This volume of short stories is for the connoisseur of acutely observed foibles of human nature. In The Mark of the Beast, a timid salesman throws caution to the winds while on a trip to Paris. A wealthy property owner goes undercover to discover how his business is really run. And two school friends become rivals for the love of the same woman. Treachery, jealousy and foolishness soon begin to unravel the threads of seemingly respectable lives.