"I took the name of Brand, and married Flora. We lived at Gunnersbury, and were always talking what we should do, when we got the Brand money. I intended to furnish a house with the money I had." "What about the White Room?" "That was a favourite fancy of Flora's. She loved a white room. I promised to furnish one in the new house." "Then you did not furnish Ajax Villa for Miss Mason?" "No; for Flora. News came that the old man was very ill--probably dying. The money had been left to Flora. On the strength of that, I spent my money in furnishing the villa, so that when we inherited the fortune I might take Flora there." "It seems to me you counted your chickens before they were hatched, Fane," said Calvert; "but it's just the sort of thing a weak man like you would do. I suppose you loved Flora in a way." "I did love her. I loved her very dearly. Had I not done so I would have severed myself from her when I married Julia. As it was----" "You betrayed both women," finished Calvert. "Yes?" Fane hung his head, for the scorn in Calvert's voice was hard to bear with patience. "I knew Julia for some time, and knew she was rich. She took a fancy to me, and I saw that I would only have to ask her to be my wife, and she would consent. Then came the news that old Brand had married his housekeeper. I thought it was all up with the chance of getting the money, so I married Julia. As a commercial traveller (as Flora believed me to be) I could stop away for a long time. I induced her to take the Hampstead house, and did not appear in the matter. I acted----" "Like a mean hound!" cried the American wrathfully. "In our country you'd have been tarred and feathered, and lynched on the top it." "There's no need to call names," said Fane cynically. "I am at your mercy, so----" "You deserve none." "Calvert, I appeal to you," said Fane, turning to the other. "You shall have strict justice, and no more," said Arnold, in an icy tone; "anything I do will be for the sake of your wife and child." Fane shrugged his shoulders, and sneered. "Virtuous men," he said; "oh, what virtuous men! But had you been in a dilemma, as I was, you would have acted as I did. I had little money, having foolishly spent a lot on the furnishing of Ajax Villa. Also, I had to pay the rent. And you know, Calvert, how magnificently it is furnished." "White Room and all," said Calvert, coldly and unsmilingly. "Yes, I arranged that to surprise Flora. But after we learned that the money of Brand would not come to us, we did not get on well together." "I guess you made her suffer," said Tracey savagely. "No. The fault was with Flora. She thought I was in love with other women, and was jealous." "She had cause to be. Go on." "Not so, as far as she knew," replied Fane coolly. "Well, we did not get on harmoniously. Then, finding matters were desperate with me, I proposed to Julia, and married her." "And you took her to the villa you had prepared for Flora?"