“Now to the church,” cried the baroness, gayly. To get to the church, they must pass by the window Camille reclined at.
CHAPTER VIII.
“Oh! there’s no time for that,” said Raynal. And as the baroness looked horrified and amazed, Picard explained: “The state marries its citizens now, with reason: since marriage is a civil contract.”
“Marriage a civil contract!” repeated the baroness. “What, is it then no longer one of the holy sacraments? What horrible impiety shall we come to next? Unhappy France! Such a contract would never be a marriage in my eyes: and what would become of an union the Church had not blessed?”
“Madame,” said Picard, “the Church can bless it still; but it is only the mayor here that can DO it.”
All this time Josephine was blushing scarlet, and looking this way and that, with a sort of instinctive desire to fly and hide, no matter where, for a week or so.
“Haw! haw! haw!” roared Raynal; “here is a pretty mother. Wants her daughter to be unlawfully married in a church, instead of lawfully in a house. Give me the will!”
“Look here, mother-in-law: I have left Beaurepaire to my lawful wife.”
“Otherwise,” put in Picard, “in case of death, it would pass to his heir-at-law.”