Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-16
CHAPTER XXXII.
A Bargain.

A Bargain.
| But Mary would not have been the
woman she was If she admitted failure.
while there was still chance of VIC
tory
! The first half hour after Wessex's de-
/ parture she gave way to weakness and to
a food Of tears then she turned to her
prie-dieu and prayed fervently for resig-
nation to the heavenly will. for strength
to bear her cross: :.
Holy mother of our crucifed Lord
pray for me now and at the hour of his
death" was the burden of her passionate
| prisons.
Take my life. since he must dfe., she
added striking her breast and falling
PROSTATE before the holy images.
! And then reaction set in. She felt more
| calm after her prayers. and began to
think more clearly The iuevitableness of
! the catastrophe seemed to become less
| tangible. a persistent and hopeful ''if'
crept in among her desperate litanies
She dried her tears. rang for her waiting
woman, had her face bathed with sooth-
| ing scented waters. her temples rubbed
! with perfumed vinegar.
All the while now she repeated to her
self:
| Il will save him-I will save him-but
how? How"
She had less than twenty-four hours in
which to do X. and she had spent fourteen
| days previously in the same endeavor
| without arriving at any definite plan. save
| the one which had so signally failed just
now. ~
"If being found guilty. were acquitted
AT your ma jestys desire 'twoud be said
he queen had saved her lOver-and then
married felon! was his Sole reply to
! her impass.Oned query whether he loved
| her and would be saved by her command.
She would have been content to lose
l,ar hon foy. 1,tr 1,n r,ot
even jeopardize his own self-esteem for
hers If he had one spark of love for her
| he would have been content to challenge
| the opinion Of the world, while accepting
his life at her hands, but he cared naught
about death. and all the world for an
other woman who was false. coward, a
wanton. and who boldly allowed him to
sacrifice his honor for her, while she her
self had none to lose.
"Then / will save him in spite OF HIM
SELF repeated Mary for the hundredth
time.
Suddenly a thought struck her She
rang the handbell and to the servitOr who
appeared at the door she commanded
briefly:
His eminence the Cardinal de Moreno
/ desire his presence-here-at once"
| The servitor retired and she waited in
| seeming calm. sitting at her desk. her
| trembling hand alone betraying the ex-
element of her mind.
Five minutes later the cardinal stood
before her placid. urbane. picturesque
! in his brilliant flowing robes, with one
white. richly beringed hand raised in
| benediction, as he stood waiting for the
Queen OF England to speak.
II pray your eminence be seated be-
| gan Mary, speaking with feverish haste.
| Il have something of grave import to say
| to you. which brooks no delay. else I had
not interrupted you at your prisons"
MY time is ever at your majesty's serv
| ice." replied the cardinal humbly. I'm
what way may 1 have the honor to serve
| the Queen of England today?"
single sign of her intense mental agitation
escaped his shrewd observation. sat
isfied smile lurked round the corners Of
hts thin lips, and flash of triumph lit
up the depths Of his piercing eyes,.
That searching glance at Mary Tudor
had told the envoy of the King OF Spain
| that victory was at last within his
| grasp.
my lord cardinal" rejoined Mary firm
| ly. you aware of the fact that his
| grace of Wessex is on the eve OF being
| tried by his peers for a heinous crime
of which he is innocent"
Il am aware" replied the cardinal gen.
| tly. that his grace stands self-convicted
| OF the murder of my friend and colleague.
Don Miguel. MARQUIS de Suarez. a guest
at your majesty's court"
Truce on this folly. my lord" retorted
Mary impatiently; you know just as
we'll as I do that his grace is incapable
of any such act of cowardice. and that
some mystery which no one can fathom
| lies at the bottom Of this monstrous self
! accusation"
"Whate yer may be my own feelings in
this matter, your majesty" said his emf
hence. stfll speaking very guardedly. II
was forced to accomplish my duty when
1 made and signed my deposition. which
I fear me has gone far toward confirm
in., the guilt Of his grace.
of
lord. 1t rests on your finding his graces
dagger"
beside the body Of the murdered man
and still stained with Don Miguers
blood
what of that? Some one else must
| have used the dagger"
Possibly
You did not suggest this in your depo-
sition"
1T was not asked Of me by his grace's
Judges"
There is time to make further state
ment."
| 1T could but be in consonance with
, what have already said
And your servant?
| "PasQuale?'
| He lied when he averred that he heard
angry words 'twixt his grace and Don
Miguel
He has sworn it upon oath. Pasquale
| Is A. good Catholic. and would not COM
nit the deadly sin OF perjury.
You are fencing with me. my lord,
| said Mary Tudor with sudden vehemence
Il but await your majesty's command,
| reioined his eminence blandly
my commando she said firmly This.
my lord. that you save his grace of Yves
sex from the consequences OF TINS crime
! in which he had no hand.
ITO save his grace Of Wessex? ne
| calculated with the greatest astonish.
| ment4"I? and at this eleventh hour!
Nay: meseems that were impossible
Then your eminence can set your wits
| to attempt the impossible rejoined Mary
| CURLY.
| But why should your majesty suggest
| this strange task TO me-? he urged with
the same well-feigned surprise:
Because your eminehce hdth Hoie
| brains than most.
.You- ma iesty is too gracious
Ana because you have the. success of
! YOUR own schemes more at heart than
| most" added the queen significantly
! Then, If l do not succeed In enectlng
| the inaccessible your majesty. and l be
| sent back to Spain ignomlnlously tomor-
| row." uueried the cardinal with more
than a soupcon of sarcasm
No retoined Mary quietly. but If
YOU succeed i will give you in reward
| anything which you may ask
| ''Anything my daughter? Even your
hand in marriage, to King Philip OF
! SPAIN"
| IF your eminence succeeds in effecting
the impossible" replied May firmly, Il
will marry King Philip OF Spain"
| There was silence for a moment or two
His eminence was meditating. Not that
| he had been taken unawares. For the
| post Fortnight he had been eXpecting