登陆注册
20027100000009

第9章 III.(2)

"There are other instances in which the Irish marriage-law presents some curious anomalies of its own," he went on. "It is felony, as I have just told you, for a Roman Catholic priest to celebrate a marriage which may be lawfully celebrated by a parochial clergyman, a Presbyterian mini ster, and a Non-conformist minister. It is also felony (by another law) on the part of a parochial clergyman to celebrate a marriage that may be lawfully celebrated by a Roman Catholic priest. And it is again felony (by yet another law) for a Presbyterian minister and a Non-conformist minister to celebrate a marriage which may be lawfully celebrated by a clergyman of the Established Church. An odd state of things. Foreigners might possibly think it a scandalous state of things. In this country we don't appear to mind it. Returning to the present case, the results stand thus:

Mr. Vanborough is a single man; Mrs. Vanborough is a single woman; their child is illegitimate, and the priest, Ambrose Redman, is liable to be tried, and punished, as a felon, for marrying them."

"An infamous law!" said Mr. Kendrew.

"It _is_ the law," returned Mr. Delamayn, as a sufficient answer to him.

Thus far not a word had escaped the master of the house. He sat with his lips fast closed and his eyes riveted on the table, thinking.

Mr. Kendrew turned to him, and broke the silence.

"Am I to understand," he asked, "that the advice you wanted from me related to _this?_"

"Yes."

"You mean to tell me that, foreseeing the present interview and the result to which it might lead, you felt any doubt as to the course you were bound to take? Am I really to understand that you hesitate to set this dreadful mistake right, and to make the woman who is your wife in the sight of Heaven your wife in the sight of the law?"

"If you choose to put it in that light," said Mr. Vanborough; "if you won't consider--"

"I want a plain answer to my question--'yes, or no.' "

"Let me speak, will you! A man has a right to explain himself, I suppose?"

Mr. Kendrew stopped him by a gesture of disgust.

"I won't trouble you to explain yourself," he said. "I prefer to leave the house. You have given me a lesson, Sir, which I shall not forget. I find that one man may have known another from the days when they were both boys, and may have seen nothing but the false surface of him in all that time. I am ashamed of having ever been your friend. You are a stranger to me from this moment."

With those words he left the room.

"That is a curiously hot-headed man," remarked Mr. Delamayn. "If you will allow me, I think I'll change my mind. I'll have a glass of wine."

Mr. Vanborough rose to his feet without replying, and took a turn in the room impatiently. Scoundrel as he was--in intention, if not yet in act--the loss of the oldest friend he had in the world staggered him for the moment.

"This is an awkward business, Delamayn," he said. "What would you advise me to do?"

Mr. Delamayn shook his head, and sipped his claret.

"I decline to advise you," he answered. "I take no responsibility, beyond the responsibility of stating the law as it stands, in your case."

Mr. Vanborough sat down again at the table, to consider the alternative of asserting or not asserting his freedom from the marriage tie. He had not had much time thus far for turning the matter over in his mind. But for his residence on the Continent the question of the flaw in his marriage might no doubt have been raised long since. As things were, the question had only taken its rise in a chance conversation with Mr. Delamayn in the summer of that year.

For some minutes the lawyer sat silent, sipping his wine, and the husband sat silent, thinking his own thoughts. The first change that came over the scene was produced by the appearance of a servant in the dining-room.

Mr. Vanborough looked up at the man with a sudden outbreak of anger.

"What do you want here?"

The man was a well-bred English servant. In other words, a human machine, doing its duty impenetrably when it was once wound up.

He had his words to speak, and he spoke them.

"There is a lady at the door, Sir, who wishes to see the house."

"The house is not to be seen at this time of the evening."

The machine had a message to deliver, and delivered it.

"The lady desired me to present her apologies, Sir. I was to tell you she was much pressed for time. This was the last house on the house agent's list, and her coachman is stupid about finding his way in strange places."

"Hold your tongue, and tell the lady to go to the devil!"

Mr. Delamayn interfered--partly in the interests of his client, partly in the interests of propriety.

"You attach some importance, I think, to letting this house as soon as possible?" he said.

"Of course I do!"

"Is it wise--on account of a momentary annoyance--to lose an opportunity of laying your hand on a tenant?"

"Wise or not, it's an infernal nuisance to be disturbed by a stranger."

"Just as you please. I don't wish to interfere. I only wish to say--in case you are thinking of my convenience as your guest--that it will be no nuisance to _me._"

The servant impenetrably waited. Mr. Vanborough impatiently gave way.

"Very well. Let her in. Mind, if she comes here, she's only to look into the room, and go out again. If she wants to ask questions, she must go to the agent."

Mr. Delamayn interfered once more, in the interests, this time, of the lady of the house.

"Might it not be desirable," he suggested, to consult Mrs.

Vanborough before you quite decide?"

"Where's your mistress?"

"In the garden, or the paddock, Sir--I am not sure which."

"We can't send all over the grounds in search of her. Tell the house-maid, and show the lady in."

The servant withdrew. Mr. Delamayn helped himself to a second glass of wine.

"Excellent claret," he said. "Do you get it direct from Bordeaux?"

