The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-04-30

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! ten 60 all their lives in blissless ig-
norance.
Mary, who was no more given to self
analysis than her pet linnet, did not
appreciate Brandon's potent reasons
and was in a 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: Il hate the
| 1owborn wretch. Oh, to think what
| have permitted!' It seemed only too
clear that she had been too quick to
give, no very comforting thought to a
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-
You'd a doubt the most ill used of wo-
men.
The negotiations for Mary's marriage
| with old Louis XII. of France were be-
ginning to be all open secret about the
| court. The Due de Longueville, who
had been held by Henry for some time
as a sort of hostage from the French
king, had opened negotiations by in
flaming the Pickering passions of old
| Louis with descriptions of Mary's beau
| ty. AS there was prospect of new
emperor soon and as the imperial bee
had Of late been making a most vehe-
ment buzzing in Henry's bonnet, he
encouraged De Longueville and thought
it would be a good time to purchase
the help Of France at the cost of his
| beautiful sister and handsome dover.
| Mary Of course had not been consulted,
and although she had coaxed her
| brother out of other marriage projects
| Henry had gone about this as if he
| were in earnest, and it was thought
throughout the court that Mary's coax
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
rage and dreaded it as she would death
itself, though she said nothing to any
one but Jane and was holding her
forces in reserve for a 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 wretched indeed. For
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 60 to New
Spain and that she would actually lose
him, although she did not want him as
yet-that is, as 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
tainty. A menacing future is the keen
est Of all tortures for any of us to bear,
but especially for a girl like Mary.
Death itself is not so terrible as the
fear of it.
Now, about this time there lived over
in Billingsgate Ward, the worst part
of London, Jewish soothsayer named
Grouche. He was also an astrologer
and had of late grown into great fame
as prophet of the future-a fortune
teller.
His fame rested on several remark
able predictions which had been full
filed to the letter, and l really think
the man had some wonderful powers
They said he was half Jew, half gyp-
sy, and, if there is alchemy in the mix
ing of blood, that combination should
surely produce something peculiar. The
city folk were said to have visited him
in great numbers, and, notwithstand-
ing the priests and bishops all con-
demned him as an imp of Satan and a
follower of witchcraft, many fine peo-
| tinued to go there by stealth in order
to take a dangerous, inquisitive peep
| into the future.
Mary had long wanted to see this
Grouche, at first out of mere curiosity,
but Henry, who was very moral-with
other peoples consciences-would not
think Of permitting it. Two ladies, La
dy Chesterfield and Lady Ormond, both
good and virtuous women, had been de-
tected in such a visit and had been dis
graced and expelled from court in the
most cruel manner by order of the
king himself.
Now, added to Mary's old time desire
to see Grouche, came a longing to know
the outcome Of the present momentous
complication of affairs that touched
her so closely.
She could not wait for Time to unfold
himself and drop his budget of events
as he travelled, but she must plunge
ahead of him and know beforehand the
stores of the fates, an intrusion they
usually resent. I need not tell you
that was Mary's only object in going,