Ransford ran away with Mrs.Brake and the two children--mere infants--and disappeared.

Brake, when he came out of prison, went abroad--possibly with the idea of tracking them.

Meanwhile, as is quite evident, he engaged in business and did well.

He came back to England as John Braden, and, for the reason of which you're aware, he paid a visit to Wrychester, utterly unaware that any one known to him lived here.

Now, try to reconstruct what happened.