Why did her first husband, Frederick Bosner, threaten to kill her?
Because he loved herAnd in the end, you see, he made his boast good
Mais oui mais oui once I realize that it is Dr Leidner who did the killing, everything falls into place
For the second time, I recommence my journey from the beginning Mrs Leidners first marriage the threatening letters her second marriage.
The letters prevented her marrying any other man but they did not prevent her marrying Dr Leidner.
How simple that is if Dr Leidner is actually Frederick Bosner.
Once more let us start our journey from the point of view this time of young Frederick Bosner.
To begin with, he loves his wife Louise with an overpowering passion such as only a woman of her kind can evoke.
She betrays him.
He is sentenced to death.
He escapes.
He is involved in a railway accident but he manages to emerge with a second personality that of a young Swedish archaeologist, Eric Leidner, whose body is badly disfigured and who will be conveniently buried as Frederick Bosner.
What is the new Eric Leidners attitude to the woman who was willing to send him to his death?
First and most important, he still loves her.
He sets to work to build up his new life.
He is a man of great ability, his profession is congenial to him and he makes a success of it.But he never forgets the ruling passion of his life.
He keeps himself informed of his wifes movements.
Of one thing he is cold-bloodedly determined (remember Mrs Leidners own description of him to Nurse Leatheran gentle and kind but ruthless),she shall belong to no other man.
Whenever he judges it necessary he despatches a letter.
He imitates some of the peculiarities of her handwriting in case she should think of taking his letters to the police.
Women who write sensational anonymous letters to themselves are such a common phenomenon that the police will be sure to jump to that solution given the likeness of the handwriting.
At the same time he leaves her in doubt as to whether he is really alive or not.
At last, after many years, he judges that the time has arrived; he re-enters her life.
All goes well.
His wife never dreams of his real identity.
He is a well-known man.
The upstanding, good-looking young fellow is now a middle-aged man with a beard and stooping shoulders.
And so we see history repeating itself.
As before, Frederick is able to dominate Louise.
For the second time she consents to marry him.
And no letter comes to forbid the banns.
But afterwards a letter does come.
Why?
I think that Dr Leidner was taking no chances.
The intimacy of marriage might awaken a memory.
He wishes to impress on his wife, once and for all, that Eric Leidner and Frederick Bosner are two different people.
So much so that a threatening letter comes from the former on account of the latter.
The rather puerile gas poisoning business follows arranged by Dr Leidner, of course.
Still with the same object in view.
After that he is satisfied.
No more letters need come.
They can settle down to happy married life together.
And then, after nearly two years,the letters recommence.
Why?
Eh bien, I think I know.
Because the threat underlying the letters was always a genuine threat. (That is why Mrs Leidner has always been frightened.
She knew her Fredericks gentle but ruthless nature.) If she belongs to any other man but him he would kill her.
And she has given herself to Richard Carey.
And so, having discovered this, cold-bloodedly, calmly, Dr Leidner prepares the scene for murder.
You see now the important part played by Nurse Leatheran?