t that the bishop
had suddenly gone out of his mind. Nor was she reassured when he stood
up and looked at her with a face, down which the tears were streaming.
Never had Miss Whichello seen a man weeping before, and the sight
terrified her much more than an outburst of anger would have done. She
looked at the bishop, he looked at her, and they were both ashy white,
both overcome with nervous emotion.

After a moment the bishop opened a drawer and took out a bundle of
papers. Out of these he selected the marriage certificate of his wife
and Krant, and compared it with the certificate of Pharaoh Bosvile and
Ann Whichello.

'Thank God!' he said again, in a tremulous voice. 'This man as Bosvile
married your sister in 1869, as Krant he married Mrs Pendle in 1870.'

'Married Mrs Pendle!' shrieked Miss Whichello, darting forward.

'Yes. She was a Mrs Krant when I married her, and as her husband was
reported dead, I believed her to be his widow.'

'But she was not his widow!'

'No, for Krant was Jentham, and Jentham was alive after my marriage.'

'I don't mean that,' cried Miss Whichello, laying a finger on her
sister's certificate, 'but Jentham as Bosvile married Annie in 1869.'

'He married my wife in October 1870,' said the bishop, breathlessly.

'Then his second marriage was a false one,' said Miss Whichello, 'for in
that year, in that month, my sister was still alive. Mrs Pendle was
never his wife.'

'No, thank God!' said the bishop, clasping his hands, 'she is my own
true wife after all.'

CHAPTER XXXVIII

EXIT MR CARGRIM

Once informed of the welcome truth, Dr Pendle lost no time in having it
verified by documents and extraneous evidence. This was not the affair
of hours, but of days, since it entailed a visit to St Chad's Church at
Hampstead, and a rigorous examination of the original marriage and death
certificates. Also, as Bosvile, _alias_ Krant, _alias_ Jentham was said
to be a gipsy on the authority of Miss Whichello, and as the information
that Baltic was in the confidence of Mother Jael had trickled through
Brace and Graham to the bishop, the last named considered it advisable
that the ex-sailor should be informed of the actual truth. Now that Dr
Pendle was personally satisfied of the legality of his marriage, he had
no hesitation in acquainting Baltic with his life-history, particularly
as the man could obtain from Mother Jael an assurance, in writing if
necessary, that Bosvile and Jentha