"Well, supposing a man and woman took each other as husband and wife according to the old ideas?"
"Ay, I follow," said the Scotsman. "No kirk, no minister, no witnesses, no anything?"
"Yes," said Paul. "Would they be married?"
"Ay, they would. But if one of them tried to back out, ye see, difficulties come in. In that case they would have to declare themselves before someone that they were married."
"Well, then," continued Paul, "suppose they went to an inn that night and the man called the woman his wife before the innkeeper and his wife?"
"Ah, then you have got something to go on," said the lawyer. "That certainly would clinch the nail. Ye're thinking of property, I expect?"
"There's another question I want to ask," said Paul, not noticing the query which the old Scotsman had interposed. "Supposing that directly they were married in Scotland they went to England, and the inn wherein the man called the woman his wife was in England. Would that make any difference?"
The old Scotsman scratched his head. "Ay, man," he said, "it might. But I'm no sure."
"Not even if both the man and the woman signed their names in a book that they were married?"
"I'm no sure," repeated the lawyer. "But I could find out for you, say, for a matter of five pounds, and I would let you know. But I would have to write to Edinburgh and, it may be, have to consult many documents."