Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23
BY
BARONESS ORGY,
Author of
"BEAU BROCADE."

actlng coward part by allowing OrSuis
Glynde to sacrifice her fair name TOT tn'
sake of a wanton?
And thus these two people who loved
each other more than life. honor and hap
: piness, were face to face now with tha
e terrible misunderstanding between them
still further apart from each other thar
8 they had ever been. both suffering acute
Fly in heart and mind for the supposed
cowardice and wantonness of the other
and the while my lord high steward
e and the other noble lords were concluding
the ceremonies of that strange. eventfu
trial.
My lords" said Lord Chandos, once
| more rising from his seat, you have
heard the evidence of this lady. and Rob
ert. Duke of Wessex. having put himself
upon the trial of God and you his peers
l charge you to consider if it appearetf
that he is guilty of this murder or wheth
er he had justification, and thereupor
say your minds upon your honor anc
consciences."
We have Mr.. Thomas Norton's authority
for stating that my lords, the triers. never
left their seats, nor did they deliberate
hardly were the words out of my lore
high stewards lips than with one accord
four and twenty voices were raised, say
ing:
Not guilty.
Then" ADDS Mr.. Norton. there was
raised cheer from the people inside the
hall which was quite deafening 70 the
ears Sundry spectators tossed their caps
into the air. and many of the women
began to cry. My lord high steward
could not make himself heard for a long
while. at which he became very wrath
full, and calling to the sergeant-at-arms
he bade him clear the court of all these
noise makers"
There seems to have been considerable
difficulty in doing this. for Mr.. Thomas
Norton continuously refers to 'riotous
conduct" and even to contempt of the
queens commissioner Cheers of God
save Wessex!' alternated with the loyal
cry Of God save the aueen!' The men
alarms had to use their halberds, and did
so very effectually, one or two of the
more excited ''noise-makers' getting
wounded about the face and hands. FL
nally the suggestion came from Mr.. Bar
ham. the queens sergeant, that his grace
| of Wessex should be concealed from the
view of the populace, and, acting upon
this advice. the lieutenant of the tower
| ordered his guard to close around the
bar. while low seat was provided for
his grace. The object of this mad en-
thusiasm being thus placed out of sight
the people became gradually more calm,
and the noise subsidized sufficiently for the
queens sergeant to give forth his final
dictum
MY lords grace, the queens commits
sioner. high steward of England. chargeth
all persons to depart in Gods peace and
the queens. and hath dissolved this
commission
God save the queen.'' was shouted
Justify. and then the great door was open
ed and the people began quietly to file
out.
The pale November sun had struggled
out of its misty coverings and touched
the pinnacles and towers of the old abb
hey with delicate CLEANS of golden gray.
! Slowly the crowd moved on, some of the
more ventureSome or more enthusiastic
| toWnSfolk. the prentices and younger
the great personages come out and to give
a final cheer for high grace of Wessex.
The hall itself seemed lonely now that
the people had gone; The lord high stew
ard once more called on the prisoner, who
| had already risen as soon as his noisy
partisans had departed.
AS he had been impressive throughout
the terrible ordeal of this trial for his
| face before him he read the inevitable &C
qulttal. He had watched Ursula Glynde' IS
| graceful figure as. accompanied by the
Cardinal de Moreno, she had finally made
an obeisance before the judges. then had
| retired through the doors of the lord
| chancelor's court.
great and awful disgust filed his
| whole heart 1t was he now who was
conscious of the loathsome web which had
| envelOped him more completely than he
| had ever anticipated.
| He saw his acquittal lowering on the
| lips OF his peers. Lord Chandos' kindly
face was beaming with delight, Sir Rob-
| ert Catline and Mr.. Gilbert Gerard were
friends. Sir Henry Bedingfeld and Lord
| Mordaunt, Lord Huntingdon and Sir John
Williams were openly expressing their in
| tense satisfaction.
| But for him, what did it all mean? An
| acquittal based on lie. and that lie told
| by woman to save him.
| But a lie for all that, and one which he
| could not refute, without telling the whole
truth to his judges and branding her pub
licly as murderess and worse
| He who had ever held his own honor
l his pride. the cleanness of his whole ex-
istence, as fetch to be worshiped. now
saw himself forced to barter all that
which he held SO sacred and gain his own
life in exchange. How much more gladly
| would he have heard his death sentence
pronounced now by his friends kind lips.
bartholomew ignominious-would have
purified and exalted honor.
| Mechanically he listened to Lord Chan
dos speech. and mechanically he protest
ed. The web was tightly woven around
him and he was powerless to tear it
/ asunder.
Robert. Duke of wessex and of Dor
| chester" said the lord high steward,
Earl of Launceston Wexford and Bird
thorpe. Baron of Greystone, Ullesthorpe
and Edbrooke, premier peer of England,
the lords. your peers. have found you not
guilty of this crime of murder
MY lords said Wessex, in a final ap-
peal. which he himself felt was a hopeless
one. Il thank you from my heart. but I
IL, III
based on a falsehood. the hysterical out
pourings of misguided heart and"
But already the lord high steward had
interrupted him.
my lord duke" he said, 1.-THE tale this
lady hath at last spoken in open court
was one guessed at by all your friends;
she hath not only followed the dictates of
her own conscience, but hath taken a
| heavy burden from the hearts of your
triers, and one which would have sad
dened many of us. even to our graves
| Had it been my terrible duty to pass
death sentence upon you, which had the
lady not spoken / should have been
bound to do. 1 myself would have felt
akin to a murderer. We cannot but thank
heaven that Lady Ursula's heart was
you were not allowed to sacrifice your
honor and your life in so worthless a
cause"
But / cannot allow you to believe nor
you my lords" further protested the
| duke.
| Nay my lord, only believe one
thing, and that is that your grace leaves
this court this day with the respect and
admiration of all men in the land, with
unsullied honor and with stainless name
| All else We are content shall remain a
mystery betwixt Lady Ursula Glynde and
her conscience.
God save the QUEEN added the lord
high steward as he broke the white wand
And" adds Mr.. Thomas Norton. thus
ended the trial Of his grace of Wessex and
treason and felony. Surrounded by his
friends, cheered by the mob the duke left
Westminster Hall a free man. but as
Uatched face meSeemed that I saw