"Why
Aunt! Of course. Two of them. Before and after. But I might have
known you would hardly need them. If you had only arrived a few days
sooner, you might have been present at the ceremony."
"Ceremony? There was a ceremony?"
"My dear Aunt!"
"The Church service?"
"My dear Aunt!"
"In a church?"
"Not exactly a church. You see it was rather late in the evening.
The care-taker had gone to bed. In fact we had to get the Rector out
of his."
"Bern's!"
"He didn't mind. Said he'd sleep all the better for it. And he wore
his gown--over his pyjamas--very effective."
"Had the man no conscientious scruples?" sternly.
"Scruples--against pyjamas?"
"Against mixed marriages."
"I don't know. I didn't ask him. We weren't discussing the ethics of
mixed marriage."
"Don't pretend to misunderstand me, Benis. For a man who has married
an Indian, your levity is disgraceful."
"How ridiculous, Aunt! If you will listen to an explanation--"
"I need no explanation," Aunt Caroline, once more mistress of
herself rose majestically. "I hope I know an Indian when I see one.
I am not blind, I believe. But as there seems to be no question as
to the marriage, I have nothing further to say. Another woman in my
place might feel justified in voicing a just resentment, but I have
made it a rule to expect nothing from any relative, especially if
that relative be, even partially, a Spence. When my poor, dear
sister married your father I told her what she was doing.
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