“It is easily explained, sir. A false report of my death reached my wife there. She, believing herself to be a widow, contracted marriage with that young gentleman yonder, who seems to be executing a war dance in the arms of my father-in-law!” replied Col. Anglesea.
“Oh, Dr. Priestly! will you be so kind as to go and assist Mr. Force in bringing Leonidas to reason?” pleaded the lady.
“Ye-yes! Of course! Oh, this is terrible, terrible! In the whole course of my ministry I never met anything so terrible. But, sir,” he said, suddenly breaking off in his discourse and turning to Col. Anglesea, “you said that this young lady believed herself to be a widow when she contracted marriage with Mr. Force. But she was never known here as wife or widow. I have known her for more than three years as Miss Force.”
“That certainly requires explanation, as our marriage was not a secret one, but was solemnized in the face of day and before a large congregation——”
“And then knocked as high as the sky by the dropping down upon you of your Californian wife! Oh, you hoofed and horned devil!” said Wynnette, suddenly joining the group and unable longer to restrain herself.
The Rev. Dr. Priestly stared.
“Oh! what am I saying? I mean, reverend sir”—Wynnette began, apologetically—“I mean that this gentleman’s attempted marriage with my elder sister was arrested at the very altar by the appearance of a lady from St. Sebastian, who claimed to be, and proved herself to be, his lawful wife.”
The old minister looked perplexed and helplessly from the earnest girl to the scornful man.
“After that my sister went from the church to my father’s house, and lived under our parents’ protection. Of course, she was still Miss Force. The unfinished ceremony could not have changed her name or condition, even if the Californian had been an impostor, which she was not. This cowardly dead beat and mean skala——Oh! I beg pardon, I am sure, Dr. Priestly. I should have said: Col. Anglesea, here present, knows that she was not an impostor, and he knows that he has no claim on Odalite. He only comes here to make a scene. His marriage was broken off at the altar by the appearance of his wife, and he is determined that Odalite’s shall be broken off, for the day at least, by the appearance of himself, with the claim that he is her husband. It is ‘tit for tat,’ you know. ‘What’s good for the gander is good for the goose,’ you see. Oh, dear! Excuse me! I mean it is his revenge, reprisal, commending back of the poisoned chalice, don’t you know?”
“Madam, is this true?” inquired the bewildered minister.