out of you, and everything."

"I never forget my promises," I primly answered.

"But if I let you off it? Elizabeth, that's what I'm going to do! I love
you too much, my girl, to blackmail you permanently--to get you for my
wife in payment of a bargain. I may be pretty bad, but I'm hanged if I'm
as bad as that."

I burst out laughing.

"_Idiot!_" I gurgled. "Haven't you the wits to see I _want_ to marry
you? I'm in love with you, you fool. Besides, I'm tired of being matron
of honour, and you being best man every time people I 'brighten' marry!"

"It sha'n't happen again!" said Jim.

And then he almost took my breath away. _What_ a strong man he is!

BOOK IV

THE MYSTERY OF MRS. BRANDRETH

CHAPTER I

THE MAN IN THE CUSHIONED CHAIR

"Nice end of a honeymoon I'm having!" Jim grumbled. "With my wife
thinking and talking all the time about another fellow."

"My darling, adored man!" I exclaimed. "You know perfectly well that
you're the background and undercurrent and foundation of all my
thoughts, every minute of the day and night. And this 'other fellow' is
_dying_."

Yes; "darling, adored" were my adjectives for Jim Courtenaye, whom I had
once abused.

All the same, if a cat may look at a king, a bride may just glance at a
man who isn't her bridegroom.

"Ruling passion strong in--marriage, I suppose," said Jim. "I bet you'd
like to try your hand at 'brightening' that chap--though judging from
his face, he's almost past even your blandishments. _I_ wouldn't be past
'em--not in my _coffin_! But it isn't every blighter who can love as I
do, you minx."

"And 'tisn't every blighter who has such a perfect woman to love," I
capped him with calm conceit.

"But I wish I _could_ 'brighten' that poor fellow. Or else I wish that
someone else would!"

And at this instant my wish was granted in the most amazing way!

A girl appeared--but no, I mustn't let her arrive upon the scene just
yet. First, I must explain that Jim and I were on shipboard, coming back
to England from America, where we had been having the most wonderful
honeymoon. Jim had taken me out West, and showed me the places where he
had lived in his cowboy days. We had ridden long trails together, in the
Grand Canyon of Arizona, and in the Yosemite Valley of California. I had
never imagined that life could be so glorious, and our future
together--Jim's and mine--stretched before us like a dream of joy. We
were going to live in the d