The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-15
CHAPTER XIV. The Hand of Fate.


 Ursula had had a good cry.
 She was a mere girl only just out of her teens; she had been hideouEly disappointed, and bad given way to a paroxysm of tears. just like child that has been cheated of its toys.
 As far as her actual feelings for Wessex were concerned. shS scarcely troubled to analyze them. As a tiny child she had worshipped the gallant boy who had always been pointed out to her as the pattern of what an Eng fish noblemans should be. and more over as the future husband who was to rule over her destiny.
 No doubt that the Earl Of Truro. ly- ing on his death bed, had but little real perception of what he was doing when he forced his daughter to swear that she would marry wessex or remain single to the end of her days.
 But Ursula was thirteen years old then. and held an oath to her father to be the most sacred thing in the world. She had not seen Wessex Nor some years. but her girlish imagina- tlon had always endowed him with all those chivalrous attributes which her own father. whom she idolized had already ascribed to him.
 Love, Well! 1t scarce could be call- ed that as yet. In spite of her score of years, Ursula had remained a child in thought. in feelings, in tempera- ment. She had spent the last six or seven years within the precincts of old Truro Castle. watched over by her fathers faithful servants, who brought her up and worshipped her taught her what they knew and obeyed her im- plicitly.
 Her one idea. however. had remained that of a marriage with Wessex.' By right and precedence she could claim a place in the Queen of England's im- mediate entourage. As soon as she was old enough she asserted this claim and journeyed to Esher in charge of an old aunt. who had supervised her education since her fathers death.
 Since then her one desire had been to meet the man to whom she had pledged her troth She had seen him, oh : scores of times, since the day on which he came back to the Court, but Mary Tudor, bent on winning his love. had resolutely kept him away from the beautiful girl who, she instinctively felt, would prove a formidable rival.
 It had been easy enough up to now. His Grace, partly in order to please his friends, even if only half believing that his influence would prevent Mary Tudor from contracting an alien mar r.age, had been in constant attendance on the Queen.
 Ursula, on the other hand had been relegated into the Background. She knew this well and chafed at the re- straint. Something seemed to tell her that if she could but see. the Duke he would easily realize that it would not be very hard to fulfil the old Earl's promise. She knew that she was beau tiful, her own mirror and the adm;ra- ton of the Court gallants had already told her that, and at the same time she felt within herself a magnetism which must inevitably draw him to- WardR her,
 But time was speeding on. Ursula's quick intelligence had very soon grasp ed the threads of the present political situation. whilst Mary Tudor, on the other hand, made no secret of her love for Wessex. The young girl was well aware of the many intrigues which were being matched round the person ality of the man whom she looked upon as her affianced husband, and guessed how much these were aided by the enamored Queen.
 HIS Eminence the Cardinal, the Due de Noailles, Scheyfne, Don Miguel de Suarez, all were seeking to obtain a definite promise from Mary. The English faction, on the other hand, had hoped to force the Duke into a mar riase which was obviously distastetui to him.
 Ursula, in the midst of these con- tending parties, was, nevertheless, de- termined to gain her end. Too unso- phisticated to attempt serious intrigue she relied on her woman's instinct to guide her to success. Her little plot to bring His Grace to her presence that afternoon had failed, probably owing ta tha Queens acumsn; and the young