G. A. Henty's "All But Lost" is a compelling foray into the Victorian "three-decker" novel, delivering a continuous, high-stakes domestic melodrama and legal thriller. This saga departs from Henty's typical historical battlefields to explore a battle fought in drawing-rooms and courtrooms. It centers on the honorable young gentleman Frank Maynard, whose bright future with his beloved Alice is shattered by a devastating family secret: a crucial technicality in a legal deed threatens to strip him of his entire inheritance and social standing, making his situation "all but lost."

The crisis is immediately and ruthlessly exploited by Frank's rival, Cyril Langton, a handsome and socially adept villain whose charming façade conceals a cold, calculating ambition. Langton sees Frank’s misfortune as a golden opportunity to legally seize the disputed estate and win Alice's hand. The narrative, spanning three volumes, becomes a tense and grueling struggle. The first volume establishes the legal disaster and the emergence of Langton as a formidable antagonist. The second volume escalates the conflict as Frank, unable to resolve the issue at home, embarks on a desperate journey to the French Pyrenees in search of a missing witness or document. The final volume brings all threads to a dramatic confrontation, where Frank must use his intelligence and unwavering moral compass to expose Langton's deceptions and reclaim his name and legacy, proving that true character is the one possession that can never be lost.

Table of Contents:

• All But Lost (Vol. 2). Part 1

• All But Lost (Vol. 2). Part 2

• All But Lost (Vol. 2). Part 3