"Yes, I have seen her," said the earl.
"Is she presentable?" he inquired. "Would any degree of training enable her to take her rank – "
Lady Lanswell interrupted him.
"The question need never be asked," she said, proudly. "I refuse ever to see her, or acknowledge her. I insist on the marriage being set aside."
"One has to be careful, my lady," said Mr. Sewell.
"I see no need for any great care," she retorted. "My son has not studied us; we shall not study him. I would rather the entail were destroyed, and the property go to one of Charles Seyton's sons, than my son share it with a low-born wife."
My lady's face was inflexible. The earl and the lawyer saw that she was resolved – that she would never give in, never yield, no matter what appeal was made to her.
They both knew that more words were useless. My lady's mind was made up, and they might as well fight the winds and the waves. Lord Lanswell was more inclined to pity and to temporize. He was sorry for his son, and the beautiful face had made some impression on him; but my lady was inflexible.
"The marriage must be set aside," she repeated.
The earl looked at her gravely.
"Who can set aside a thoroughly legal marriage?" he asked.
"You will find out the way," said my lady, turning to Mr. Sewell.
"I can easily do that, Lady Lanswell; of course it is for you to decide; but there is no doubt but that the marriage can easily be disputed – you must decide. If you think the girl could be trained and taught to behave herself – perhaps the most simple and honorable plan would be to let the matter stand as it is, and do your best for her."
"Never!" cried my lady, proudly. "I would rather that Cawdor were burned to the ground than to have such a person rule over it. It is useless to waste time and words, the marriage must be set aside."
The lawyer looked from one to the other.
"There can be no difficulty whatever in setting the marriage aside," said Mr. Sewell. "In point of fact, I must tell you what I imagined you would have known perfectly well."
My lady looked at him with redoubled interest.
"What is that?" she asked, quickly.
The earl listened with the greatest attention.
"It is simply this, Lady Lanswell, that the marriage is no marriage; Lord Chandos is under age – he cannot marry without your consent; any marriage that he contracts without your consent is illegal and invalid – no marriage at all – the law does not recognize it."
"Is that the English law?" asked Lady Lanswell.
"Yes, the marriage of a minor, like your son, without the consent of his parents, is no marriage; the law utterly ignores it. The remedy lies, therefore, in your own hands."
Husband and wife looked at each other; it was a desperate chance, a desperate remedy. For one moment each thought of the sanctity of the marriage tie, and all that was involved in the breaking of it. Each thought how terribly their only son must suffer if this law was enforced.
Then my lady's face hardened and the earl knew what was to follow.
"It remains for us, then, Mr. Sewell," she said, "to take the needful steps."
"Yes, you must make an appeal to the High Court, and the marriage will be at once set aside," said Mr. Sewell. "It is a terrible thing for the young wife, though."
"She should have had more sense than to have married my son," cried my lady. "I have pity for my son – none for her."
"I think it would be more fair to tell Lord Chandos what you intend doing," said Mr. Sewell. "Not that he could make either resistance or defense – the law is absolute."
"What will the end be?" asked my lady.
"The marriage will be declared null and void; they will be compelled to separate now; but again he has the remedy in his own hand. If he chooses to remain true and constant to her, the very next day after he becomes of age he can remarry her, and then she becomes his lawful wife; if he forgets her the only remedy for her would be money compensation."
"It shall be the business of my life to see that he does forget her," said my lady.
"You can commence proceedings at once," said Mr. Sewell. "You can file your petition to-morrow."
"It will make the whole matter public," hesitated my lady.
"Yes, that is the one drawback. After all it does not matter," said Mr. Sewell, "many young men make simpletons of themselves in the same way. People do not pay much attention."
Lord Lanswell looked at his wife's handsome, inflexible face.
"It is a desperate thing to do, Lucia," he said, "for Lance loves her very dearly."
"It was a desperate action on his part to marry without consulting us," said my lady.
"He will be of age next June," said the earl, "do you think that he will be true to her?"
"No," said the countess, proudly. "I can safely pledge you my word that he will not."
CHAPTER XII.
"THEY WILL NOT FORGIVE ME."
"Thank Heaven," said the countess, "that the matter can be set straight. If there had been no remedy I should have lost my reason over it. The boy must have been mad or blinded, or very probably drawn into it in some disgraceful fashion or other."
My lady was triumphant, her handsome face lighted with satisfaction, but the earl looked grave. The lawyer had taken his leave, and they still remained to discuss matters. Lord Lanswell did not seem so well pleased; he went up to my lady where she was standing.
"Lucia," he began, "do you think that if we succeed in parting these two we shall do quite right?"
"Right," cried my lady. "I shall think it one of the most virtuous actions of my life."
"Well," said the earl, "I am sorry that I cannot quite agree with you. No doubt this marriage is vexatious enough, but whether it is well to obliterate all traces of it, or rather to do away with it altogether, is quite another thing."
"I am the best judge of what is right in this case," said my lady, haughtily; "I will have no interference. The business part of it must be attended to at once."
"At least you will write to Lance and tell him what you intend doing?"
"Yes, I have no objection to that," she replied; "it can make no possible difference to him."
"He may try to make some compromise," said Lord Lanswell, whose heart smote him as he thought of the passionate, beautiful face.