The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-05-27
CHAPTER VIII.

ksxSsSa Mary an incident occurred
&A&s2} which changed everything
and came very nea terminating his ca
reer In the flower of youth. 1t also
brought about a situation OF affairs
that showed the difference in the quail.
ity of these two persons thrown 80
m~arvelously togethers from their far
distant stations at each end of the lad.
der OF fortune I'm a way that reflected
very little credit upon the one from
the upper end. But before 1 tell you
of that / will relate briefly one or two
other matters that had n bearing upon
what was done and the motives prompt
Ing 1t.
TO begin with, Brandon had kept
himself entirely away from the prin-
cess ever since the afternoon at the
kings antechamber. The first day or
SO she sighed, but thought little of his
absence; then she wept and, as usual,
began to grow piqued and irritable.
What was left of her Judgment told
her 1t was better for them to remain
apart, but her longing to see Brandon
grew stronger MS, the prospect OF it
grew less, and she became angry that
~ SOuiu hoI NC SIutihSu' Jdhe WIS
right; an unsatisfled desire with Mary
was torture. Even her sense OF the
great distance between them had be-
gun to fade, and when she SO wished
for him n he did not come their posi-
lions seemed to be reversed. At the
end Of the third day she sent for him
to come to her rooms, but he by n
mighty effort sent back a brief note
saying that he could not and ought not
to go. This, OF course, threw Mary into
a great passion, for she Judged him by
herself, n very common but dangerous
method of Judgment, and thought that
II he felt at all as she did he would
throw prudence to the winds and come
to her, as she knew she would go to
him IL she could. 1t did not occur to
her that Brandon knew himself well
enough to be sure he would never go
to New Spain II he allowed another
grain Of temptation to fall into the bal
ance against him, but would remain In
London to love hopelessly, to try to
win a hopeless cause and end 1t all by
placing his head Upon the block.
1T required all his strength even now
to hold fast his determination 60 go to
New Spain. He had reached his linn
1t. He had a fund Of that most use
full of all wisdom, knowledge Of self,
and knew his limitations, n little mat
ter concerning which nine men out OF
ten go all their lives in blissless ig-
norance.
Mary, who a no more given to self
analysis han her pet linnet, did not
appreciate Brandon's potent reasons
and was in u. flaming passion when she
received his answer. Rage and humili-
alton completely smothered for the
time her affection, and she said to her
self over and over again: ~ hate the
iawborn wretch. oh, to think what 1
have permitted!" 1t seemed only too
clear that she had boon too quick to
proud girl even though a mistaken one
AS the days went by and Brandon
did not come her anger cooled as usual,
and again her heart began to ache, but
her sense Of injury grew stronger day
by day and she thought she was be-
yond a doubt the most i'll used of Wo-
men.
The negotiations for Mary's marriage
with old Louis XII. of France were be-
ginning to be III open secret about the
court. The Due de Longueville, who
had been held by Henry for some time
as o sort Of hostage from the French
king, had opened negotiations by in
flaming the tiiGkcring passions Of old
Louis with descriptions of Mary's beau
~, AS there was q prospect of n new
emperor soon and as the imperial bee
had of late been making a most yehe-
ment buzzing i'm Henry's bonnet, he
encouraged De LongueYille and thought
1t would be q good time to purchase
the help of France Mt the cost of his
beautiful sister and a handsome dover.
Mary OF course had not been consulted,
and although she had caaXed her
brother out Of other marriage projects
Henry had gone about this as if he
were In earnest, and 1t was thought
throughout the court that Mary's a
ings would be all in vain-a fear which
she herself had begun to share, not
withstanding her usual self confidence.
She hated the thought Of the mar
riage and dreaded 1t as she would death
itself, though she said nothing to any
n but Jane and WAS holding her
forces i'm reserve for q grand attack.
She was preparing the way by being
very sweet and kind to Henry.
Now, all Of this, coming upon the
heels OF her trouble with Brandon,
made her most wretehed indeed. Fer
the first time In her life she began to
feel suffering-that great broadener, In
fact maker, of human character.
Above all, there was an alarming
sense OF uncertainty In everything. She
could hardly bring herself to believe
that Brandon would really go to New
Spain md that she would actually lose
him, although she did not want him as
yet--that Is, as a prospective husband.
FLASHES OF all sorts of wild schemes
had begun to shoot through her anger
and grief when she stared In the face
the prospect of her double separation
from him, her marriage to another and
the countless miles Of fathomless sea
that would be between them. She could
endure anything better than uncer-
fainty. A menacing future is the keen
est OF all fortunes for any pf ps to bear,
but especially for q girl like Mary.
Death itself is not 30 terrible as the
fear of 1t,
Now, about this time there lived over