"Yes; a great blow. From the moment the news arrived Brand grew colder than ever, and stayed away for longer periods. Husband and wife began to quarrel, as Flora fancied herself neglected. Life grew more and more unhappy, as I find from the unfortunate woman's diary, until she was thoroughly miserable about the beginning of the present year. It was shortly before July that she received a visit from her Greek cousin Bocaros." "What did he come to see her for?" "To find a friend," said Arnold gravely. "The man was lonely and unhappy. So was Flora. The two got on well, but Bocaros never saw Brand. He had gone to Australia." "Why did he go there?" "He thought he might be related to Brand, seeing that his cousin who had left him the money bore that name. He fancied that if this were so he might induce old Brand in Australia to give Flora some of the money, and so went to Australia. While he was away Flora received a letter stating that Brand was dead, and that the money was hers." "What about the marriage?" "That was a strange thing, Fane. Of course Brand's marriage invalidated the will leaving Flora the money. He did many his housekeeper, but he refused to make a new will, as it seems she had trapped the old man into the marriage. When Brand died, it was found that the woman had been married before. Therefore----" "The marriage was no marriage, and the will in Mrs. Brand's favour stood firm," said Fane. "Is that what you mean?" "It is. The marriage being no marriage gave the property to Flora. She saw Laing and Merry, and learned that she inherited about ten thousand a year." Fane gave a kind of groan. "Ten thousand a year," he repeated, "and you have this money--lucky fellow!" "I would rather it had not come to me, Fane, than in such a way." "What do you mean?" "By the tragic death of my cousin." "Yes, yes," said Fane irritably; "how you harp on that murder. Go on." "Well, then, Mrs. Brand had the money. It was then that Bocaros told her that Brand was false." "How do you mean false?" "Brand," said Arnold, keeping his eyes on the other man's face, "was married to another woman and under another name--probably his real name. Bocaros found this out." "How do you prove that?" "By the diary, which is kept up to the very day my miserable cousin went to the house where her husband posed as a married man." "Go on," said Fane very calm. "It was at this time Brand came back." "I thought you said he had gone to Australia."