Some time before the 1st of November the family of Mary had heard of the ceremony at Putney, for on Jeremiah’s arrival, in lover-like compliance with her urgent message, he was informed of the situation.  After a hurried council of war, and under legal advice, the following letter was drafted and forwarded to Roswell by the hands of Judge Bikens, the family lawyer: 

  To Mr. Roswell Field: 

Sir:  Moments of deep consideration and much reflection have at length caused me to see in its proper light the whole of my late visit to Brattleboro.  That I have been led by you and others to a course of conduct which my own feelings, reason, and sense entirely disapprove, is now very clear to me.  I therefore write this to inform you that I am not willing on any account to see you again.  Neither will I by any course you can adopt be prevailed upon to view the matter in a different light from what I now do.  I leave you the alternative of forever preventing the public avowal of a disgraceful transaction, of which you yourself said you were ashamed.

  Mary A.

This veiled repudiation of the marriage at Putney was placed in Roswell’s hands by Judge Bikens and was instantly “pronounced an impudent forgery.”  Being in the dark as to how far Mary’s family had been informed of their marriage, Roswell avoided any expression that might reveal it to Judge Bikens, and refused to accept the letter as a true expression of his wife’s feelings and wishes.  He at once wrote to her, urging that their marriage should be made public and that thus an end should be put to the suit of Jeremiah.  To this Mary made reply that the above letter “contained her real sentiments.”  Before this note reached Fayetteville Roswell had started for Windsor.  On the way he halted his horse at Putney, where he learned that Mary’s family was fully informed of the marriage as performed by Justice Asa.

A very embarrassing interview followed between Roswell and the family of his recalcitrant bride.  On entering the room he advanced to Mary, and, extending his hand, “asked her how she did.”  But she looked at her mother and rejected his hand.  A similar advance to Mrs. Susanna met with a like rebuff.  Being considerately left alone in the room with Mary Almira by her mother and brother, who, with a sister, stood at the door listening, Roswell had what he was not disposed to regard as a private audience with his legal wife.  In answer to his natural inquiry as to what it all meant, Mary said that since she had come home and thought it all over she found that she did love Jeremiah; that Jeremiah had been very kind to her, and she thought she ought to marry Jeremiah.

Roswell inquired how she could do that, as she was already married.

“Why,” said the fickle Mary, “you can give up the certificate; let it all go and nobody will know anything about it.”  After some natural remonstrances, Mary continued:  “Come, now, you’ve got the certificate in your pocket, and you can give it up just as well as not and let me marry Jeremiah,” at the same time holding out her hand as if for the document.