The San Francisco call., 1903-01-18

too. excepting Jane She. poor thing. can
not leave"
parenthetcany. Mary continued: You.
too have been home an entire week and
have not been near me-.
began TO soften at the sight OF her
grief, and concluded, with Brandon, that
after all her beauty could well cover a
multitude OF sins perhaps even this, her
great transeression against him.
The Princess was trying TO check her
weeping. and in moment took up the
thread OF neT unfinished sentence: "And
Master Brandon too. left without SO
much as sending me one little word-not y
me. but went of as il / did not care-or
he did not. OF course he did not care
or he would not have behaved so, know
see him at all after-One afternoon in the
King's-about week before that awful
night in London. except that night. when
0rd Of So ali @ Rags d R9i fPeen p '
That sounded strange enough. and l be-
gan more than ever 10 suspect something
wrong. J. however. kept as firm grasp
as possible upon the stock OF indignation
! had brought with me
How dad you expect TO see or hear
from him." asked l. when he was lying
i'm a loathsome dungeon without one ray
Of light. condemned to be hanged. drawn
and CHARTERED, because OF your selnSn
neglect 10 save him VINO. at the cost OF
half his blood, and almost his life. had
saved so much for your
Her eyes grew big and the tears were
checked by genuine surprise o,,,a
have made me believe that you would
stand back and let the man. TO whom you
owed 50 great debt. lie so long In sue n
for the act that saved you. l could never
have believed it,
Imp of helli" screamed Mary; what
tale is this YOU bring 70 torture me? Have
lie. or ] will have your miserable little
tongue torn out by the root
1t IS no lie, Princess, but an awful
truth and frightful shame to you
] was determined To tell her all and let
her see herself as she was.
She gave a hysterical laugh, and throw
ing up her hands. with her accustomed
little gesture fell upon the bed in utter
abandonment shaking as with a spasm.
She did not weep; she could not; she was
past that now. Jane went over TO the
bed and tried TO soothe her
In a moment Mary spraug to her feet,
eXClaiming: Master Brandon condemned
10 death and you and here talking and
moaning and weeping? Come. come, we
viii so to the King at once. We will
start TO walk. Edwin-I must be doing
something-and Jane can follow with the
horses and overtake us. No; will not
dress; just 1 am; this will do. Bring
me & hat. Jane; any one, any one" While
putting on hat and gloves she continued
Il will see the King at once and tell him
ALI ALL ! will do anything; will marry
or forty devils; it's all one to me; any
thing! anything! to save him. OH TO
think that he has been in that dungeon
al this time" And the tears came un-
needed in a deluge.
She was under such headway and spoke
and moved so rapidly that ! could not
stop her until she was nearly ready to
60. Then I held her by the arm while 1
1T is not necessary now; you are too
late"
A look Of horror came into her face,
and I continued slowly: Il procured
Brandon's release nearly week ago; 1
did what you should have done, and he
is now at our rooms in Greenwich"
Mary looked at me a moment and, turn
ing pale, pressed her hands to her heart
and leaned against the door frame.
Caskoden-fooll Why could you not have
told me that at first? l thought my brain
would burn and my heart burst.
Il should have told you had you given
this was the last charge of my large mag
azine OF indignatiOn-"I care very little
about that. You deserve it. I do not
know what explanation you have to Of
fer, but nothing can excuse you. An eX-
PLANTATION, however good, would have been
little comfort to you had Brandon failed
you in Billingsgate that night"
She had fallen into a chair by this time
and sat in reverie, staring at nothing.
Then the tears came again, but more
softly.
e.
! 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 while, Edwin, and then
return; we shall want to see you again,
said Jane.
Upon my return Mary was more COM
posed. Jane had dressed her hair and
She was sitting on the bed in her riding
habit. hat in hand. Her fingers were
nervously towing at the ribbons and her
eyes cast down.
You are surely right, Sir Edwin. l
have no excuse / can have none: but
] viii tell you how it was. You remem-
Der the day you left me in the waiting
room Of the Kings cOuncil?-when they
were discussing my marriage without one
thought Of me. as If 1 were but a slave
or a dumb brute that could not feel. -
She began to weep a little, but soon re-
covered herself. while waiting for you
TO return the Duke of Buckingham came
In 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, especially that
butchers son. were urging him on and
Henry himself was anxious that the mar
rage should be brought about. He
thought II would strengthen him for the
imperial crown. He wants everything
and is ambitious TO be Emperor En-
perorl He would cut a pretty figure! |
hoped, though / should be able 10 in
duce him not TO sacrifice me to his selfish
=.
knew only too well it would tax my pow
ers to the utmost this time. l knew that
II did anything to anger or antagonize
him It would be all at an end with me-
You know he is exacting with other
people conduct, for one who is so care
less OF his own-so virtuous by proxy
You remember how cruelty he dsgraced
and crushed poor Lady Chesterfield. who
was in such trouble about her husband
and who went to Grouches only to learn
if he were true to her Henry seems to
be particularly sensitive in that direction.
One would think 1t was in the command
ments: Thou shalt not go TO Grouche g.
II may be that some have gone there for
other purposes than to have their fortunes
told-to meet, to-but need not say thai
L and she stopped short blushing to
her hair.
well, I knew I could do nothing with
Henry IL he once learned of that visit
especially IT resulted so fatally. Oh,
why did / go2 Why did go? That was
why / hesitated to tell Henry at once
/ Was hoping some other way. would oper
whereby L might save Charles-MasteI
Brandon. While 1 was waiting along
came the Duke Of Buckingham. and as
knew he was popular in London and hao
almost as much influence there as tho
King, a thought came to me that he
might help US
Il knew that he and Master Brandon
had passed a few angry words at one
time In my ba1lroonl-you remember-bui
] also knew that the Duke was in-ir
love with me, you know, or pretended tC
be-he always said he was-and l fell
sure could. by a little flattery. induce