Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-06-19

he replied, II do not meet such as yo'
on the field of honor, and have no feaI
Of your SANDER injuring me-"
He felt secure in the thought that the
girls did not know who had attacked
them, and could not corroborate Bran
don in his accusations, or Mary, surely
never would have app lied to him fol-
help.
/ was with Brandon-at little dis
lance, that is-when this occurred, and
after Buckingham had left we went to
find the girls in the forest. We knew
they would be looking for us, although
they would pretend surprise when they
saw us. We soon met them, and the
very leaves Of the trees gave a soft,
contented rustic in response to Mary's
low, mellow laugh Of joy.
After perhaps half an hour we en-
countered Buckingham with his law
yer-knight, Johnson. They had evi.
uently walked cut to THIS quiet path to
consult about the situation. AS they
approached, Mary spoke to the duke
with vicious sparkle in her eyes.
Wy A<Olu DuShlAbhdAu, WAS SAoh
cost you your head. Remember my
words when you are on the scaffold,
Just when your neck fits into the hol-
low of the block"
He stopped, with an evident desire to
explain, but Mary pointed down the
path and said: go, or l will have
Master Brandon spit you on his sword
Two to one would be easy odds COM
pared with the four to one you put
against him in Billingsgate. Col" And
the battle was over, the foe never hav-
ing struck a blow. 1t hurt me that
Mary should speak Of the odds being
two to one against Brandon when l
was at hand. 1t is true / was not very
large, but could have taken care Of
lawyer.
Now it was that the lawyer-knight
earned his bread by his wits, for it was
he, | know, who instigated the next
move, a master stroke in its way and
one which proved checkmate to us.
1t was this: The duke went at once to
the king and in tone of injured limo
cence told him of the charge made by
Brandon. with Mary's evident APPROX
al, and demanded redress for the SIAN
der. Thus it seemed that the strength
Of our position was about to be turned
against us. Brandon was at once sum-
moned and promptly appeared before
the king, only too anxious to confront
the duke. As to the confinement OF
Brandon and his secret trial, the king
did not care to hear. That was mat
ter OF no consequence to him. The i'm
portant question was, Did Buckingham
attack the princess?
Brandon told the whole straight story
exactly as 1t was, which Buckingham
rs promptly denied and offered to
prove by his almoner that he was at
his devotions on the night and at the
hour of the attack. So here was con-
flict of evidence which called for new
witnesses and Henry asked Brandon |
II the girls had seen and recognized the
duke. To this question Of course he /
was compelled to answer no. and the 4
whole accusation, after all, rested upon /
Brandon's word, against which, on the /
other hand, was the evidence of the
Duke of Buckingham and his conven-
lent almoner.
All this disclosed to the full poor
Mary's anxiety to help Brandon, and.
he duke having adroitly let out the
TACT that he had Just met the princess
with Brandon at certain secluded
,pot In the forest, Henry's suspicion
If her Partially received new force,
md he began to look upon the unfortu-
late Brandon as a partial cause at
east Of Mary's aversion to the French
Henry grew angry and ordered
Brandon TO leave the court, with the
ullen remark that 1t was only his
ervices TO the Princess Mary that
he pillory.
Henry was by no means sure that
lis suspicious concerning Mary's heart
we're correct, and in all he had heard
le had Eot one substantial fact upon
vhich to base conviction. He had not
cen her with Brandon since thei
vowal, OF he would have had fac
n every look. the truth in every mo
ion, a demonstra ton in every glance
he seemed powerless even TO attempt
In Brandon's handsome
1anliness and evident superiority the
ing thought he saw a very clear pos.
lbility for Mary 10 love, and where
here is such a possibility for a girl
be usually fails TO fulfill expectation
Now, all this brought Brandon into
ne deep shadow of the royal frown,
nd like many another man he sank
is fortune in the fathomless depths Of
woman's heart and thought himself I
oh in doing it.
CHAPTER XIV. 8