Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-05-22
CHAPTER VIII,

CHAPTER VIII.
THE TROUBLE IN BILLINGsGArE WARD.
n 1BOUT a wesk after Brandon
IAJ memorable interview witt
Mary an incident occurre,
28 which changed everything
and came very near terminating his ca
reer in the flower Of youth. 1t alst
brought about situation of affairs
that showed the difference in the quail
ity Of these two persons thrown 81
marvelously together from their fal
distant stations at each end Of the lad
der Of fortune in q 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 bearing upon
what was done and the motives prompt
ing 1t.
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 1t was better for them to remain
apart, but her longing to see Brandon
grew stronger as the prospect Of it
grew less, and she became angry that
it could not be gratified. Jane was
right; an unsa tisfied desire with Mary
was torture Even her sense of the
great distance between them had be-
gun to fade, and when she SO wished
for him and he did not come their posi-
tons seemed to be reversed. At the
end Of the third day she sent for him
to come to her rooms, but he by "a
mighty effort sent back brief note
saying that he could not and ought not
to 60. This, of course, threw Mary into
a great passion, for she judged him by
herself, 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 60 to
him if she could. II did not occur to
her that Brandon knew himself well
enough to be sure he would never 60
to New Spain II 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 hopeless cause and end it all by
placing his head upon the block.
1t required all his strength even now
to hold fast his determination to 60 to
New Spain. He had reached his lin.
it. He had fund Of that most USE
full Of all wisdom, knowledge Of self.
and knew his limitations, little mat
ter concerning which nine men out of
ten go all their lives in blissless ig-
norance.
Mary, who was no more given to self
analysis than her pet linnet, did not
appreciate Brandon's potent reasons
and was in 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: II hate the
lowborn wretch. Oh, to think what
have permitted 1t seemed only too
clear that she had been too quick to !
give, no very comforting thought to
proud girl even though mistaken one.
As the days went by and Brandon |
did not come her anger cooled as usual |
and again her heart began to ache, but |
her sense of injury grew stronger day |
by day and she thought she was be- |
yond a doubt the most Ill used of wo-
men.
The negotiations for Mary's marriage
with old Louis XII. of France were be-
ginning to be an open secret about the
court. The Due de Longueville, who
mad been held by Henry for some time
as a sort of hostage from the French
king, had opened negotiations by in
tanning the Pickering passions of old
Louis with descriptions of Mary's beau
y. AS there was prospect Of a new
emperor soon and as the imperial bee
lad of late been making a most vehe-
nent buzzing in Henry's bonnet, he
De Longueville and thought
t would be a good time to purchase
he help of France at the cost of his
beautiful sister and handsome dover.
Nary of course had not been consulted,
md although she had coaxed her
brother out of other marriage projects
Henry had gone about this as if he
we're in earnest, and it was thought
the court that Mary's coax
ngs would be all in vain-a fear which
he herself had begun to share. not
her usual self confidence.
She hated the thought of the mar
iage and dreaded it as she would death
tself, though she said nothing to any
ne but Jane and was holding her
orces in reserve for a grand attack.
he was preparing the way by being
cry sweet and kind to Henry.
Now, all of this. coming upon the
eels Of her trouble with Brandon,
lade her most wretched indeed. For .
be first time in her life she began to
Eel suffering-that great broadener. in !
act maker, Of human character.
Above all. there was an alarming
ould hardly bring herself to believe
hat Brandon would really 60 to New
pain and that she would actually lose
i'm, although she did not want him as J
et-that is. as a prospective husband. I
flashes Of all sorts of wild schemes :
ad begun to shoot through her anger
nd grief when she stared in the face :
be prospect of her double separation '
ON him, her marriage to another and I
ne countless miles of fathomless sea I
nat would be between them. She could .