The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-05-14

doris, discussing the all absorbing topic
of the marriage treaty, and Henry,
fearing an outbreak, refused to see
the princess. AS usual, opposition but
| spurred her determination, so she sat
down in the anteroom and said she
would not stir until she had seen the
king.
After we had waited a few minutes
one of the kings pages came up and
said he had been looking all over the
palace for me and that the king desired
my presence Immediately. I went in
with the page to the king, leaving
Mary alone and very melancholy in
the antechamber.
Upon entering the kings presence he
asked: "Where have you been, Sir Ed
win? have almost killed a good half
dozen pages hunting you. l want you
to prepare Immediately to go to Paris
with an embassy to his majesty King
Louis. You will be the interpreter
The ambassador you need not know.
Make ready at once. The embassy
| will leave London from the Tabard inn
one uOur hence.
Could command to duty have come
at a more inopportune time? l was
distracted, and upon leaving the king
went at once to seek the Lady Mary
where had left her in the anteroom.
She had gone, so l went to her apart
ments, but could not find her. went
to the queens salon, but she was not
there, and l traversed that old ram
bling palace from one end to the other
without finding her or Lady Jane
The king had told me the embassy
would be a secret one and that I was
to speak of it to nobody, least of all to
the Lady Mary. No one was to know
that was leaving England, and was
to communicate with no one at home
while in France.
The kings command was not to be
disobeyed. To do so would be as much
as my life was worth; but, besides that
the command of the king 1 served was
my highest duty, and no Caskoden ever
failed in that. may not be as tall as
some men, but my fidelity and honor
but you will say boast.
was to make ready my bundle and
ride six miles to London in one hour,
and almost half that time was spent
already. l was sure to be late, SO l
could not waste another minute
went to my room and got together
few things necessary for my journey,
but did not take much in the way of
clothing, preferring to buy that new
in Paris, where I could find the latest
styles in pattern and fabric.
I tried to assure myself that Mary
would see the king at once and tell him
all and not allow my dear friend Bran
don to lie in that terrible place another
night, yet persistent fear gnawed at
my heart, and sort of intuition that
seemed to have the very breath Of GER
tainty in its foreboding made me doubt
her
AS l could find neither Mary nor
Jane, I did the next best thing-1
wrote letter to each of them, urging
Immediate action and left them to be
delivered by my man Thomas, who
was one of those trusty souls that nev-
er fail. l did not tell the girls l was
about to start for France, but intimat-
ed that was compelled to leave Lon
don for time and said, II leave the
fate of this man, to whom we all owe
so much, in your hands, knowing full
we'll how tender you will be of him."
was away from home nearly a
month, and as dared not write, and
even Jane did not know where l was.
I did not receive nor expect any let
tiers. The king had ordered secrecy,
and if I have mingled with all my
faults a single virtue it is that of
| faithfulness to my trust. So had no
| news from England and sent none
| home.
| During all that time the same old
fear lived in my heart that Mary
might fail to liberate Brandon. She
knew of the negotiations concerning
the French marriage, as we all did, al
though only by an indefinite sort of
hearsay, and 1 was sure the half found
ed rumors that had reached her ears
had long since become certainties and
that her heart was full of trouble and
fear of her violent brother. She would
certainly be at her coaxing and whee-
ding again and on her best behavior,
and feared she might refrain from
telling Henry of her trip to Grouche's,
knowing how severe he was in such
matters and how furious he was sure
to become at the discovery. Iwas GER
tain it was this fear which had pre-
vented Mary from going directly to
the king on our return to Greenwich
from Scotland palace, and l knew that
her eating, bathing and dressing were
but an excuse for breathing spell be-
Tore the dreaded interview.
This fear remained with me all the
time was away, but when 1 reasoned
with myself would smother it as we'll
as could with argumentative attempts
at self assurance. l would say over
and over to myself that Mary could
not fail and that even if she did there
was Jane-dear, sweet, thoughtful, un-
selfish Jane!-who would not allow her
| to do So But as far as thov on orr