Phineas found a moment, before he left Lord Brentford's house, to say
a word to Lady Laura as to the commission that had been given to him.
"It can never be," said Lady Laura, shuddering;--"never, never,
never!"
"You are not angry with me for speaking?"
"Oh, no--not if he told you."
"He made me promise that I would."
"Tell him it cannot be. Tell him that if he has any instruction to
send me as to what he considers to be my duty, I will endeavour to
comply, if that duty can be done apart. I will recognize him so
far, because of my vow. But not even for the sake of my vow, will I
endeavour to live with him. His presence would kill me!"
When Phineas repeated this, or as much of this as he judged to be
necessary, to Mr. Kennedy a day or two afterwards, that gentleman
replied that in such case he would have no alternative but to seek
redress at law. "I have done nothing to my wife," said he, "of
which I need be ashamed. It will be sad, no doubt, to have all our
affairs bandied about in court, and made the subject of comment in
newspapers, but a man must go through that, or worse than that, in
the vindication of his rights, and for the performance of his duty to
his Maker." That very day Mr. Kennedy went to his lawyer, and desired
that steps might be taken for the restitution to him of his conjugal
rights.
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