Summary
In the bustling, anonymous milieu of London, the discerning Geoffrey West becomes captivated by Marion Larned, whose solitary perusal of the personal — or 'agony' — column in a restaurant sparks an unconventional romantic overture. Driven by an audacious impulse, West places his own advertisement, seeking an introduction to the enigmatic woman. Her intriguing riposte demands a week-long epistolary courtship, each letter a testament to his compelling character, a challenge to prove his acquaintance truly interesting. What unfolds is a masterful exercise in narrative artifice: West fabricates an intricate, gripping saga centered on the mysterious murder of an English army captain, weaving a tapestry of intrigue and peril designed to ensnare Marion's imagination and affection. As the fabricated confession of his culpability emerges, Marion, ensnared by the dramatic intensity, endeavors to shield him from the looming shadow of the law. However, the burgeoning global conflict of World War I brutally intercedes, compelling her father to dispatch her across the Atlantic to the presumed safety of the United States. In a desperate, climactic pursuit, West boards the same vessel, where, amidst the vast expanse of the ocean, he finally dismantles his elaborate construct, revealing to Marion the profound, if ethically dubious, truth: the entire intricate narrative was a meticulously crafted fiction, a grand stratagem devised solely to win her heart.
Synopsis
Geoffrey West is smitten by Marion Larned, whom he sees in a London restaurant reading the personal or "agony" column, and places an ad asking her for an introduction. Her response that he must write her a letter each day for a week to prove that his acquaintance would be interesting prompts him to write her a fascinating tale about the murder of an English army captain. When Geoffrey finally confesses to the murder, Marion tries to protect him from the law, but with the sudden outbreak of World War I, her father puts her on the next boat back to the United States. Geoffrey catches the boat and there confesses to Marion that the whole story was a fiction invented to win her love.
