The San Francisco call., 1903-01-25

''Do you know what you refuse?" he
asked in a temper. II offer to make you
greatest subjects on earth-and are you
such fool as to refuse a gift like that'
and man like me for husband
THAT l am, your Majesty, and with
good grace. L am Queen of France with
out your help and care not so much as
one penny for the honor. 1t is greater
to be Princess of England. AS foT ,d TINS s
to suggest that you have a good, true
wife to whom you would do well to give
1t all. To me. it is nothing, even were
you a thousand times the King you are
My heart is anothers, and have my
brothers permission to marry him.
"Another's? Gods soul! Tell me who
this fellow is that 1 may split him on
my sword
mo! no! you would not; even were you
as valiant and grand as you think your
self, YOU would be but a child In his
hands"
Francis was furious. and had Mary's
apartments guarded to prevent her es-
cape swearing he would have his way.
AS soon a. Brandon arrived in Paris we
took private lodgings, and well 1t was
that we did. l at once went out to re-
a prisoner in the old Palace des Tour
nelles. With the help of Queen Claude
! secretly obtained an interview, and
learned the true state of affairs.
Had Brandon been recognized and his
mission known in Paris he would certain
ly have been assassinated by order OF
When 1 saw the whole situation, with
Mary nothing less than a prisoner In the
palace, l was ready to give up without
struggle, but not SO Mary. Her brain was
worth having, so fertile was 1t in expe-
dients, and while 1 was ready to despair
she was only getting herself in good fight
ing order.
After Mary's refusal of Francis and
after he had learned that the sacrifice
of Claude would not help him, he grew
desperate and determined to keep the
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by any means. So he hit upon the scheme
of marrying her to his weak-minded cous-
in, the Count Of Savoy. To that end he
sent a hurried embassy to Henry VIII, Of
fering. in case of the Savoy marriage, to
pay back Mary's dover of four hundred
thousand crowns. He offered to help
Henry in the matter Of the imperial crown
in case of Maximiian's death-a help
much greater than any King Louis could
have given He also offered to confirm
Henry in all his French possessions and
TO relinquish all claims of his own thereto
all the price of one 1s-year-old girl.
Do you wonder she had an exalted esti-
mate of her own value?
AS to Henry, 1t OF course need not De
said that half the price offered would
have bought him to break an n oath made
be0h be had msde to- eS broken IN
before 1t was given. stood not for one
instant in the way Of the French King
begotten of greed, was as hasty In send
ing an embassy to accept the offer as
Francis had been to make it. 1t mat
tered not to him what new torture he
put upon his sister, the price, / believe,
was sufficient to have induced him to cut
off her head with his own hands.
If Francis and Henry were quick In
their movements, Mary was quicker. Her
plan was made in the twinkling of an
eye. Immediately upon seeing me at the
palace she sent for Queen Claude. with
told her all she knew She did not know
of the scheme for the Savoy marriage,
though Queen Claude did, and fully ex-
planned IT to Mary. Naturally enough,
far away from France and her husband
as possible, and was only to willing to
lend helping hand to our purpose, or
Marys rather, for she was the leader.
We quickly agreed among ourselves that
Mary and Queen Claude should within
an hour go out in Claude's new coach for
Brandon and l were to go to the same
little chapel in which Jane and had been
married. where Mary said the little priest
could administer the sacrament Of mar
riage and perform the ceremony as well
as If he were thrice as large.
1 hurriedly found Brandon and repaired
to the little chapel, where we waited for
a very long time. we thought. At last
the two Queens entered as II to make
their devotions.. AS soon as Brandon and
Mary caught sight of each other Queen
Claude and / began to examine the
shrines and decipher the Latin inscrip-
tons If these two had not married soon
..
/ was compelled at length to remind them
that time was very precious just at that
1uncture. whereupon Mary. who was half
laughing. half crying, lifted her hands to
wealth down over her shoulders. When
Brandon saw this he fell upon his knee
and kissed the hem OF her gown. and she,
and placed her hand in his
Thus Mary was married to the man to
save whose life she had four months be-
fore married the French King.
She and Queen Claude had forgotten
nothing, and all arrangements were COM
pleted for the flight. A messenger had
been dispatched two hours before with
should be waiting at Dieppe, ready to
sail Immediately upon our arrival.
After the ceremony Claude quickly
bound up Mary's hair, and the Queens
departed from the chapel in their coach.
We soon followed, meeting them again
best Of horses and four sturdy men % await lit
ing us. The messenger to Dieppe who
had preceded US would arrange for re-
Iags; ana no as h Mary Secotdirg % t to her wont f
taken the opportunity to become thor
oughly frightened, no time was lost. We
made these forty leagues in less than
ing, having paused only for a short rest
at little town near Rouen, which city
we carefully passed around.
We had little fear of being overtaken
at the rate we were riding. but Mary said
she supposed the wind would die down
for a month Immediately upon our ar
rival at Dieppe. Fortunately no one pur-
sued us. thanks to Queen Claude, who
had spread the report that Mary was fl.
and fortunately also, much to Mary's sur
prise and delight, when we arrived at
Dieppe as fair wind as q sailors heart
could wish was blowing right up the
relays-horses. ship and wind
When the very wind blows for our es-
pecial use we may surely dismiss fear"
said Mary, laughing and clapping her
hands, but nearly ready for tears, not
withstanding.
The ship was a fne new one, well fitted
to breast any sea, and learning this We
at once agreed that upon landing In Eng
land Mary and I should go to London
and win over the King II possible. We
felt some confidence In being able to do
this, as we counted upon Wolsey's help,
but In case Of failure we still had our
plans. Brandon was to take the ship to
q certain island OF the Suffolk coast and
there await us the period of a year il
need be. as Mary might. in case Of
Henry's obstinacy, be detained; then re-
victual and reman the ship and out
through the North Sea for their former
Sr1Qf In