The landlady
won't receive you."
It was a well-aimed objection--but it missed the mark. A woman bent on
her marriage is a woman who can meet the objections of the whole world,
single-handed, and refute them all.
"I have provided for every thing," she said, "and I have provided for
that. I shall tell the landlady I am on my wedding-trip. I shall say
my husband is sight-seeing, on foot, among the mountains in the
neighborhood--"
"She is sure to believe that!" said Geoffrey.
"She is sure to _dis_believe it, if you like. Let her! You have only
to appear, and to ask for your wife--and there is my story proved to be
true! She may be the most suspicious woman living, as long as I am alone
with her. The moment you join me, you set her suspicions at rest. Leave
me to do my part. My part is the hard one. Will you do yours?"
It was impossible to say No: she had fairly cut the ground from under
his feet. He shifted his ground. Any thing rather than say Yes!
"I suppose _you_ know how we are to be married?" he asked. "All I can
say is--_I_ don't."
"You do!" she retorted. "You know that we are in Scotland. You know that
there are neither forms, ceremonies, nor delays in marriage, here.
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