In the first place, I must make it clear to you that your father and mother declined to go before the mayor at the Capitol when they were married, in spite of the regulations which had then been in force a number of years.

They were devout Catholics and the blessing of the Church was enough for them.

According to your father, to go through any form of civil ceremony, before or after the wedding, was equivalent to doubting the validity of the sacrament of marriage.' 'Naturally,' Angela assented, as her aunt paused and looked at her.
'Very naturally.' The Princess's eyes began to glitter oddly, and the lawyer turned his hat uneasily on his knees.

'Very naturally, indeed! Unfortunately for you, however, your father was not merely overlooking a municipal regulation, as he supposed; he was deliberately bidding defiance to the laws of Italy.' 'What do you mean ?' asked Angela rather nervously.
'It is very painful to explain,' answered the elder woman with gleaming eyes and a disagreeable smile.

'The simple truth is that as your father and mother were not civilly married--civilly, you understand--they were not legally married at all, and the law will never admit that they were!' Angela's hand tightened on the arm of the old sofa.
'Not married ?' she cried.