"You came here as a spy," she said with hot contempt. "You lied about your name; you lied about your purpose. You came here to betray Dad! If he'd known it he would have killed you!" "Yes, he would have. But--do you know why I came here, Eve?" "I've told you!" "And you are wrong. I didn't come here to betray Mike Clinch: I came to save him." "Do you suppose I believe a man who has lied to Dad?" she cried. "I don't ask you to, Eve. I shall let somebody else prove what I say. I don't blame you for your attitude. God knows I don't blame Mike Clinch. He stood up like a man to Henry Harrod.... All I ask is to undo some of the rotten things that my uncle did to you and yours. And that is partly why I came here." The girl said passionately: "Neither Dad nor I want anything from Harrod Place or from you! Do you suppose you can come here after Dad is dead and pretend you want to make amends for what your uncle did to us?" "Eve," said Darragh gravely, "I've made some amends already. You don't know it, but I have.... You may not believe it, but I liked your father. He was a real man. Had anybody done to me what Henry Harrod did to your father I'd have behaved as your father behaved; I'd never have budged from this spot; I'd have hunted where I chose; I'd have borne an implacable hatred against Henry Harrod and Harrod Place, and every soul in it!" The girl, silenced, looked at him without belief. He said: "I am not surprised that you distrust what I say. But the man you are going to marry was a junior officer in my command. I have no closer friend than Jack Stormont. Ask him whether I am to be believed." Astounded, the girl turned a flushed, incredulous face to Stormont. He said: "You may trust Darragh as you trust me. I don't know what he has to say to you, dear. But whatever he says will be the truth." Darragh said, gravely: "Through a misunderstanding your father came into possession of stolen property, Eve. He did not know it had been stolen. I did. But Mike Clinch would not have believed me if I had told him that the case of jewels in his possession had been stolen from a woman.... Quintana stole them. By accident they came into your father's possession. I learned of this. I had promised this woman to recover her jewels. "I came here for that purpose, Eve. And for two reasons: first, because I learned that Quintana also was coming here to rob your father of these gems; second, because, when I knew your father, and knew _you_, I concluded that it would be an outrage to call on the police. It would mean prison for Clinch, misery and ruin for you, Eve. So--I tried to steal the jewels ... to save you both." He looked at Stormont, who seemed astonished. "To whom do these jewels belong, Jim?" demanded the trooper. "To the young Grand Duchess of Esthonia.... Do you remember that I befriended her over there?" "Yes." "Do you remember that the Reds were accused of burning her chateau and looting it?" "Yes, I remember."