Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23

I saved thy life-but thou In return hast
now restored to me that which is far
dearer than life itself. 1 am eternally
thy debtor. Mirrab. and I pledge thee the
honor of Wessex that no harm shall come
to tllee-for I, myself, will beg for thy
pardon OF her majesty on my knees"
NAY. my lord" rejoined Mary Tudor
earnestly, for he had turned to the queen.
prepared to proffer his request on his
knees. "meseems a grievous wrong has
queen and country. Let the wench be
free, to pray to the holy virgin for her
great sin. I. myself, will care for her,
and she shall enter any convent she may
had brought with her the richest dowry in
the land. But" she added. turning to
Lord Chandos. II desire her to make full
confession once more before you, my lord,
in writing, and to swear to 1T and sign 1t
with her name. You may go, wench,"
she said. finally turning to Mir alb. your
queen has pardoned you. May you be
happy in the peace of the convent. We
will never forget you and ever see that
joy shall always be in your life"
Slowly, as the queen spoke, Mirrab sunk
upon her knees. 1t seemed to the poor
girl as if Gods angels were whispering
words of comfort in her ear. Two servi-
tors now came close to her. ready to lead
her back to the palace, there to place her
under the charge of waiting women until
her confession had been duly written and
sworn to.
But before she finally allowed herself to
be led away, she once more turned to
WesseX.
May 1 kiss thy hand?" she murmured
gently.
He gave her his hand, and she covered
1t with kisses, and then she passed out of
his life, ever remembered by him, ever
comforted. happy in the peaceful and 81
lent home which the queen had SO roy
ally provided for her
But this little interlude had reused the
cardinals feverish Impotence to boiling
point. Already he had tortured his as
tute brain for some sort of issue out of
this tangled web. He would not own a
defeat so adily. certainly not before he
made a final struggle to reassert the dig
nifty of his position. He forced his face to
express nothing but delicate irony. his
eyes not to betray the slightest hint of
fear.
Truly, this is somewhat curious jus
tice,' he said, as Mirrab's strange figure
disappeared behind turn of the tall yew
hedge, surely your majesty will not con-
denim unheard."
NO. my lord cardinal, not unheard -
retorted Mary Tudor haughtily. I'VE
have seen strange things today and can
only guess at the terrible tangle which
caused the first gentleman in England to
take upon himself the burden of a henious
crime
And. no doubt added Wessex, that
his eminence can solve the riddle of how
pure and noble girl was led into sacri-
ficing her honor"
Nay" retorted the cardinal bitingly,
His grace of WeSSeX is more competent
than L TO solve the riddle OF woman s
heart. The Lady Ursula has confessed:
this trick of trying to disprove her tale"
he added with cutting sarcasm. was
well thought on by the most chivarous
gentleman in England = AS it sat
isles his grace" he continued with
careless shrug of the shoulders, surely
l could never wish to dispel so pleasant
an illusion.
Perhaps the duke would have retorted
in angry words. despite the unutterable
contempt which he felt for this final
poisoned shaft aimed at him by the car
dinal, but just then the groups which
surrounded him. the queen and his emf
hence, parted. and Ursula Glynde stood
before them all.
She still wore the white robes which be-
came her so well. but now they only
helped to enhance the brilliancy of her
hair. the clear blue of her eyes, and a
certain rosy flush. which lent to her
delicate face a delicious air of childish
ness and innocence. She looked at no
one. though her eyes Were actually fixed
respectfully on the queen but her spirit
seemed To have wandered off into land
of dreams
Your majesty. sent for me?' she said
Lady Alicia has told ou. rejoned
the queen.
Ursula closed her glorious eyes. A ray
of intense joy seemed to ilumne her
whole face. lighting it with radiance
which surely had its origin in heaven.
Then she slowly turned her head toward
WesseX, and, in one little word, told him
all that her soul contained.
''EVerythngi" she said.
Everything! that is to say. his sin, his
mistruSt of her. his great, passionate
love and sef-sacrifice for her. Every
thing. which meant her own love. her own
devotion her joy to find him true ard
chivalrous. her happiness and her hope.
Mary Tudor saw the look and it's re-
Spouse from WesseX's eyes. She saw the
end of her one dream which had filled
her dull, rigid life and rendered il hope
full and bright But she was, above ALL
Tudor. She accepted the dictate of
fate she bent the neck to a greater Will
than her own, and closed the book of
her illusions never TO peruse its pages
again. One last look she cast a, the
man who had had the one passion of
which her strange hard heart was capa-