Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-03-13

DON'T befeUe one qCOrd she says Sir
EdWin."
ing and coy, If you think it a simple,
easy undertaking. l began to fear l
should need another antidote long be-
fore l heard her sweet soul-satisfying
"yes." / do not believe however, l
could have found in the whole world
an antidote to my love for Jane.
In the course of my talk with Bran
don had, as l have said, told him the
story of Mary, with some slight varia-
tons and coloring, or, rather, discolor-
ing, to make it appear a little less to
my discredit than the barefaced truth
would have been. told him also about
expressed confidence in that direc-
ton little felt
1t had been perhaps year since my
adventure with Mary, and had taken
all that time trying to convince Jane
that did not mean a word had said
to her mistress and that l was very
earnest in everything l said to her.
But James ears would have heard just
as much had they been the pair Of
sembled. This troubled me a great
deal, and the best l could hope was
that she held me on probation.
On the evening of the day Mary came
home to Greenwich, Brandon asked:
"Who and what on earth is this won
derful Mary i hear so much about?
They say she is coming home today,
and the court seems to have gone mad
about 1t. hear nothing but Mary
is coming! Mary is coming! Mary!
Nary from morning until night. They
say buckingham is beside himself for
love of her. He has wife at home, if
l am right, and is old enough to be her
father. Is he not?' assented, and
Brandon continued "A man who will
make such a fool Of himself about
woman is woefully weak. The men Of
the court must be poor creatures"
He had much to learn about the
power Of womanhood. There is moth
ing on earth-but you know as much
about 1t as l do.
"Wait until you see her." answered,
"and you will be one of them also.
flatter you by giving you one hour with
her to be heels over head in love. With
an ordinary man it takes One-sixtieth
of that time. So you see l pay a COM
pliment to your strength of mind"
NONSENSE broke in Brandon. do
you think ! left all my wits down in
Suffolk? Why man, she is the sister
of the king and is sought by kings and
emperors | might as well fall in love
with a twinkling star. Then, besides,
my heart is not on my sleeve. You
must think me a fool-a poor, enervat-
ed, simpering fool ke-like-well, like
one Of those mobiles of England. Don't
put me down with them, Caskoden. If
you would remain my friend"
We both laughed at this sort of talk,
which was little in advance of the
time for noble, though an idiot to the
most of England was noble still, God
created and to be adored.
Now, when Mary returned the whole
court rejoiced, and l was anxious for
Brandon to meet her and that they
should become friends. There would
be no trouble in bringing this meeting
about, since, as you know, | was upon
terms of intimate friendship with Ma
~ and was the avowed and, as
thought, at least hoped, all but accept
ed lover of her first lady in waiting and
dearest friend, Lady Jane Bolingbroke.
Brandon, it is true, was not noble, not
even an English knight, while l was
both knighted and noble, but he was
of as old family as England boosted
and near of kin to some of the best
blood of the land. The meeting came
about sooner than expected and was
very near a failure. 1t was on the sec
ond morning after Mary's arrival at
Greenwich. Brandon and l were walk
ing In the palace park when we met
Jane, and ! took the opportunity to
make these, my two best loved friends,
- acquainted.