Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-06-12

lOTSlNc LILY SSii'
She then inquired about Brandon
health and spirits, and I left out n,
distressing detail, you may be sure.
During my recital she sat with down
cast eyes and tear stained face playin,
with the ribbons of her hat.
When I was ready to 60, she said
"Please say to Master Brandon should
like-to-see-him if he cares to come
If only that may tell him how 1t hap
pened."
II greatly fear, in fact, know HI
will not come" said /. "The crueles
blow of all, worse even than the dun
geon or the sentence of death, was
your failure to save him. He trusted
you so implicitly. At the time of his
arrest he refused to allow me to tel
the king, saying he knew you would
see to it-that you were pure gold"
"Ah, did he say that?" she asked, az
n sad little smile lighted her face.
His faith was so entirely without
doubt that his recoil from you is cor
respondingly great. He goes to New
/ Spain as soon as his health is recovered
sufficiently for him to travel"
This sent the last fleck Of color from
her face. and with the words almost
choking her throat, "Then tell him
what have said to you and perhaps
he will not feel so'-
IT cannot do that either, Lady Mary.
When mentioned your name the other
day. he said he would curse me if l ev-
err spoke it again in his hearing"
SIS it so bad as that?' Then, medita-
lively: "And at his trial he did not tell
the reason for the killing? Would not
compromise me, who had served him
so i'll. even to save his own life? Noble,
noble" And her lips went together as
she rose to her feet No tears now;
nothing but glowing, determined wo-
manhood.
"Then l will go to him wherever he
may be. He shall forgive me, no mat
ter what my fault"
Soon after this we We're on our way
to London at brisk gallop.
We We're all very silent, but at one
time Mary spoke up from the midst of
a reverie: During the moment when l
thought Master Brandon had been exc
cute1-when you said it was too late
It seemed that was born again and al
made over; that was cL nged in tn,
very texture of my nature by the
shock, as they say the grain of the iror
cannon is sometimes changed by toe
violent an explosion" And this proved
to be true in some respects.
We rode on rapidly and did not stoI
in London except to give the horses
drink.
After crossing the bridge Mary said
half to Jane and half to herself, Il will
never marry the French king-nevsr.'
Mary was but girl pitted against
body of brutal men, two Of them rulers
Of the two greatest nations on earth
rather heavy odds for one woman.
We rode down to Greenwich and en-
tered the palace without exciting com
ment, as the princess was in the habit
OF coming and going at will.
The king and queen and most Of the
courtiers were in London at Bridewell
House and Baynard's castle, where
Henry was vigorously pushing the
loan Of 100000 crowns for Mary's dow
er, the only business of state in which
at that time he took any active inter
est. Subsequently, as you know, he be-
came interested in the divorce laws
and the various methods whereby a
man, especially king. might rid him
self of a distasteful wife, and after he
saw the truth in Anne Boleyn's eyes he
adopted a combined policy Of church
and state craft that has brought US
deal of senseless trouble ever since and
is like to keep 1t up.
As to Mary's dover. Henry was to
pay Louis only 100000 crowns, but he
made the marriage an excuse for an
extra 100 600 to be devoted to his own
private use.
When we arrived at the palace the
girls went to their apartments and l
to mine. where found Brandon read
ing. There was only one window to
our common room-a dormer window
set into the roof and reached by lit
tie passage as broad as the window It
self and perhaps yard and half
long In the alcove thus formed was
a bench along the wall, cushioned by
this window we often sat and read. and
here was Brandon with his book. l had
intended to tell him the girls were COM
ing, for when Mary asked me II i
thought he would come to her at the
palace. and when l had again said no.
she reiterated her intention of going
to him at once; but my courage failed
me and did not speak Of it.
knew that Mary ought not to come
to our room, and that if news of it
should reach the kings ears there
would be more and worse trouble than
ever, and as usual Brandon would pay
the penalty for all. Then again, if it
were discovered it might seriously COM
promise both Mary and Jane, as the
world is full Of people who would rath- |
er say and believe an evil thing of an
other than to say their prayers or to
believe the holy creed.
/ had said as much to the Lady Mary !
when she expressed her determination I
to go to Brandon. She had been in the !
wrong so much of late that she was
BUNDLED. and l was brave enough to /
say whatever l felt, but she said she /
had thought it all over, and as every +
one was away from Greenwich it /
would not be found out if done Sc
cretly.
She told Jane she need not go; that /
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