"My dear!" Brenda slipped her arm round his neck and drew him down on the sofa beside her. "If you love me, you must trust me. If you think me a sensible woman, you must be honest with me. I know you had some other reason for leaving Chippingholt so suddenly--it was not altogether because you were afraid of telling me about the loss of your money. Van Zwieten told me he could get you into trouble, and now you say the same thing. Tell me what hold he has over you?" "He has no hold over me," whispered Harold. But she saw that his forehead was beaded with perspiration. "Tell me--tell me?" she repeated. "Brenda--I cannot--I dare not." "Then there _is_ something?" Captain Burton cast a glance round the room and nodded. "I am not a coward," he groaned; "I hope I am not a coward, but there are some things which make the bravest man afraid. Van Zwieten is a devil!" "Does he accuse you of the murder?" "No, he doesn't go so far as that, and yet--Brenda," he cried, taking her hand and holding it so tightly that she could have screamed, "don't ask me any more; it is not my own secret." "Has it anything to do with my father?" "Partly; but you need not be anxious about that. He is in no danger. Leave me to fight it out with Van Zwieten. I shall get the better of him yet. No, no, Brenda, don't ask me any more questions; you cannot help me; I must go through with this matter alone. Trust me if you love me." "I ask you to do that with me," said Brenda, sadly, "and you refuse." "I don't refuse. I cannot tell you now; I will tell you when you are my wife. Listen! we must get married quietly." "Why quietly?" "Because I am afraid of Van Zwieten. Yes, you may well look astonished. I, who have never known fear before, fear him. He knows too much, and if he plots against me I cannot counterplot him--at all events for the present. We must marry!" "When and where you please, darling." "You trust me?" "Yes, on the understanding that when I am your wife you tell me everything--everything!" Burton nodded again. "I will tell you before if I can, Brenda. It is good of you, and like your dear self, to trust me. We can be married at St. Chad's, at Brighton. I'll get a special license. Down there we shall be free from interference by Van Zwieten." "He would not dare----" "Oh, yes, he would--if he knew. He would take some means of preventing our marriage." "And you would let him do that?" "I--I might, and I might not." Captain Burton sighed wearily. "If it were only myself I would not mind, but--but there are others whom I _must_ consider." "Harold, you are shielding some one!" "Yes--no. Brenda, dearest, for Heaven's sake don't question me." She was perplexed by his indecision--annoyed by his reticence. But she had given her promise, and she would abide by it. "You will not let me help you?" she said plaintively. "You cannot help me, dear; I must go through with this matter alone--unaided."