“Ofcourse，“sheansweredsimply，“becauseImust。Oh!whateverwemayhearabouteachother，wemaybequitecertainthatwestillloveeachother——becausewemust——andallyourheavenandhellcannotmakeanydifference，no，notiftheywerebothtojoinforcesandtrytheirbest。Butthatdoesnotmeanthatnecessarilyweshallmarryeachother，forIthinkthatpeoplewholovelikethatrarelydomarry，because，yousee，theywouldbetoohappy，whichsomethingisalwaystryingtoprevent。Itmaymean，however，“sheaddedreflectively，“thatweshallnotmarryanybodyelse，thougheventhatmighthappeninyourcase——notinmine。Alwaysremember，Godfrey，thatIshallnevermarryanybodyelse，notevenifyoutookthreewivesoneaftertheother。“
“Threewives!“gaspedGodfrey。
“Yes，whynot？Itwouldbequitenatural，wouldn’tit，ifyouwouldn’tmarryme，andevenproper。OnlyIshouldnevertakeone——husband，I
mean——notfromanyparticularvirtue，butjustbecauseIcouldn’t。Yousee，itwouldmakemeill。AndifItriedIshouldonlyrunaway。“
“Oh!stoptalkingnonsense，“saidGodfrey，“whensosoonyouwillhavetogotoseeaboutthosepeople，“andheheldouthisarms。
Shesankintothem，andforalittlewhiletheyforgottheirdoubtsandfears。
Therainhadceased，andthetriumphantsunshininggloriouslythroughthewestwindowofstainedglass，poureditsraysuponthem，dyeingthemallthecoloursofanangel’swings。Alsoincidentallyitmadethemextremelyconspicuousinthatduskychurch，ofwhichtheyhadallthiswhileforgottentoshutthedoor。
“Myword!“saidSirJohntoMr。Knightintonesofsavagesarcasmastheysurveyedthetwothroughthisdoor。“We’vegotherejustattherighttime。Don’ttheylookpretty，anddon’tyouwishthatyouwerehisageandthatwassomeoneelse’sdaughter？Itellyou，Ido。“
Mr。Knightgurgledsomethinginhisinarticulatewrath，foratthatmomenthehatedIsobel’sfatherasmuchashedidIsobel，whichwassayingagreatdeal。
“Well，myprettypairofcooingturtle-doves，“wentonSirJohninasortofshout，addressinghimselftothem，“besogoodastostopthat，orIthinkIshallwringbothyournecks，damnyou。“
“NotinthisHolyHouse，whichtheseinfamousandshamelesspersonshavedesecratedwiththeirprofaneembraces，“interruptedMr。Knight。
“Yes，accordingtoyourideasitwillbealmostacaseofre-
consecration。You’llhavetowritetothebishopaboutit，Mr。Parson。
Oh!confoundyou。Don’tstandtherelikeacoupleofstuckpigs，butcomeoutofthatandletushavealittlechatinthechurchyard。“
Now，atthefirstwordsthatreachedtheirearsGodfreyandIsobelhaddrawnbackfromeachotherandstoodsidebysidequitestillbeforethealtar，asapairabouttobemarriedmightdo。
Theyweredumbfounded，andnowonder。AsmightbeexpectedIsobelwasthefirsttorecoverherself。
“Come，mydear，“shesaidinaclearvoicetoGodfrey，“myfatherandyourswishtospeaktous。Iamgladwehaveachanceofexplainingmatterssosoon。“
“Yes，“saidGodfrey，butinawrathfulvoice，forhefeltangerstirringinhim。Perhapsitwasexcitedbythatancientinstinctwhichcausesthemaleanimaltoresentthespyinguponhimwhenheiscourtinghisfemaleasthedeadliestofallpossibleinsults，orperhapsbysomeprescienceofaffrontswhichwereabouttobeofferedtohimandIsobelbythesetwowhomheknewtobebitterlyhostile。Atleasthistemperwasrising，andlikemostrathergentle-naturedmenwhenreallyprovokedandcornered，hecouldbedangerous。
