The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-07-15
. Excuse 4" he repeated.

"a 1CH-0AOubts AhO PAVttCoht3o w |
which / have alluded declare Miss Eyre. |
courts marriage 10 Mr.. winterfeld to |
be null and void-by the English Law
in consequence Of his baving been mar
ried at the time to another woman. Try
to follow me. 1 will put il as briefly as
possible. In justice TO yourself and to
your future career you must understand
this revolving case thoroughly from be-
ginning TO end"
With those predatory words he told
the story Of winterAeld's first marriage,
altering nothing, concealing nothing,
doing the fullest justice to Winterfield's
innocence of all evil motive from first
TO last.
"You we're mortified and was sur
prised," he went on, "when Mr.. Win
terrified dropped his acquaintance with
you. We now know that he acted like
an honorable man."
He waited to see what effect he had
produced. Romayne was in no state Of
mind to do justice to Winterfeld or to
any one. His pride was mortally wound.
ed; his high sense Of honor and delicacy
writhed under the outrage inflicted on it.
"And mind this" Father Benwell
persisted, "poor human nature has its
right to all that can be justly conceded
in the way OF excuse and allowance.
Miss Eyrecourt would naturally be ad-
vised by her friends, would naturally be
eager on her own part, to keep hidden
from you what happened at Brussels. A
sensitive woman, placed in position SO
horribly false and degrading, must not
be too severely judged, even when she
does wrong I am bound to say this
and more. Speaking from my own
knowledge of all the parties I have NO
doubt that Miss Eyrecourt and Mr..
Winterfeld did really part at the church
door,"
Romayne answered by q look so dis.
painfully expressive Of the most immov-
able unbelief that it absolutely justified
the fatal advice by which Stella's
worldly-wise friends had encouraged
her to conceal the truth. Father Ben
well prudently closed his lips. He had
put the case with perfect fairness; his
bitterest enemy could not have denied
that.
Romayne took up the second paper,
looked ct it and threw it back again on
the table with an expression Of disgust.
"You told me just now" said he,
"that I was married to the wife of an
other man, and there is the judges de-
cision releasing Miss Eyrecourt from
her marriage to Mr.. Winterfeld. May
I ask you to explain yourself%
"Oertainly. Let me first remind you
that You owe religious allegiance to the
principles which the church has as.
serted for centuries past, with all the
authority Of its divine institution, You
admit thstY'
~ admit IT,"
"Now. listen. In our church, Ro.
mayne, marriage is even more than a
religious institution-it is sacrament.
We acknowledge no human laws which
profane that sacrament. Take two ex.
amples Of what say. When the great
Napoleon was At the height OF his powv,
Plus the Seventh refused to acknowl
edge the validity of the emperor's
second marriage to Maria Louisa while
Josephine was living, divorced by the
French senate. Again, in the face Of
the royal marriage act. the church sane.
toned the marriage of Mrs. Fitzherberi
to George the Fourth, and still declares,
in justice to her memory, that she was
the kings lawful wife. In one word.
marriage, to be marriage at all, must be
the object Of q purely religious cele.
bration-and, this condition complied
with, marriage is only to be dissolved
by death. You remember what told
you of Mr.. Winterfeld
Eyes. His first marriage took place
before the registrar"
"In plain English, Romayne, Mr..
WinterAeld and the woman rider in the
circus pronounced formula Of words
before layman in an office. This is
not only no marriage; it is blasphem.
GUS proclamation Of holy rite. Acts OF
parliament which sanction such pro.
ceedings are acts OF infdelity. The
church declares it in defense of ie
ligion."
II understand you," said Romayne. |
"Mr. Winterfelds marriage at Brus
sells"
(which the English law" Fathe,
Benwell interposed, "declares to be
annulled by the marriage before the
registrar stands good, nevertheless, by
the higher law Of the church. Mr.. Win.
terrified Is Miss Eyrecourt's husband as
long as they both live. An ordained
priest performed the ceremony in con.
secrated building. and Protestant mar
riages, so celebrated, are marriages ac-
knowledged by the Catholic church.
Under those circumstances the cere-
mony which sfterwsrd united you to
Miss Eyrecourt-though neither you
nor the clergyman were to blame
mere mockery. Need / say more
Shall I leave you for q while by your
self?" ....-.
"Noi don't know what NAV
think. I don't know what / may do, il
you leave me by myself"
Father Benwell took chair by Ro.
mayne's side at has been my hard