The San Francisco call., 1903-01-18
CHAPTER XIII.
A GIRLS CONSENT.


A GIRLS CONSENT
The treaty had been agreed upon, and
as TO the international arrangement at
least the marriage of Louis de Valois and
Mary Tudor was settled fact. All 1t
needed was thel consent of an E-year-old
girl-a small matter. Of course, as mar
riageable women are but commodities in
statecraft and theoretically at least ac-
quiesce in everything their liege lords or
dain. Lady Mary's consent had been but
theoretical but it was looked upon by
every one as amounting 10 an actual, vo-
ciferated. sonorouS yes; that is to say,
by every one but the Princess, who had
no more notion Of saying yes than she
had of reciting the Sanscrt vocabulary
from the pillory of Smithfield.
Wolsey, whose manner was smooth as
otter's coat had been sent to fetch the
needed yes: but he failed.
Jane told me about IL.
Wolsey had gone privately to see the
Princess, and had thrown out sort OF
skirmish line by f1attering her beauty, but
had found her not in the best humor.
Yes. yes. my lord of Lincoln, l know
how beautiful am: no one knows bet
ter. l know all about my hair. eyes, teeth.
eyebrows and skin. ] tell you / am sick
of them. Don't talk to me about them;
it won't help you TO get my consent to
what you have come for, of course.
have been expecting you; why did not
my brother conner"
"I think he was afraid; and to tell you
the truth / was afraid myself" answered
Wolsey with smile. This made Mary
smile, too, in spite of herself. and went
a long way toward putting her in good
humor. Wolsey continued: His Majesty
could not have given me more disagree
able task. You doubtless think L am in
favor Of this marriage, but am not"
This was as great a lie as ever fell
whole out of Bishops mouth. II have
been obliged to fall in with the Kings
views on the matter. for he has had his
mind set on 1t from the first mention by
na I n
"Was it that bead-eyed little mummy
who suggested it?"
Yes, and if you marry the King OF
France you can repay him with usury.
"'Tis an inducement, by my troth."
''I do not mind saying to you in conf
dence that think 1t an outrage to force
girl like you to marry man like Louis
of France, but how are we to avoid itY
BY the I'VE" Wolsey put himself in al
lance with Mary. and the move was GER
tainly adroit.
How are we to avoid it? Have no fear
of that my Lord: will show you"
"Oh! but my dear Princess, permit me;
you do not seem to know your brother.
You cannot in any way avoid this mar
riage. ! believe he will imprison you and
put you on bread and water to force your
consent. l am sure you had better do
willingly that which you will eventually
be compelled to do anyway; and besides.
there Is another thought that has come
to me; shall | speak plainly before Lady
Bolingbroke?"
IT have no secrets from her"
Very well; 1T is this: Louis is old and
very feeble; he cannot live long, and 1t
may be that you can, by a ready consent
now, exact a promise from your brother to
allow you your own choice in the event
of second marriage. You might in that
way purchase what you could not bring
about in any other way"
How do you know that l want to pur-
chase aught in any way. Master Wolsey?
/ most certainly do not intend TO do so
by marrying France"
'T do not know that you wish to pur-
chase anything, but a -woman's heart is
not always under her full control, and 1t
sometimes goes out to one very far be-
meath her in station, but the equal OF
any man on earth in grandeur of soul
that there Is such man whom any wom-
an would be amply justified in purchas-
ing at any sacrhce-doubly SO If 1t were
buying happiness for two.
His meaning was too plain even to pre-
tend to misunderstand, and Mary's eyes
flashed at him. as her face broke into
dimpling smile in spite of her
clinch the victory said. in his forceful
manner: Louis XII viii not live a year;
let me carry to the King your consent.
and I guarantee you his promise to
second marriage.
In an instant Mary'a eyes shot fire. and
her face was like the blacklist storm
cloud
Garry this to the King-that will see
him and the whole kingdom sunk in hell
before l will marry Louis Of France. That
is my dst. answer 1S6,s 9ncs and for all all Good
out of the room with head up and dilat-
ing nostrils; the very picture of defiance.
st. George! She must have looked su-
whom anges and disdain and the other
passions which we call ungentle seemed
to illumine-they were so strong In her.
eep emotion bn ae 9 eP beSet
and brought II out, as the light within
church brings out the exquisite figuring
on the windows.
Mary; Don't you think It would have
been better had you sent softer answer
to your brother7, I believe you could
this % matter "a as you did in mt the others "
Perhaps you are right. Jane. I win
Mary waited until she knew the King
was alone, and then went to him.
On entering the room, she said: Broth
er, / sent q hasty message to you by
the Bishop OF Lincoln this morning, and
have come to ask your forgiveness"
Ah. little sister; l thought you would
change your mind. Now you are a good
girl"
your forgiveness for the message. AS to
kill me, and that could not bear It.
Obi brother. you are not a woman-you
sion. and with oaths and curses ordered
her to leave him unless she was ready to
give her consent. She had but two courses
to take, SO she left with her heart full
Of hatred for the most brutal wretch who
ever sat upon throne-and that is MAX
ing an extreme case. AS she was going
she turned upon him like fury, and ex-
claimed:
Never neveri Do you hear? sNeverl'
Preparations went on for the marriage
Just as If Mary had given her solemn
consent. The important work Of provd-
ing the trousseau began at once, and the
more imr=tant matter of securing the
loan from the London merchants was
pushed along rapidly. The good citizens
might cling affectionately to their angels,
double angels: crowns and pounds. ster-
ig DaI nd te IN nstfinp og tbs meiq 1ova
hand upon the plebean head worked the
charm, and out came the yellow gold.
never to be seen again, God wot. Under
the stimulus of the royal smile they were
ready to shout themselves hoarse and to