first impressions, his own included. His object, thus far, had been
to solve the problem of Geoffrey's true position and Geoffrey's real
motive. He had set the snare accordingly, and had caught his bird.

It was now plain to his mind--first, that this man who was consulting
him, was, in all probability, really speaking of the case of another
person: secondly, that he had an interest (of what nature it was
impossible yet to say) in satisfying his own mind that "his friend" was,
by the law of Scotland, indisputably a married man. Having penetrated
to that extent the secret which Geoffrey was concealing from him,
he abandoned the hope of making any further advance at that present
sitting. The next question to clear up in the investigation, was the
question of who the anonymous "lady" might be. And the next discovery
to make was, whether "the lady" could, or could not, be identified with
Anne Silvester. Pending the inevitable delay in reaching that result,
the straight course was (in Sir Patrick's present state of uncertainty)
the only course to follow in laying down the law. He at once took the
question of the marriage in hand--with no concealment whatever, as to
the legal bearings of it, from the client who was consulting him.

"Don't rush to conclusions, Mr. Delamayn," he said. "I have only told
you what my general experience is thus far. My professional opinion on
the special case of your friend has not been given yet."

Geoffrey's face clouded again. Sir Patrick carefully noted the new
change in it.

"The law of Scotland," he went on, "so far as it relates to Irregular
Marriages, is an outrage on common decency and common-sense. If you
think my language in thus describing it too strong--I can refer you