weeks later was the nephew of her aunt's American husband. When I
asked Rosemary to be my wife, I heard the whole story. Rosemary told me
herself. The aunt, Mrs. John Brandreth, came to England to visit her
sister. It wasn't long after her husband had died, and she wasn't
strong, so the nephew--Guy Brandreth--travelled with her. He was a West
Point graduate, it seems; probably you know that West Point is the
American Sandhurst? He was still in the Army and on long leave. He and
the aunt both stayed at Mrs. Hillier's house in Surrey, and--I suppose
you can guess what happened?"

"A--love affair?" I hesitated.

"Yes. It didn't take Brandreth long to make up his mind what he wanted,
and to go for it. He proposed. Rosemary said 'Yes.' It was her first
love. But Brandreth had been practically engaged to an American girl--a
great heiress. He hadn't much himself beyond his pay, I fancy. Money was
an object to him--but Rosemary's beauty bowled him over, and he lost his
head. Bye and bye, when he began to see the light of common sense again,
and when he realized that Rosemary wouldn't have a red cent of her own,
he weakened. There was some slight lover's quarrel one day. Rosemary
broke off the engagement for the pleasure of hearing Brandreth beg to be
taken back. But he didn't beg. He took her at her word and went to
London, where the American girl had arrived. That same night he wrote
Rosemary that, as she didn't want him, he had offered himself to someone
who did. So ended the love story--for a time. And that's where I came
in."

"Rosemary went to Italy?" I prompted him.

"Yes. Her aunt felt responsible, and carried the girl away to help her
to forget. Rosemary told me this, but thought she had 'got over it,' and
said she would marry me if I wanted her. Of course, I did want her. I
believed--most men would--that I could teach her to love me. She was so
young. And even then I wasn't poor. I could give her a good time! The
poor child was keen on letting Brandreth know she wasn't mourning his
loss, and she'd heard he was still in London with his fiancee and her
millionaire papa. So she had our engagement announced in the _Morning
Post_ and other London papers."

"Well--and then?" I broke into a pause.

"Guy Brandreth couldn't bear to let another fellow have the girl. He
must have loved her really, I suppose, with what was best in him.
Anyhow, he asked for his release from the heiress, and found out from
Mrs. Hillier where