mortally
wounded; his high sense of honor and delicacy writhed under the outrage
inflicted on it.

"And mind this," Father Benwell persisted, "poor human nature has
its right to all that can be justly conceded in the way of excuse and
allowance. Miss Eyrecourt would naturally be advised by her friends,
would naturally be eager, on her own part, to keep hidden from you
what happened at Brussels. A sensitive woman, placed in a position so
horribly false and degrading, must not be too severely judged, even when
she does wrong. I am bound to say this--and more. Speaking from my own
knowledge of all the parties, I have no doubt that Miss Eyrecourt and
Mr. Winterfield did really part at the church door."

Romayne answered by a look--so disdainfully expressive of the most
immovable unbelief that it absolutely justified the fatal advice by
which Stella's worldly-wise friends had encouraged her to conceal the
truth. Father Benwell prudently closed his lips. He had put the case
with perfect fairness--his bitterest enemy could not have denied that.

Romayne took up the second paper, looked at it, and threw it back again
on the table with an expression of disgust.

"You told me just now," he said, "that I was married to the wife of
another man. And there is the judge's decision, releasing Miss
Eyrecourt from her marriage to Mr. Winterfield. May I ask you to explain
yourself?"

"Certainly. Let me first remind you that you owe religious allegiance to
the principles which the Church has asserted, for centuries past, with
all the authority of its divine institution. You admit that?"

"I admit it."

"Now, listen! In _our_ church, Romayne, marriage is even more than a
religious institution--it is a sacrament. We acknowledge no human laws
which profane that sacrament. Take two examples of what I say. When the
great Napoleon was at the height of his power, Pius the Seventh refused
to acknowledge the validity of the Emperor's second marriage to Maria
Louisa--while Josephine was living, divorced by the French Senate.
Again, in the face of the Royal Marriage Act, the Church sanctioned the
marriage of Mrs. Fitzherbert to George the Fourth, and still declares,
in justice to her memory, that she was the king's lawful wife. In one
word, marriage, to _be_ marriage at all, must be the object of a purely
religious celebration--and, this condition complied with, marriage
is only to be dissolved by death. You remember what I told you of Mr.