The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-05-01
CHAPTER VII.

l@ Mary an incident occurred
(2j which changed everything
and came very near terminating his ca
reer in the flower Of youth 1t also
brought about a situation OF Affairs
that showed the difference in the quail
ity Of these two persons thrown 30
marvelously together from their far
distant stations at each end OF the lad
der OF fortune In a way that reflected
very little credit upon the one from
the upper end But before / tell you
Of that l will relate briefly one or two
other matters that had a bearing upon
what was done and the motives prompt
ing it
To begin with. Brandon had kept
himself entirely away from the prin-
cess ever since the afternoon at the
kings antechamber. The first day or
SO she sighed. but thought little Of his
absence; then she wept and. as usual.
began to grow piqued and irritable.
What was left Of her judgment told
her ii was better for them to remain
apart. but her longing to see Brandon
grew stronger as the prospect Of 1t
grew less. and she became angry that
IT could not be gratified- Jane was
right; an unsatisfied desire with Mary
was torture Even her sense Of the
great distance between them had be-
gun to fade. and when she 50 wished
for him and he did not come their posi-
tions seemed to be reversed At the
end OF the third day she sent for him
to come to her rooms, but he by q
mighty effort sent back o brief note
saying that he could not and ought not
to 90. This. Of course. threw Mary into
a great passion. for she judged him by
herself, a very common but dangerous
method of judgment and thought that
II he felt at all as she did he would
throw prudence to the winds and come
to her. as she knew she would go to
him il she could 1t did not occur to
ner that Brandon knew himself well
enough to be sure he would never go
to New Spain If he allowed another
grain Of temptation to fall into the bal
ance against him, but would remain In
London to love hopelessly. to try to
win a hopeless cause and end 1t all by
placing his head upon the block
1t required all his strength even now
to hold fast his determination to go to
New SPAIN He had reached his linn
it He had a fund of that most use
full of all wisdom, knowledge of self,
rnd knew his limitations. a little mat
ter concerning which nine men out OF
ten go all their lives in blissiess tg-
norance.
Mary, who was no more given to self
analysis than her pet linnet. did moi
appreciate Brandon's potent reasons
and was in a flaming passion when she
received his answer Rage and humili
alton completely smothered for the
time her affection. and she said to her
self over and over again: u hate the
lowborn wretch oh, to think what
have permittedr' 1t seemed only tot
clear that she had been too quick ti
give. no very comforting thought to {
proud girl even though a mistaken one
: As the days went by and Brandol
: did not come her anger cooled as usual
and again her heart began to ache, bu
her sense Of injury grew stronger da,
by day and she thought she was be
yOnu n uOuOl tAc hiooi AZ oSco oA w
: men,
The negotiations for Mary's marriag
with old Louis XII Of France were b<
ginning to be an open secret about th
court The Due de Longueville, VIII
{ had been held by Henry for some tim
as q sort OF hostage from the Frenc
, king. had opened negotiations By II
flaming the Pickering passions OF oil
Louis with descriptions Of Mary's beat
ty. As there was a prospect Of a me-
/, emperor soon and as the imperial be
had of late been making q most yeh'
ment buzzing In Henry's bonnet. b
encouraged De Longueville and though
IT would be q good time to purchas
the help Of France at the cost OF b
beautiful sister and q handsome dove
: Mary Of course had not been consulte'
d and although she had coaxed h'
j. brother out Of other marriage projec
Henry had gone about this as II I
were In earnest. and 1t was thougl
= throughout the court that Mary's Goa
'e ings would be all In yain-a fear whit
she herself had begun to share. nc
withstanding her usual self conhdenc
She hated the thought OF the ma
rage and dreaded 1t as she would dea
n n itself. though she said nothing to al
le one but Jane and WAS holding b
Z forces in reserve for a grand attac
She was preparing the way by bell
very sweet and kind to Henry.
Now, all OF this. coming upon Z
heels Of her trouble with Brandn
made her most wretched indeed +
pt the first time in her life she began
s, feel suffering-that great broadener.
fact maker. of human character
a. Above all. there was an alarmil
sense of uncertainty in everything. )
could hardly bring herself to belle
that Brandon would really go to Ne
Spain and that she would actually 10
him, although she did not want him
OF yet-that is. as a prospective husbaI
10, Flashes of all sorts Of wild schem
had begun to shoot through her ang
and grief when she stared In the ia
q - ~