The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-05-08


| was little frightened at the length
to which my feeling had driven me.
but Mary took it all very well and said
slowly and absentmindedly:
You are right. I will go at once
despise my selfish neglect There is
no other way-I have racked my brain
there is no other way. 1t must be
done. and will go at once and do it,
"And I will go with you," said I.
81 do not blame you." she said. '.for
doubling me since l have failed once.
But you need not doubt me now. 1t
shall be done, and without delay, re-
gardless of the cost to me. / have
thought and thought to find some other
way to liberate him, but there Is none.
l will go this instant"
And will go with you, Lady Ma
ry," said doggedly.
She smiled at my persistency and
took me by the hand. saying. Gomez
We at once went or to find the king.
but the smile had faded from Mary's
face. and she looked as IL she were GO
! ing to execution. Every shade OF color
mad fed, and her lips were the hue OF
ashes
We found the king I'm the midst of
his council. with the French ambassa-
dors. 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? I have almost killed n 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 hour hence"
/ Could a command to duty have come
at a more inopportune time? l was
distracted, and upon leaving the king
! went Mt once to seek the Lady Mary
where I had left her in the anteroom.
She had gone. so l went to her apart
80 l,trt find Il
to the queens salon, but she was not
there. and I 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 l was
to speak of it to nobody. least of all to
the Lady Mary No one was to know
that I 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 served was
my highest duty. and no Caskoden ever
failed I'm that. l may not be as tall as
some men. but my fidelity and honor
but you will say I boast
1 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
could not waste another minute.
l went to my room and got together
q 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.
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 a persistent fear gnawed al
my heart. and n sort Of Intuition that
seemed to have the very breath Of Ger
tainty In its foreboding made me doubt
her.
As I could find neither Mary mol
Jane. I did the next best thing
wrote a letter to each OF them. urging
immediate action and left them to b
delivered by my man Thomas. whs
was one OF those trusty souls that new
er fail. I did not tell the girls I wa,
about to start for France. but intimat
ed that was compelled to leave Lon
don for a time and said. II leave th'
fate OF this man. to whom we all ow'
so much. in your hands. knowing full
well how tender you will be OF him."
was away from home nearly .
month. and as I dared not write. an
even Jane did not know where | was
i did not receive nor expect any let
tiers. The king had ordered secrecy
and II I have mingled with all m.
faults single virtue II is that o
faithfulness TO my trust. So had n
news from England and sent non
home.
During all that time the same oil
fear lived in my heart that Mar.
might fail to liberate Brandon. Sh
knew OF the negotiations concerning
the French marriage. as we all did. a
though only by an indefinite sort o
hearsay. and ] was sure the half found
cd rumors that had reached her ear
4 had long since become certainties an
that her heart was full OF trouble an
, fear of her violent brother. She woul
I certainly be at her coaxing and whet
4 ding again and on her best behavior
. and I feared she might refrain fror
a telling Henry of her trip to Grouche's
, knowing how severe he was in sue
I matters and how furious he was sur
: TO become at the discovery. ! was Gel
= tain it was this fear which had pre-
Z. vented Mary from going directly {
: the king on our return to Greenwic
I from Scotland palace. and | knew tina
I her eating. bathing and dressing wer
). but an excuse for breathing spell b.
fore the dreaded interview.