Gregory shook his head.
“No, thanks,” he said; “I don't feel like dining. What is this, Paramor? Surely there's some mistake? Do you mean to tell me that because she acted like a Christian to that man she is to be punished for it in this way?”
Mr. Paramor bit his finger.
“Don't confuse yourself by dragging in Christianity. Christianity has nothing to do with law.”
“You talked of principles,” said Gregory—“ecclesiastical.”
“Yes, yes; I meant principles imported from the old ecclesiastical conception of marriage, which held man and wife to be undivorceable. That conception has been abandoned by the law, but the principles still haunt——”
“I don't understand.”
Mr. Paramor said slowly:
“I don't know that anyone does. It's our usual muddle. But I know this, Vigil—in such a case as your ward's we must tread very carefully. We must 'save face,' as the Chinese say. We must pretend we don't want to bring this divorce, but that we have been so injured that we are obliged to come forward. If Bellew says nothing, the Judge will have to take what's put before him. But there's always the Queen's Proctor. I don't know if you know anything about him?”
“No,” said Gregory, “I don't.”