s her
son. Gabriel kissed it with unconcealed emotion.

In the meantime, Dr Graham was examining the bishop's marriage
certificate with sharp attention, as he thought he espied a flaw.
'Pardon me, my dear Pendle,' said he, in his crisp voice, 'but I see
that Mrs Pendle became your wife under a name which we now know was not
then her own. Does that false name vitiate the marriage?'

'By no means,' replied the bishop, promptly. 'I took counsel's opinion
on that point when I was in London. It is as follows'--and Dr Pendle
read an extract from a legal-looking document. '"A marriage which is
made in ignorance in a false name is perfectly good. The law on the
subject appears to be this--If a person, to conceal his or her identity,
assumes either a wrong name or description, so as to practically obtain
a secret marriage, the marriage is void; but if the wrong name or
description is adopted by accident or innocently, the marriage is good."
Therefore,' added Dr Pendle, placing the paper on one side, 'Mrs Pendle
was not Bosvile's wife on two distinct grounds. Firstly, because his
true wife was alive when he married her. Secondly, because he
fraudulently made her his wife by giving a false name and description.
Regarding my own marriage, it is a good one in law, because Mrs Pendle's
false name of Krant was adopted in all innocence. There is no court in
the realm of Great Britain,' concluded the bishop, with conviction,
'that would not uphold my marriage as true and lawful, and God be
thanked that such is the case!'

'God be thanked!' said Gabriel, in his turn, and said it with heartfelt
earnestness. Graham, bubbling over with pleasure, jumped up in his
restless way, and gave a friendly hand in turn to Dr Pendle and his
wife. 'I congratulate you both, my dear friends,' said he, not without
emotion. 'You have won through your troubles at last, and can now live
in much-deserved peace for the rest of your lives. _Deus nobis haec otia
fecit!_ Hey, bishop, you know the Mantuan. Well, well, you have paid
forfeit to the gods, Pendle, and they will no longer envy your good
fortune, or seek to destroy it.'

'Graham, Graham,' said the bishop, with kindly tolerance, 'always these
Pagan sentiments.'

'Ay! ay! I am a Pagan suckled in a creed outworn,' quoted the doctor,
rubbing his hands. 'Well, we cannot all be bishops.'

'We can all be Christians,' said Baltic, gravely. 'Ah!' retorted
Graham. 'What we should be, and what we are, Mr Bal