Lady Lanswell moved her hand with a gesture of superb pride. "Nay, do not continue the subject. If the girl was not actually a dairy-maid, in all probability she was not far removed from it. I have no wish to discuss the question. You have stained the hitherto stainless name of your family by the wretched mistake you call a marriage." "I do not _call_ it a marriage; it _is_ one," he said. And then my lady's face grew even paler. "It is not one. I thank Heaven that the law of the land is just and good; that it very properly refuses to recognize the so-called marriage of a hot-headed boy. You have ignored our letters on the subject, you have laughed at all threats, treated with disdain all advice; now you will find your level. The judicial decree has been pronounced; the marriage you have talked of with such bravado is no marriage; the woman you have insulted me by mentioning is not your wife." She neither trembled nor faltered when he turned to her with a white, set face. "Pardon me; I must speak plainly; that which you have said is a lie!" "You forget yourself, Lord Chandos," she said, with cold dignity. "You force me to use words I do not like, mother," he cried "Why do you irritate me--why say those things?" "They are perfectly true; here on the table lie the papers relative to the suit; the judicial opinion has been pronounced; our petition is granted, and your marriage, as you choose to call it, is set aside, is pronounced illegal, null, void!" The fierce, white anger of his face startled her. "It shall not be!" he cried. "It must be," she repeated; "you cannot prevent it. You must have been singularly devoid of penetration and knowledge not to know from the first that it must be decided against you; that no minor can marry without the consent of his parents. A wise law it is, too; there would soon be an end of the aristocracy of England if every hot-headed, foolish boy of nineteen could marry without the consent of his parents or guardian." If his antagonist had been a man, there would have been hot, angry words, perhaps blows; as it was, to a lady, and that lady his mother, he could say nothing. He sunk back with a white face and clinched hands; his mother resolutely stifled all pity, and went on, in her clear voice: "The law has decided for us against you; you know now the truth. If you have any respect for that unfortunate girl, you will not see her again; she is not your wife, she is not married to you. I need not speak more plainly; you know what relationship she will hold to you if you do not leave her at once." The handsome face had in these five minutes grown quite haggard and worn. "My God!" he cried; "I refuse to believe it, I refuse to believe one word of it!" With her clear, pitiless voice, she went on telling him what would happen. "You have one resource," she said, "and I tell you quite honestly about it; when you are of age you can remarry this person if you wish."