14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A hidden face can keep a secret—and make you want to know it all the more.
In The Lure of the Mask, Harold MacGrath draws you into a romantic adventure shaped by disguise, secrecy, and desire. The mask at its heart does more than hide a face. It stirs curiosity and makes identity a question: what can you know about someone who remains concealed?
European cities provide the stage for this world of romance and mystery. Hotels, squares, theaters, and festival crowds offer room for secrecy. MacGrath’s brisk storytelling keeps the emphasis on charm, suspense, and clear emotions. The invitation is simple: follow the mystery, feel the attraction, and wonder what lies beneath the surface.
What you’ll discover
- The pull of secrecy Explore the strange attraction of a face that reveals less and invites more curiosity.
- Identity beyond a name Consider how a changed name or manner can alter the person the world sees.
- Cities made for mystery Enter a European setting where public crowds leave space for private secrets.
- Romance with forward motion Enjoy brisk pacing and clear emotions in an adventure built to entertain.
- Charm beneath the suspense Find an old-fashioned romance that pairs the lure of mystery with warmth of feeling.
Who will love it
Readers who love romantic mysteries, letters and disguises, sunlit travel through Naples, Venice and Florence, and cheerful friendships will feel at home here. It suits anyone who enjoys a love story that grows from a single song.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A voice interrupts a lonely life
- Letters draw two strangers closer
- Restraint matters more than a face
- A name arrives with a warning
- The pursuit becomes a rescue
- An unveiled face reveals another barrier
- A borrowed refuge becomes uncertain
- Love grows before the face appears
- Small clues carry the larger mystery
Who’s who
- John HillardA rich, warmhearted bachelor born in Italy who falls in love with a voice and sets out across Europe to find its owner.
- The Lady of the MaskA gifted singer who hides her face and her name, warns Hillard away, and cannot quite keep away from him.
- Dan MerrihewHillard's cheerful, debt-ridden friend, who loves Kitty Killigrew and learns a great deal on his first trip to Europe.
- Kitty KilligrewA witty comic-opera actress who is stranded in Italy and fiercely loyal to the mysterious prima donna.
- GiovanniHillard's old Roman valet, who returns to Italy to find his daughter and to settle an old score.
- Mrs. SandfordHillard's friend, who lent her house to the masked woman and warns him not to follow her.
- The Man with the ScarA handsome, hot-tempered Italian officer who keeps crossing Hillard's path and wants to find the veiled woman.
- Thomas O'MallyA talkative Irish comedian who loves a good story, a glass of wine, and a harmless lie.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
The Lure of the Mask in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Lure of the Mask
by Harold MacGrath · 1908
A bareheaded man chases a singing voice into a New York fog and ends up dining with a woman in a mask.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read, large type too
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
“Nothing is as reliable as the unexpected, or as desperately uncertain as something assured.”
In short
A bareheaded man runs into a New York fog at one in the morning, chasing a song. That is how The Lure of the Mask begins.
The Lure of the Mask at a glance
- Reading time
- About 5 h 40 min4 h 30 min fast, 6 h 45 min slow
- Length
- 81,200 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1908by Harold MacGrath
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A voice in the fog wakes a bachelor
The story opens on a damp January night in New York. John Hillard, aged thirty-three, sits at his dark window dreaming of red roofs and cypresses in Italy. Then a rich soprano voice rises out of the mist. Hillard leans out and cries a single syllable, and the song breaks off.
He runs into the street without his hat, but the singer dissolves into the fog. A policeman tells him about a jewel thief they call Lady Lightfinger. Hillard never saw the singer's face, yet she stays in his mind. Back indoors, he admits that he is lonely.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1908
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
MacGrath, Harold. The Lure of the Mask. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-lure-of-the-mask.
MacGrath, H. (2026). The lure of the mask. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-lure-of-the-mask (Original work published 1908)
MacGrath, Harold. The Lure of the Mask. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-lure-of-the-mask.
@book{macgrath2026lure,
author = {MacGrath, Harold},
title = {The Lure of the Mask},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-lure-of-the-mask},
note = {First published 1908}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Lure of the Mask
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Lure of the Mask about?
It follows John Hillard, a rich New Yorker who hears a woman singing in the fog and then trades letters with her. He arrives blindfolded to dine with her, and she wears a mask. He follows her across Italy and France.
Who is the woman in the mask?
She is a gifted singer who hides her identity behind a mask, a veil and a stage name, La Signorina Capricciosa. Her true name and past are part of the mystery the story slowly draws out.
Where is The Lure of the Mask set?
It begins in New York and then moves to Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Monte Carlo, Venice and Florence, with a last chapter on Lake Como. The travel scenes give the novel much of its charm.
The author
Harold MacGrath
1871–1932 · American novelist and screenwriter
Harold MacGrath (1871–1932) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and screenwriter. He was born in Syracuse, New York, and died there. His novels included The Lure of the Mask (1908), The Place of Honeymoons (1912), and The Drums of Jeopardy (1920). Several of his works were adapted for films.
“Nothing is as reliable as the unexpected, or as desperately uncertain as something assured.”
More by Harold MacGrath
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
