Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-05-11

deal. and the best 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 | hear so much about
Ihey say she Is coming home today,
and the court seems to have gone mad
about it. hear nothing but Mary
is coming. Mary is comingl 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 q fool of himself about a
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 it as | do.
wait until you see her." l answered,
land you will be one of them also. l
f1atter 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 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 we'll fall in love
with twinkling star. Then, besides,
my heart is not on my sleeve You
must think me a fool-a poor. enervat-
ed, simpering fool like-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 a noble still, God
created and to be adored.
Now, when Mary returned the whole
court rejoiced, and | 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 I
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 | 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 l expected and was
very near failure. 1t was on the Sec
ond morning after Mary's arrival at
ing in the palace park when we met
Jane, and l took the opportunity to
make these, my two best loved friends,
acquainted.
How do you do. Master Brandon"
Eaid Lady Jane, holding out her plump
little hand, so white and soft and dear
to me. Il have heard something of you
the last day or so from Sir Edwin, but
had begun to fear he was not going to
give me the pleasure Of knowing you.
l hope l may see you often now and
that l may present you to my mis-
tress''
With this her eyes, bright as over
grown dewdrops, twinkled with a mis-
chievous little smile, as if to say, "Ah,
another large handsome fellow to make
a fool of himself
Brandon acquiesced in the wish she
had made, and after the Interchange
of a few words Jane said her mistress
was waiting at the other side of the
grounds and that she must go. She
then ran off with a laugh and a cour-
tesy and was soon lost to sight behind
the shrubbery at the turning of the
walk.