"He calls himself so," muttered Ware, quite puzzled.
"Only to keep hold of the money left by Mr. Powell," explained the Princess. "He is really Alfred Denham, who caused all the misery of my married life with George."
"Anne's father."
"No. I tell you he is not Anne's father. George was the father of Anne. He is dead. He died shortly after divorcing me."
Giles felt his heart swell with gratitude to learn that Anne was not connected with——Here he paused, more bewildered than ever. "I don't quite understand, Princess," he said, trying to arrive in his own mind at some solution of this complicated mystery. "Had not your husband a brother called Walter?"
"No. George was an only son."
"Then did Alfred Denham have a brother of that name?"
"No. Don't you understand, Mr. Ware. You have been deceived. Denham, who calls himself by my husband's name pretends to be Anne's father, was the man who went down to Rickwell."
"The man whom Anne helped to escape."
"Yes. Under the belief that he is her father, poor child."