There was no answer. Mr. Vanborough had returned to the contemplation of the alternative between freeing himself or not freeing himself from the marriage tie. One of his elbows was on the table, he bit fiercely at his finger-nails. He muttered between his teeth, "What am I to do?"

A sound of rustling silk made itself gently audible in the passage outside. The door opened, and the lady who had come to see the house appeared in the dining-room.

同类推荐
  • 汉魏南北朝墓志汇编

    汉魏南北朝墓志汇编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 普达王经

    普达王经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 寿世传真

    寿世传真

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 女红传征略

    女红传征略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 环溪惟一禅师语录

    环溪惟一禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 谁的人生不坎坷

    谁的人生不坎坷

    不管你出生在什么样的家庭,不管你有什么样的父母,光鲜的背后都有不为人知的酸楚,也许努力过后有所改变,却还是会留下抹不去的阴影。
  • 网游之裂土

    网游之裂土

    一个英(diao)雄(si),到底要如何拯救地球,站在人生的颠峰?必须经历小怪的狂殴,高富帅的打脸,最后被团灭,跟反派大BOSS过上幸福快乐的生活,经历爱与痛的边缘,面对强大的敌人,只有相信挖掘机的力量,单挑,城战,世界BOSS。萝莉,御姐,欧巴大叔。要啥有啥!其实是个励志的故事,以上乱入。
  • 乖乖宝贝老公你真笨

    乖乖宝贝老公你真笨

    喂!你真的会娶我吗?童彤站在床前对着床上的薛梓潼说到。嗯我会可是我不想嫁
  • 妖佛

    妖佛

    我本不屑你这经,你却迷我心性,让我千山万水苦苦相求我本不当你这佛,你却百般利诱,让我一步一磕拜上灵山今日且还我本性,从此与你再无瓜葛!-----------西游背景小说,书中隐线大揭秘懦弱只是虚像且看唐僧闹天宫,闯佛山纵欲花丛,人世风流走一遭
  • 夜羽历险记

    夜羽历险记

    一位追求自己心目中自由的冒险家,被自己不经意攻略的妹子不断坑的历险记录。(最近在修改以前的章节,新的章节要等以前修改好才行)
  • 隐婚似火

    隐婚似火

    婚姻名存实亡,丈夫寡义不知廉耻。婆婆贪得无厌,母亲又癫疯痴傻。她的生活如一潭死水,不起波澜。他英俊有才,家世显赫,却偏偏喜欢上她。她逃,她躲,他追,他宠。当她习惯他的宠爱,他却渐渐冷淡,人心难测,亘古不变,她痛快离开,他却再次介入她的生活。
  • 父王娘亲又逃了

    父王娘亲又逃了

    她,21世纪的无敌神偷,说通俗点就是牛.逼的贼,一朝穿越,她穿越到了身怀奇毒的丞相府二小姐身上。什么!神界的神尊是她命定的另一半!魔界的大魔王是她的未婚夫!还有兽界的老大,仙界的领头人,你们来凑什么热闹啊!给我思想有多远就滚多远!![小剧场]某荨满脸委屈,惨惨凄凄的和自家儿子说“縸哥,小言言,我要离家出走了,我们有缘再见吧!”縸哥和小言言习以为常的点点头,掰起小指头算了算,这是妈咪这个星期第五次出逃了,这说明他们又有好处可以领了。某荨前脚刚走,他们后脚跑去告状了。“父王,大爹爹,老爸,爸比,娘亲又逃了!!”闻言,正在打架的四人蹭的冒出来,恶狠狠地齐声说道“娘子,你逃不出我们的手掌心的!!”
  • 可不可以爱上我

    可不可以爱上我

    “三爷你就像本书,一看你,我就想……睡。”辛艾挖空心思,终于勾搭上权倾明都的简三爷。一朝承欢,百般算计,只为找到失踪的姐姐。三月后,他丢来一张支票:“我腻了。”她赤身爬起,眼底酸涩,笑容灿烂:“好,那我滚远点。”再相遇,她对他视若无睹,他将她压在墙上:“睡过那么多次,怎么,转身就不认了?”她笑容妖冶,手搭在他肩上:“抱歉,我睡过的男人有点多,一时想不起,先生贵姓?”“也好,我会让你记起我是谁。”第二天,她扶着腰,哀叫:“叔叔饶命,我想起来了。”他眯起眼睛:“嗯?我是谁?”“我男人,你是我男人简泽川。”“乖,你男人疼你。”情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 缠上豪门:真假兄妹

    缠上豪门:真假兄妹

    “混蛋,你给我滚!”女孩恃宠而骄。“你让我滚我就滚,你以为你是谁?”男人从容应对,不慌不忙的搂过她的纤纤细腰。“我是谁你不知道么?我是你最亲爱的妹妹!”她嘟起潋滟的红唇。“妹妹?”男人挑起眼皮不明喜怒,“我只知道你是我的女人。”
  • 锦瑟无端

    锦瑟无端

    他十六岁,她十岁,花间相逢。他十九岁,她十三岁,白刃饮血。他二十四岁,她十八岁,长恨如歌。他二十七岁,她二十一岁,情深如许。