Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-05-01

AFTER n short silence she said: ed
win Caskoden-fool! Why could you
not have told me that at first?
thought my brain would burn and my
heart burst"
Il should have told you had you Civ
en- me time. AS to the pain it gave
you"-this was the last charge to my
large magazine of indignation-"I care
very little about that You deserve it.
l do not know what explanation you
have to offer, but nothing can excuse
you. An explanation, however good,
would have been little comfort to you
had Brandon failed you in Billingsgate
that night
She had fallen into chair by this
time and sat in reverie, staring at moth
ing. Then the tears came again. but
more softly.
You are right; nothing can excuse
me- L am the most selfish, ungrateful,
guilty creature ever born. A whole
month in that dungeon" And she
covered her dropping face with her
hands.
Go away for awhile, Edwin, and
then return. We shall want to see you
again." said Jane.
Upon my return Mary was more
composed. Jane had dressed her hair,
and she was sitting on the bed in her
riding habit, hat in hand. Her fingers
were nervously toying at the ribbons
and her eyes cast down.
you are surely right, Sir Edwin. l
| n I l.,
1 will tell you how it was. You re-
member the day you left me in the
waiting room of the kings council,
when they were discussing my mar
riage without one thought of me, as
II l were but a slave or dumb brute
that could not feelY' She began to
weep little, but soon recovered her
self. ''While waiting for you to re
turn the Duke of Buckingham came in
l knew Henry was trying to sell me to
| the French king. and my heart was
full of trOuble-from more causes than
you can know. All the council espe-
cially that butchers son. were urging
him on, and Henry himself was anx-
ious that the marriage should be
brought about. He thought it would
strengthen him for the imperial crown
He wants everything and is ambitious
to be emperor. Emperor! He would
cut pretty figure! l hoped, though
] should be able to induce him not to
sacrifice me to his selfish interests, as
1 have done before, but l knew only
too well it would tax my powers to the
utmost this time. | knew that if | did
anything to anger or to anita goniZe him
1t would be all at an end with me. You
know he is SO eXacting with other peo-
pies conduct for one who is so careless
of his own-so virtuous by proxy. You
remember how cruelty he disgraced
and crushed poor Lady Chesterfield,
who was in such trouble about her hus-
band and who went to Grouche's only
to learn if he were true to her. Henry
seems to be particularly sensitive in
that direction. One would think it
was in the commandments, Thou shalt
not go to Grouche's.'
"Well, l knew l could do nothing
with Henry if he once learned of that
visit, especially as it resulted so ia
tally. oh, why did l go? Why did l
| go? That was why l hesitated to tell
Henry at once. was hoping some 9th
er way would open whereby I might
save Charles-Master Brandon. While
l was waiting along came the Duke of
Buckingham, and as | knew he was
popular in London and had almost as
much influence there as the king a
thought came to me that he might help
us.
81 knew that he and Master Brandon
had passed a few angry words at one
time in my ballroom-you remember
but also knew that the duke was in
In love with me, you know, or pretend
ed to be-he always said he was-and l
felt sure l could by little flattery in
duce him to do anything. He was al
ways protesting that he would give