“Yes，“herepeated，“letusgooutandseethismatterthrough。“
Sotheywent，SirJohnandMr。Knightdrawingbackalittlebeforethem，tilltheywerebroughttoahaltbythehorriblememorialwhichtheformerhaderectedoverhiswife’sgrave。Heretheystood，preparedfortheencounter。SirJohnwasthefirsttotakethelists，saying：
“Perhapsyouwillexplain，Isobel，whyIfoundyou，asIthought，kissingthisyoungfellow——likeanyvillageslutbeneathahedge。“
Isobel’sbigeyesgrewsteelyassheanswered：
“Forthesamereason，Father。Likeyourvillageslut，IkissedthismanbecauseheismyloverwhomImeantomarry。If，asIgather，youarenotcertainastowhatyousaw，Iwillkisshimagain，hereinfrontofyou。“
“Ihavenodoubtyouwill；justlikeyourcheek!“ejaculatedSirJohn，takenalittleaback。
ThenMr。Knighttookuptheball，addressinghimselftohisson：
“Couldyoufindnootherplaceforyourimmoralperformancesexceptthechurch，Godfrey，andmychanceltoo？“
“No，“answeredGodfrey，“becauseitwasrainingandweshelteredthere。Andwhatdoyoumeanbyyourtalkaboutimmorality？Isitnotlawfulforamantoloveawoman？IshouldhavethoughtthattheBible，whichyouarealwaysquoting，wouldhavetaughtyouotherwise。
Also，onceyouweremarriedyourselfelseIshouldnotbehere，forwhichIamnotsurethatIthankyou；atleast，Ishouldn’twereitnotforIsobel。“
ForamomentMr。Knightcouldthinkofnoanswertothesearguments，butSirJohnhavingrecoveredhisbreath，attackedagain：
“Lookhere，youngfellow，IhavenotimetolistentojawabouttheBibleandmoralandimmoralandallthatbosh，whichyoucanhaveoutwithyourreverendparentafterwards。Iamaplainman，Iam，andwantaplainanswertoaplainquestion。Doyouthinkthatyouaregoingtomarrymydaughter，Isobel？“
“Suchismydesireandintention，“repliedGodfrey，withvaguerecollectionsofthebaptismalservice，thoughoftheseatthemomenthewasnotaware。
“Oh，isit？Thenyouarejollywellmistakeninyourdesireandintention。Let’smakethingsclear。Youareabeggarlyyoungsterwhoproposetoenterthearmyatsomefuturedate，whichyoumayormaynotdo。AndyouhavetheimpudencetowishtomarryoneofthebiggestheiressesinEnglandagainstmywill。“
“Andagainstmine，“burstinMr。Knight，“whoconsiderheramostperniciousyoungwoman，onewhorejectstheChristianfaithandwillleadyoutoperdition。Thatiswhy，whenIchancedtoespyyouinsuchacompromisingposition，Ihastenedtoinformthelady’sfather。“
“Oh!youdidthat，didyou？“interposedIsobel，contemplatinghimsteadily。“Well，Iamgladtoknowwhocouldhavebeensocowardly，“
sheaddedwithwitheringcontempt。“NowIbegintowonderwhetheraletterwhichsomeyearsago，IbroughttotheAbbeyHousetobeforwardedtoGodfrey，waseverpostedtohimwhodidnotreceiveit，orwhether，perhaps，itfellintothehandsof——someonelikeyou。“
“Itdid，“saidMr。Knight。“Ireaditandhaveittothisday。InmydiscretionasafatherIdidnotconsideritdesirablethatmyyoungsonshouldreceivethatletter。WhatIhavewitnessedthisafternoonshowsmehowrightwasmyjudgment。“
“Thankyousomuch，“saidIsobel。“Thattakesagreatweightoffmymind。Godfrey，mydear，Iapologisetoyouformydoubts。Thetruthdidoccurtome，butIthoughtitimpossiblethataclergyman，“hereshelookedagainatMr。Knight，“couldbeathiefalsowhodidnotdaretoowntohistheft。“
