(To Ken Grubb)
Thank you for your reply and your willingness to help. Regarding the context, let me quotre the paragraph a little more fully:
"In order that the union might begin with speed, and yet be of a nature to terminate with decency, we agreed upon one of those short-hand marriages called by the Turks cabeen : — but, for the purpose of avoiding the obloquy to which nuptials of that sort are liable, notwithstanding their legality, ours were to be kept a secret;"
So we are talking about a form of marriage that is legal (according to the author at least) but nevertheless