-French and anti-Russian invasion fantasy The Great War in England in 1897 (1894) and the anti-German invasion fantasy The Invasion of 1910 (1906), the latter becoming a bestseller.
William Tufnell Le Queux was an Anglo-French journalist and writer. He was also a diplomat, a traveller, a flying buff who officiated at the first British air meeting at Doncaster in 1909, and a wireless pioneer who broadcast music from his own station long before radio was generally available; his claims regarding his own abilities and exploits, however, were usually exaggerated. His best-known works are the anti-French and anti-Russian invasion fantasy The Great War in England in 1897 (1894) and the anti-German invasion fantasy The Invasion of 1910 (1906), the latter becoming a bestseller.