The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-28
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 But Mary Tudor, though at times I capable of noble and just impulses,
 was too far blinded by her own passion l to give up the joy of this victory over l the girl who had become her rival. | At any rate. Fate had done one great 1 thing for her: she was the Queen, rui- l ing as every Tudor had ruled, by di- l vine right. absolutely, unquestionably. She would not let the girl speak. \ she would see her go. humiliated. with l head bent. forcibly swallowing her l tears. of shame. Mary only regretted 1 thls that Wessex could not be witness of this scene.
 She threw back her head, drew herr | self up to her full height, and pointed peremptorily up towards the gallery.
 silence. wench." she commanded. "go," eea. .
 And Ursula could not help but obey. 1 Slowly she mounted the stairs. her heart burning with defiance. To have angered Mary Tudor further by re- newed rebellion would have been worse | than madness: it would inevitably l have brought more gnominy and worse perchance upon herself. But the tears. which she tried in Twain to suppress. were not caused by 1 the Queens harsh words. but by the I terrible doubt which assailed her when
 she thought of Wessex.
 | Had he heards
 What would he think?
 Would he understand the cause of l her Innocent deception, or would he | believe--as indeed he must if he heard 1 them--the evil insinuations so baseiy | put forward by the Queen7 As she found her way along the gall | lery she heard Mary's voice once more. Duchess. l pray you see that in | future a more strict surveillance IS kept over the young maids under your I charge. Lady Ursula's conduct has put me verify to shame before the ambas- sadors of foreign Conrts.'
 With sob of impotent revolt Ursula disappeared within the upper room. The Cardinal watched her, until the door closed upon her. and was quite sure she was well out of hearing. Then he approached the Queen and said ia his most suave manner:
 May! your Majesty. methinks. takes this trifiing matter too much au serieux. You deigned to do mention the Marquis de Saurez just now. Be- lieve me. he is far too proud of the favours bestowed upon him by Lady Ursula to look on England with re- | proach."
 The Duchess of Lincoln would have | spoken. If she dared. Her loyal old soul rebelIed against this insinuation, | which she knew to be utterly false. But to tax His Eminence with the ut | tering of unfounded gossip and in the presence of the Queen of Engiand; l that task was quite beyond the worthy Duchess powers
 But in her motherly heart she reg ] istered the resolution to take Ursula's part as hotIy as she dared whenever Her Majesty would give her leave to speak. and in any case she would not allow the Cardinals imputation to rest long upon the innocent young girl.
 The Queen on the other hand, had vtsibly brightened up when His Elm thence himself mentioned the name oF the young Spaniard in such close con nection with that of Ursula. She seemed to drink in with delight the poisoned cup of thinly yelled islander. which His Eminence held so tempt insly before her.
 She wanted to think of Ursula as base and wanton. and had, until now. never quite dared to believe the many strange rumours which certainly had reached her ears.
 With all her faults Mary was a just woman and above all proud one; she would never have allowed her rival to, siiifer long and seriously un- der false calumny. The name of the Marquis dc Suarez. when she uttered 1t. had been but shaft hurled at ram dom. M
 But since His Eminence so palably hinted confirmation of her hopes, she was more than ready to give his insinations, the fullest credence, So pleased was she, that she gave him quite pleasant smile: the first he had from her since the afternoon
 "As your Eminence justly remarks" she said graciously. "the matter is perhaps not of grave moment But our interest in the young maidens who fr,nrs nrsR fe fna theless. I pray you let 1t pass Duchess, we'll speak of 1t all on the morrow. Nv lord Cardinal, we will wish you goodnight"
 She was about to finally pass him and to leave the room when her curl osity got the better of her usual dig nified reserve.
 .'Is it the last night your Eminence will spend at our CourtT' she asked pointedly.
 q think not, your Majesty" repied the Cardinal bIandly Iris many days yet which I shall hope to spend in your Graces company"
 Yet the skein is still entangled. my lord"
 "'Twill be unravelled, your Majes-
 :'when?"
 "chien sabe?" he replied. perhaps to-pight'
 "To-nightT est
 She had allowed herself to be led away by, the eagerness of her desire to know what was happening. Shrewd enough where her own wishes and plans were concerned, she could not help but notice the air of contentment. even of triumph, which the Cardinal had worn throughout the evening. He certainly did not look like a man about to be sent, back, discounted to an irate master there to explain that he had failed in the task allotted to him.
 Mary's curiosity was very much on the alert, but His Eminence's mono syllable answers were not intended to l satisfy her, and perforce she had to | desist from further questioning him. | Obviously he did not mean to tell her | anything just yet. She bade him good | night with more graciousness than he | could have anticipated. and his bows to her was full of the most profound | respect.
 A moment later she had passed out | of the room. followed by Her Grace | of Lincoln and her maids of honour.
 CHAPTER XXIV