"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?"
"Yes, I did," said Fane defiantly. "Julia's money could keep up that house, and Flora had none. I told Julia I was fond of yachting, and she allowed me to go away for months at a time. She did not mind so long as I left her control of the business, as I did. I bought into the firm with a little of my money, and a good deal of hers. The business rightfully belonged to her, so she did the work."
"And you went away yachting?"
"I never yachted at all--or very little," said Fane in a contradictory manner. "I spent the time when away from Julia with Flora."
"And the time you indulged yourself as a commercial traveller, you spent at Ajax Villa," said Calvert.
"Yes. I managed to keep both wives, and both households."
"Calvert and Tracey, amazed by the utter shamelessness of the man, stared at one another. But they could not help admiring the cleverness which he had employed to live this double life. How long did it last?" asked Calvert.
"For three years more or less. At last things became so bad that I wanted to be away from Flora for a long time. I suggested that I might be a relative of Brand and that I should go to Australia. Flora believed that I went."
"And all the time you were posing as Fane at Ajax Villa?"