For after the discovery of so many atrocious, deliberate lies, every fact that Captain Bruce had stated concerning himself remained open to doubt.
However, the lies were apparently that sort of falsehood which springs from a brilliant imagination, a lax conscience, and a ready tongue-- prone to say whatever comes easiest and upper most.

Also, because probably following the not uncommon Jesuitical doctrine that the end justifies the means, he had, for whatever reason he best knew, determined to marry Helen Cardross, and took his own measures accordingly.
The main facts of his self-told history turned out to be correct.

He was certainly the identical Ernest Henry Bruce, only surviving son of Colonel Bruce, and had undoubtedly been in India, a captain in the Company's service.

His medals were veritable--won by creditable bravery.

No absolute moral turpitude could be discovered concerning him -- only a careless, reckless life; and utter indifference to debt; and a convenient readiness to live upon other people's money rather than his own--qualities not so rare, or so sharply judged in the world at large, as they were likely to be by the little world of innocent, honest Cairnforth.
And yet he was young--he had married a good wife--he might mend.
At present, plain and indisputable, his character stood-- good-natured, kindly--perhaps not even unlovable--but destitute of the very foundations of all that constitutes worth in a man--or woman either--truthfulness, independence, honor, honesty.