The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-06-05

But knowing Ralph to be relation e.
the chancellor, he incidentally, amid
other business, rehearsed the circum-
stances and submitted the matter for
advice.
Ralph's consanguinity did not help
him with the chancellor. Sudbury's
hands were full of the weightiest and
most harassing affairs of state. The
burdens of which We spoke in our open
ing chapters had not lightened as the
months progressed. On the contrary
they had grown heavier and more gall
ing. No advantage had come to the
English cause in France from the death
of Charles the Sage; the towns and the
barons of Brittany leaned more than
before to Paris, and were giving Buck
ingham the cold shoulder. England
had gained nothing by the death OF the
French king; her prime minister only
found himself more and more distracted
bv intrigues and ambitious let loose by
the removal of this great center OF
gravity in the political system. The
new Pope Urban was eager to fight the
anti-Pope Clement before he should
recover from the shock; and in the
general scramble for crowns the wary
Duke of Lancaster saw his opportunity
in CASTLE. Christendom in general
was like huge Donnybrook fair.
There we're grand opportunities Tor
adventure and enterprise in this unset
tied state of things. But none OF the
marcy schemes that were afoot could be
prosecuted without money, and the
English exchequer. for which the UNI
fortunate Sudbury was responsible, was
hardly full enough even for purposes OF
defence.
In such circumstances OF cruel per-
plexity and maddening impotence, to
find poor relation doing what little
lay in his power to add to the great
mans heavy ADVERTISEMENTS was irri-
tating to the last degree. What bust
ness had this wretched meddler to try
to set the people against taxes that
parliament had ordered, and excite
their foolish heads with utterly i'm
practicable alternatives? ReasOna BILE
enough in abstract justice, granted:
but that only made them the more ir-
ritating.
The consanguinity aggravated the
offence. Such things are bad enough
in strangers bound by no ties to see
reason and to help in difficulties.
The chancellor was furious. ct
him remain in prison. he said with
an angry frown, half choking with vex-
alton; "the discipline is much needed. :"
"Sharper discipline" said Burnley,
fixing his eyes significantly on the
chancellor - "sharper discipline, 1T
seems to me, would not be cut of place
if what these men say is true Bur-
lev had earlier in his career held COM
mand among the free companions in
France, and there acquired taste for
summary methods.
The chancellor was angry enough to
believe anything against Ralph and to
approve inwardly of any punishment,
but he conld not openly sanction Bur-
ley's suggestion. at is enough" he
said, "that he remain in prison. The
lesson may be Wholesome.
"But what" persisted Burnley, elf
the king should ask for him, and he
should come back to plague us about
commissions of inquiry and redress"
The chancellor pondered for mo-
ment, and his frown grew darker.
"We can say he has escaped" he said,
at length. "The king will soon forget
all about him
Orders were accordingly sent down
to the sheriff to see that Raj pin was
kept in prison during the kings pleas
ure.