The San Francisco call., 1903-01-25
CHAPTER XXI.
LETTERS FROM A QUEEN.

doWn IN SUFFOLK with her uncle, Lord Boil
ingbroke. having determined never to per-
nit her to come within sight of King
Henry again, If 1 could prevent It, 1
then went up to London with the twofold
purpose of seeing Brandon and reslgning
my place as master of the dance.
When l presented myself to the King
and told him Of my marriage, he flew into
great passion because we had not asked
his consent. One OF his whims was thai
every one must ask his permission to do
anything; to eat, or sleep, or say ones
prayers; especially to marry: II the lady
was Of degree entitled to be a King s
ward. Jane. fortunately, had no estate.
the Kings father having stolen 1t from
her when she was an infant so all the
King could do about our marriage was to
grumble, which let him do to his hearts s
content
Il wish also to thank your Majesty for
the thousand kindnesses you have shown
me-" / said, land, although 1t grieves me
to the heart to separate from you, cir
cumstances compel me to tender my resig-
nation as your master of dance" Upon
this he was kind enough to express re-
gret, and ask me to reconsider; but
stood my ground firmly, and then and
there ended my official relations with
Henry Tudor forever
CROH ldhlilB my lGdN6 Oh Lu0 hlnB
sought for Brandon, whom I found COM
fortably ensconced in our old quarters. he
preferring them to much more pretentious
apartments offered him in another part of
the palace. The King had given him some
new furnishings for them. and as l was to
remain a few days to attend to some mat
ters of business, he invited me to share
his comfort with him, and I gladly did So
Those few days with Brandon were my
farewell to individuality. Thereafter
was to be so mysteriously intermingled
with Jane that 1 was only a part-and a
small part at that fear-of two. 1 did
not, of course. regret the change, since
1t was the one thing in life most longed
for, yet the period was tinged with a
faint sentiment of pathos at parting from
the old life that had been so kind to me-
andN which 1 was leaving forever. L say
] did not regret It. and though 1 was
leaving my old haunts and companions
and friends so dear to me, was finding
them all again in Jane, who was friend as
well as wife.
Mary's letter was in one Of the boxes
which had been delayed. and Jane was to
forward 1T TO me when 1t should come.
When l told Brandon of II. / dwelt with
emphasis upon its bulk, and he. OF course
was delighted, and impatient to have It,
I had put the letter in the box. but there
was something else which Mary had sent
to him that had carried with me. 1t was
a sum of money sufficient to pay the debt
against his fathers estate, and in addi-
tion to buy some large tracts Of land ad-
Joining Brandon did not hesitate to ac-
cept the money. and seemed glad that
It had come from Mary, she, doubtless
being the only person from whom he
would have taken 1t.
One of Brandon's sisters had married
a rich merchant at Ipswich, and another
was soon to marry a Scotch gentleman.
The brother would probably never marry,
So Brandon would eventually have to
take charge of the estates. In fact he
afterward lived there many years, and
as Jane and l had purchased little es-
tate near by, which had been generously
added to by James uncle, we saw a great
deal of him. But ! am getting ahead of
my story again.
The d'Angouleme complication troubled
me greatly, Notwithstanding my faith in
Mary. and although l had resolved to say
nothing to Brandon about 1t, l soon told
him plainly what thought and feared
He replied with a low, contented little
laugh.
do not fear for Mary, do not That
young fellow is of different stuff, I know,
than the old King, but 1 have all faith
in her purity and ability to take care of
herself. Before she left she promised to
be true to me. whatever befell, and I
trust her entirely. 1 am not so unhappy
by any means as one would expect. Am
II" And 1 was compelled to admit that
he certainly was not.
So 1t seems they had met as Jane and
I suspected, but how Mary managed 1t
am sure l cannot tell; she beat the very
60 hox H,,
or by crook. Then came the bulky letter
which Brandon pounced upon and eager
ly devoured. leave out most of the SEN
timental passages, which, like efferves-
cent wine, lost favor quickly. She said
in part:
ITO Master Brandon:
"Sir and Dear Friend, Greeting-After
leaving thee. long time had that mighty
grief and dole within my heart that 1t
was like to break; for my separation from
thee was so much harder to bear even
than had taken thought Of. and I also
doubted me that 1 could live in Paris, as
I did wish. Sleep rested not upon my
weary eyes, and of very deed could I
neither eat nor drink, since food distasted
me like a nausea, and wine did strangle
in my throat. This lasted through NV
journey hither, which 1 did prolong upon
many pretexts, nearly twJ months. but
when I did at last rest mine eyes for the
first time upon this King Louis face,
well knew that /. could rule him, and
when / did arrive, and had adjusted N.Y.
self in this Paris, i found 1t so easy that
my heart leaped for very Joy. Beauty
goeth so far with this inf1ammable people
that easily do 1 rule them all, and truly
doth servile subject make a sharp. ca
priWous tyrant. Thereby the misfortune
which hath come upon US is of so much
less evil, and is so like to be of such
short duration. that / am almost happy
but for the lack of thee-and sometimes
think that after all it may verify be
blessing unseen.
''This new, unexpected face upon our
trouble hath so driven the old gnawing
ache out of my heart that I love to be
alone, and dream, .open-eyed, of the time,
of surety not far off, when I shall be
with thee. 1t is ofttimes sore hard
for me. who have never waited, to have