“Nevermindallthat，“wentonSirJohninhisheavy，masterfulvoice。
“Itstandslikethis。You，“andhepointedafatfingeratGodfrey，“are——well，I’lltellyouwhatyouare——you’rejustacunningyoungfortune-hunter。YoufoundoutthatthispropertyandagoodbitbesidesarecomingtoIsobel，andyouwanttocollarthesag，likeyoudidthatoftheoldwomanoutinLucerne。Well，youdon’tdoit，myboy。I’veotherviewsforIsobel。DoyouthinkIwanttoseehermarriedto——to——thesonofafellowlikethat——acantingsnufflerwhoprigslettersandsplitsonhisownson？“andswingingthefatfingerroundhethrustitalmostintothefaceofMr。Knight。
“Whatdidyousay？“gaspedGodfrey。“ThatIamafortune-hunter？“
“Yes，that’swhatIsaid，andI’llrepeatitifyoulike。“
“Then，“wentonGodfrey，speakinginathick，lowvoice，fornowhistemperhadmasteredhimthoroughly，“Isaythatyouarealiar。Isaythatyouareabaseandvulgarmanwhohasmademoneysomehowandthinksthatthisjustifieshimininsultingthosewhoarenotbaseorvulgar，becausetheyhavelessmoney。“
“Youinfernalyoungscamp，“shoutedSirJohninaroarliketothatofanangrybull。“Doyoudaretocallmealiar？Apologiseatonce，or——“andhestopped。
“Idonotapologise。Irepeatthatyouarealiar，thegreatestliarI
evermet。Now——orwhat？“
ThusspokeGodfrey，drawinguphistall，slimyoungformtoitsfullheight，hisdarkeyesflashing，hisfinefacealightwithrighteousrage。Isobel，whowasstandingquitestillandsmilingalittle，rathercontemptuously，lookedathimoutofthecornersofhereyesandthoughtthatangerbecamehimwell。Neverbeforehadheseemedsohandsometoherapprovingjudgment。
“Orthis，“bellowedSirJohn，and，liftingthetightlyrolledumbrellahecarried，hestruckGodfreywithallhisstrengthuponthesideofthehead。
Godfreystaggered，butfortunatelythesofthathewaswearing，uponthebrimofwhichthestrokefell，brokeitsweighttosomeextent，sothathewasnotreallyhurt。Onlynowhewentquitemadinakindoficyway，and，springingatSirJohnwiththelightnessofaleopard，dealthimtwoblows，onewithhislefthandandthenextwithhisright。
Theyweregood，straightblows，forboxinghadbeenhisfavouriteamusementatSandhurstwherehewasamiddleweightchampion。ThefirstcaughtSirJohnuponhisthicklipswhichwerebadlycutagainsttheteeth，causinghimtostagger；whilethesecond，thatwiththeright，landedonthebridgeofhisnoseandblackedbothhiseyes。This，sostrongandheavywasit，notwithstandingSirJohn’sgreatweight，knockedhimcleanoffhisfeet。Backhewent，andinhiseffortstosavehimselfgrippedMr。KnightwithonehandandwiththeotherthelegsoftheearlyVictorianangelthatsurmountedLadyJane’sgraveagainstwhichtheywerestanding。Neitherofthesecouldwithstandthestrain。Theangel，whichwasonlypinnedbylead-coatedrivetstoitsbaseandthecolumnbehind，flewfromitssupports，asdidMr。Knightfromhis，sothatinanothersecond，themenhavingtrippedagainstthesurroundofthegrave，allthreerolleduponthepath，themarbleluckilyfallingclearofbothofthem。
“NowI’vedoneit，“saidGodfreyinareflectivevoiceashecontemplatedthetangledruin。
“Yes，“exclaimedIsobel，“Ithinkyouhave。“