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'I must, my friend, said the bishop, firmly, 'in order that you may fully understand my position. As you know, my dear wife for I still must call her so came to reside there under her married name of Mrs Krant. She was poor and unhappy, and when I called upon her, as the vicar of the parish, she told me her miserable story.
Why, I was at his wedding, Gabriel, and very pretty your mother looked. She was a Mrs Krant, whose husband had been killed while serving as a volunteer in the Franco-Prussian War! 'Did you ever see her husband? 'No; she did not come to Marylebone until he had left her. The rascal deserted the poor young thing and went abroad to fight. But why do you ask all these questions?
I cannot, I dare not believe it to be true, unless with his own lips he confirms the identity of Krant with Jentham. You wait here until I return, and sleep if you can. 'Sleep! groaned Gabriel. 'Oh, God! shall I ever sleep again? 'My friend, said the little doctor, solemnly, 'you have no right to doubt your father's honour until you hear what he has to say.
Also, as Bosvile, alias Krant, alias Jentham was said to be a gipsy on the authority of Miss Whichello, and as the information that Baltic was in the confidence of Mother Jael had trickled through Brace and Graham to the bishop, the last named considered it advisable that the ex-sailor should be informed of the actual truth.
Still, she may describe Krant again when she comes back, and her listener may be as clever as Gabriel was in putting two and two together, and connecting your wife's first husband with Krant. Should such a thing occur and it might occur your secret would become the common property of this scandalmongering place, and your last condition would be worse than your first.
Now that Jentham, alias Krant, was dead, the secret was known to three people only namely, to the bishop, to himself, and to Gabriel. If none of the three betrayed it and they had the strongest reason for silence no one else would, or could.
Yet that he might have some comfort in his affliction, that one pang might be spared to him, Graham assured him that Mrs Pendle was ignorant of the truth, and related in full the story of how Gabriel had come to connect Jentham with Krant. Pendle listened in silence, and inwardly thanked God that at least so much mercy had been vouchsafed him.
All these things gave colour to Gabriel's supposition that Jentham was Krant returned from the dead; but after all it was a supposition merely, and quite unsupported by fact. 'There is no proof of it, said Graham, hoarsely; 'no proof. 'Ask my father for the proof, murmured Gabriel. 'I dare not!
Therefore, added Dr Pendle, placing the paper on one side, 'Mrs Pendle was not Bosvile's wife on two distinct grounds. Firstly, because his true wife was alive when he married her. Secondly, because he fraudulently made her his wife by giving a false name and description. Regarding my own marriage, it is a good one in law, because Mrs Pendle's false name of Krant was adopted in all innocence.
Gabriel will keep silent; George and Lucy need never know the truth; and so, my dearest, all things at least to the public eye shall be as they were. You need not grieve, Amy, or accuse yourself unjustly. If we have sinned, we have sinned innocently, and the burden of evil cannot be laid on you or me. Stephen Krant is to blame; and he has paid for his wickedness with his life.
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