Rex did not seek to detain her; his eyes had suddenly fallen upon the golden-haired little figure kneeling by Basil Hurlhurst's chair. He reached her side at a single bound. "Oh, Daisy, my darling, my darling!" he cried, snatching her in his arms, and straining her to his breast, as he murmured passionate, endearing words over her. Suddenly he turned to Mr. Hurlhurst. "I must explain--" "That is quite unnecessary, Rex, my boy," said Mr. Tudor, stepping forward with tears in his eyes; "Mr. Hurlhurst knows all." It never occurred to handsome, impulsive Rex to question what Daisy was doing there. He only knew Heaven had restored him his beautiful, idolized child-bride. "You will forgive my harshness, won't you, love?" he pleaded. "I will devote my whole life to blot out the past. Can you learn to love me, sweetheart, and forget the cloud that drifted between us?" A rosy flush suffused the beautiful flower-like face, as Daisy shyly lifted her radiantly love-lighted blue eyes to his face with a coy glance that fairly took his breath away for rapturous ecstasy. Daisy's golden head nestled closer on his breast, and two little soft, white arms, whose touch thrilled him through and through, stole round his neck--that was all the answer she made him. John Brooks had quietly withdrawn from the room; and while Basil Hurlhurst with a proudly glowing face went down among the waiting and expectant guests to unfold to them the marvelous story, and explain why the marriage could not take place, the detective briefly acquainted Rex with the wonderful story. "I sought and won you when you were simple little Daisy Brooks, and now that you are a wealthy heiress in your own right, you must not love me less." Daisy glanced up into her handsome young husband's face as she whispered, softly: "Nothing can ever change my love, Rex, unless it is to love you more and more." And for answer Rex clasped the little fairy still closer in his arms, kissing the rosy mouth over and over again, as he laughingly replied he was more fortunate than most fellows, being lover and husband all in one. The announcement created an intense _furor_ among the fluttering maidens down in the spacious parlors. Nobody regretted Pluma's downfall, although Basil Hurlhurst carefully kept that part of the narrative back. "Oh, it is just like a romance," cried Eve Glenn, rapturously; "but still we must not be disappointed, girls; we must have a wedding all the same. Rex and Daisy must be married over again." Every one was on the tiptoe of expectancy to see the beautiful little heroine of a double romance. Eve Glenn, followed by Birdie, found her out at once in the study. "Oh, you darling!" cried Eve, laughing and crying in one breath, as she hugged and kissed Daisy rapturously; "and just to think you were married all the time, and to Rex, too; above all other fellows in the world, he was just the one I had picked out for you."