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

|
teller
His fame rested on several remarl
able predictions which had been fu
filed to the letter. and really thin
the man had some wonderful powers
They said he was half Jew, half Cyl
~, and, II there Is alchemy in the mi1
ing Of blood. that combination shout
surely produce something peculiar. TIL
city folk were said to have visited hir
in great numbers, and. notwithstand
ing the priests and bishops all con
demned him as an imp of Satan and
follower of witchcraft, many fine pee
pie, including some court ladies, con
tinued to 60 there by stealth in orde
to take a dangerous. inquisitve peel
into the future.
Mary had long wanted to see THU
Grouche, at first out Of mere curiosity
but Henry, who was very moral-witi
other peoples consciences-would mo-
think Of permitting 1t. Two ladies, La
dy Chesterfield and Lady Ormond, boil
good and virtuous women, had been de
tected in such visit and had been dis
graced and expelled from court in the
most cruel manner by order Of the
king himself.
Now. added to Mary's old time desire
to see Grouche, came longing to know
the outcome Of the present momentous
complication Of affairs that touched
her so closely.
Nho co,,Ia ro% matt Pcr Tivno IN unfold
himself and drop his budget Of events
o. he Travelled. but she must plunge
ahead of him and know beforehand the
stores of the fates, an intrusion they
usually resent. l need not tell you
that was Mary's only object in going,
nor that her heart was as pure AZ q
babes. quite as chaste and almost a.
innocent. 1t is equally true that the
large proportion of persons who visited
Grouche made his soothsaying an ex-
cuse. The thought of how wretched
life would be with Louis had put into
Mary's mind the thought Of how sweet
It would be with Brandon. Then came
the wish that Brandon had been .
prince or even 4 great English noble
man. and then leaped up, all rainbow
hued, the hope that he might yet, by
reason Of his own great virtues, rise ia
all Of these and she become his wife.
But at the threshold of this fair castle
came knocking the thought that per.
haps he did not care for her and had
deceived her to gain her favors. Then
she flushed with anger and swore to
herself she hated him and hoped never
to see his face again. And the castle
faded and was waited away to the
realms Of airy nothingness.
All, how people will sometimes lie to
themselves, and sensible people at that!
So Mary wanted to see Grouche. first.
through curiosity, in itself a stronger
motive than we give 1t credit for; sec.
ond, to learn il she would be able to
dissuade Henry from the French mar
rage and perhaps catch a hint how to
do it, and last, but by no means least,
to discover the state Of Brandon's
heart toward her.
BY this time the last named motive
was strong enough to draw her any
whittier, although she would not &C.
it. even to herself, and in
truth hardly knew it, SO full are we of
things we know not Of.
So she determined to 60 to see
Grouche secretly and was confident she
could arrange the visit in such way
that it would never be discovered.
One morning l met Jane, who told
ne with troubled face that she and
Mary were going to London to make
some purchases, would lodge at Bride
we'll House and 60 over to Billings
gate that evening to consult Grouche. /
Mary had taken the within into her
villful head, and Jane could not dis
Iuade her.
The court was all at Greenwich, and |
nobody at Bridewell, SO Mary thought
hey could disguise themselves as
orange girls and easily make the trip |
Without any one being the wiser.
1t was then, as now, no safe matter /
or even a man to go unattended
through the best parts Of London after
lark, to say nothing of Billingsgate,
hat nest Of water rats and cutthroats.
But Mary did not realize the full dan
er of the trip and would, as usual, al
ow nobody to tell her.
She had threatened Jane with all
orts of vengeance If she divulged her
ecret, and Jane was miserable enough
etween her fears on either hand. for
Iary, though the younger. held her in
omplete subsection. Despite her fear
Mary, Jane asked me to 60 to Lon
on and follow them at a distance, I'M
nown to the princess. I was to be on
uty that night at a dance given in
1st arrived, bringing with them COM
lission Of special ambassador to De
to negotiate the treaty of ..
larriage. and 1t was impossible for
lie to go. Mary was going partly to ,
void this ball, and her willful per-
stency made Henry very angry.
.gretted that l could not go, but l ..
romised Jane l would send Brandon ,,
my place, and he would answer the
lrpose Of protection far better than !
suggested that Brandon take with ,
i'm a man, but Jane, who was in :
ortal fear of Mary. would not listen '
it. So it was agreed that Brandon p.
lould meet Jane at a given place and :
arm the particulars, and this plan was
lrried out.
Brandon went up to London and saw
Inc, and before the appointed time ..
d himself behind a hedge near the
'ivate gate through which the girls :
tended to take their departure from