her daughter was. As soon as he could get there, he
turned up at the Villa d'Este, where Rosemary and her aunt were staying
then."

"And you--were you there?"

"No. If I had been, perhaps everything would have been different. I was
in the Army, and on leave, like Brandreth. I had to go back to my
regiment, but Rosemary'd promised to marry me on her eighteenth
birthday, which wasn't far off. I'd made an appointment to go and see
Mrs. Hillier on a certain day. But before the day came a telegram
arrived from the aunt, Mrs. Brandreth, to say that Rosemary had run away
with Guy.

"It was a deadly blow. I went almost mad for a while--don't know what
kept me from killing myself, except that I've always despised suicide as
a coward's way out of trouble. I chucked the Army--had to make a
change--and went to California, where an old pal of mine had often
wanted me to join him. I knew that Brandreth was stationed down south
somewhere, so in California I should be as far from him and Rosemary as
if I stayed in England. Well--now you know the story--for I never saw
Rosemary or even heard of her from that time till the other day on board
this ship. Does what I've told help you at all to understand the
condition she wants me to make about her name, in my will?"

"No, it doesn't," I had to confess. "You must just--_trust_ Rosemary,
Major Murray."

"I do," he answered, fervently.

"I wish I did!" I could have echoed. But I said not a word, and tried to
remember only how sweet Rosemary Brandreth was.

Before it was time for us to witness the will I repeated to Jim all that
Murray had told me, and watched his face. His eyebrows had drawn
together in a puzzled frown.

"I hope she isn't going to play that poor chap another trick," he
grumbled. "It would finish him in an hour if she did."

"Oh, she _won't_!" I cried. "She loves him."

I was sure I was right about _that_. But I was sure of nothing else.

CHAPTER V

THE MAN WITH THE BRILLIANT EYES

Jim and I witnessed Ralston Murray's will, which left all he possessed
to "Mrs. Rosemary Brandreth." No reference was made in the document to
the fact that Rosemary was engaged to marry him.

Next day we landed, and Murray was so buoyed up with happiness that he
was able to travel to London without a rest. He stayed at a quiet hotel
in St. James's Square, and we took Rosemary Brandreth with us to the
Savoy. Murray applied for a special licence, and the marriage was to
tak