“‘And you really knew nothing of this fatal duel until I told you about it?’ again demanded my father.
“‘Nothing, I assure you. But remember how secluded I have lived here, seeing no one but my infant boy, my nurse and my maid—except, indeed, my physician, who came daily for weeks, but who would not have been likely to speak to me of the duel, even if he had read of it, which he might not have done, you know.’
“‘Well, my love, you should now put on widow’s mourning for your deceased husband,’ said my father, looking gravely into my face.”
CHAPTER XXXVI
“TELL ME ALL”
“‘I am not sure that I have the right to do so,’ I answered, dropping my head on my bosom.
“‘You do not know whether you have any right to do so? What do you mean, Elfrida? Are we still at cross-purposes, my dear? Or what new enigma is this?’ he demanded, uneasily.
“‘Father, I fear that a fatal mistake was made in the manner of our marriage. I fear that mistake may render it illegal. I will have no concealments from you. Therefore, I must tell you even this. Once I was led to believe that Saviola made no mistake, but purposely left the train with me, on the English side of the border, where our marriage without your consent would have been unlawful; but now since I have learned that the report of this French marriage was false, I now believe that the report of his wilful deception of me in regard to the place of our marriage was also false, and that he ignorantly made the fatal mistake.’
“‘My dear girl! My dear Elfrida! What do you mean? What fatal mistake do you mean?’
“‘I have already indicated it, my dear father. But I will tell you more distinctly,’ I said.
“And then I told him of the two stations on the road with similarly sounding names—Kelton, on the English side, within five miles of the border, and Kilton, on the Scottish side, just across the border. ‘Intending to be married at the last-mentioned place, we got out of the train by misadventure at the first, and we were married in England.’