You are a married man – or as good as a married man, and wed to one inferior to you.
– Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre, Chapter 23. Jane says this to Rochester as he takes her into his arms and kisses her. She protests that he is a married man, or as good as, referring to his planned marriage to Blanche Ingram. This is ironic, because Rochester is actually married to Bertha Mason, although Jane doesn’t know of her existence yet.