"I don't think there'll be any difficulty," he said. "Bellew
agrees--they both agree!"
Mr. Paramor stared.
"What's that to do with it?"
Gregory caught him up.
"Surely, where both parties are anxious, and there's no opposition, it
can't be difficult."
"Good Lord!" said Mr. Paramor.
"But I've seen Bellew; I saw him yesterday. I'm sure I can get him to
admit anything you want!"
Mr. Paramor drew his breath between his teeth.
"Did you ever," he said drily, "hear of what's called collusion?"
Gregory got up and paced the room.
"I don't know that I've ever heard anything very exact about the thing
at all," he said. "The whole subject is hateful to me. I regard marriage
as sacred, and when, which God forbid, it proves unsacred, it is
horrible to think of these formalities. This is a Christian country; we
are all flesh and blood. What is this slime, Paramor?"
With this outburst he sank again into the chair, and leaned his head on
his hand. And oddly, instead of smiling, Mr. Paramor looked at him with
haunting eyes.
"Two unhappy persons must not seem to agree to be parted," he said. "One
must be believed to desire to keep hold of the other, and must pose as
an injured person. There must be evidence of misconduct, and in this
case of cruelty or of desertion.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93