The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-20
CHAPTER XIX.
 The Pawns.. ,

The evening banquet had been any thing but gay.
 The Queen. as was oft her wont. had hardly said g word. The Cardinal de Moreno looked thoughtful. and Ills Grace of Wessex was singularIy silent.
 Directly after supper Her Majesty retired to her own apartments, accom- panied by her ladies. leaving beii ind her that desuItory atmosphere of dull and purposeless conversation which hangs round supper table in the absence of the fair sex.
 The brilliant assembly broke up into small groups. The Earl of Pembroke and two or three other lords were Ieav- ing for Scotland towards midnight; {; their friends gathered round them to bid them God-speed. In the deep eni- brasure of the great bay His Grace of Wesaex was in. earnest conference with Lord Winchester and Sir William Drurys whilst, at one end of the Iong centre table, half a dozen young gai- lants were idling over a game of ha- gard.
 But there was feeling of obsession in the ar; sense as If something mo- mentous was about to happen. Whis- pered rumors, more or less conflicting. were affoat. yet nothing definite was known. On the other hand, idle, far- fetched gossip was rife and was even growing in extravaganza as the eyen- ing wore on.
 No one had been present on the ter race to witness the little incident which occurred there earlier in the afternoon, save the three distinguished actors in tn brief comedy scene; obviously from them nothing could be gleaned. The Queen and the Cardinal. would not he likely t6 ehiighten the curious. whilst the Duke Of Wessex, at all times re- served and unapproachable, could not be asked to give his version of the event.
 The foreign envoys had very soon followed the example set by Her Ma Jesty. and withdrawn from the circle which seemed more hostile to them than usual tonight. The Cardinal de Mo- reno and the Marquis de Suarez were the first to go. They occupied the magnificent suite of ch ambers wherein ill-fated Wolsey had lived. schemed, and fallen. The more sumptuous se- ries of rooms beyond-those built with lavish extravaganza by King Henry been placed at the disposal of His Grace of ,Wessex and his numerous retinue.
 Between the Dukes apartments and those allotted to the envoys of the King of Spain was the fine audience cham Der. used by the Queen herself or by her more distinguished guests for the reception of important visitors. It was here that Lord Everlnghan, anxious. perturbed. vaguely ashamed of his own actions. had sought out the Cardinal de Moreno after the banquet and beg ged for an interview.
 His Ekninence. suave. urbane. veri- table mirror of benevolence, had re- ceived him with a smile of welcome on his lips, and a wealth of kindly re- proach in his eyes.
 "Ah, my lord!'' he said to the young man, as soon as the servants had with- drawn. Nature, I fear me. hath not intended you for a diplomatist"
 How so?" 1Ne ], "This interview tonight! with me. was it necessary" ks,-..
 ''Il could not rest" said Everingham, until. |. -
 "Until you had proclaimed to the en- tire Court in general and to His Grace of wessex in particular. that you had a secret understanding with his politi- cal rival. the Spanish ambassador" re- joined His Eminence drily.
 "An interview