The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-18

l think. who look upon me as an ene- my"
 "Oh! vour E,minAnee :" protested the young man.
 Well! an antagonist. if you will. Confess that you thought-and still think--that I have been scheming to bring the Duke of Wessex to the feet of Lady Ursula Glynde. his promised wife"
 "A scheme in which your, Eminence succeeded over well. l fancy" retorted Everingham bitterly.
 But that is where you are in error, my dear lord. for believe me that, at to put an impenetrable barrier between His Grace and that beautiful young lady,"
 Your sole desire. my lordY'
 AS the night was dark Everingham could see nothing of His Eminence's ex pression of face If he had, he prob ably would only have seen the same mask of polite biandness which the Cardinal usually wore.
 The young man, certes was no match for these astute Spaniards who had ali the wiles and artif1ces of diplomacy at their finger tips: his love for Wessex and the earnestness of his own politi- cal views gave him a certain amount of shrewdness. but even that shrewd- ness was at fault in the face of this extraordinary statement, suddenly made by the Cardinal.
 You are surprised?" commented His Eminence.
 "Boundlessly, confess"
 An! diplomacy is full of surprises. But you are pleased?"
 Everingham. however, was not pre- pared to admit anything to this man, whose face he could not read, but whose tortuous ways he more than half mistrusted.
 T hardly know how to understand your Eminence." he said guardedly; 'I need hardly say that my fondest hope was to see Queen Mary welded to wes- sex. for that is common knowledge. But since His Grace's meeting with the beautiful Lady Ursula, I fully expect to hear him declare his intention of keeping his troth to her"
 You think her so very irresistible, then Tor His Grace so very suscepti- ble?''
 'I think that the Duke has always kept at the back of his mind an idea that he was in some measure bound to Lady Ursula."
 Let us add. my lord. that the charm and grace of the lady will inevitably tend to develop that idea. Ehg'
 And that your Eminence will prob ably triumph in consequences"
 You, therefore, my lord. have by now set your heart on undoing what today's chance meeting may, perchance. have accomplished By you I also mean your friends. the nobility and gentry of England. who would mourn to see His Grace welded to Lady Ur- sula Glynde?'
 "our loss will be your EmInence's gain, probably" rejoined Everingham with a sigh. 4
 The Cardinal waited a moment be- fore he continued the conversation. He had deliberately sought this inter- change of ideas. OpeKness and frank ness in matters politic@ were not usu- ally part of His Eminepce's program, but this evening he seemed desirous to gain this young Englishman's conf dence.
 But" he said after awhile, with charming bonhomie. ''but suppose that instead of gloating in the triumph which you. my lord. so readily proph- esy. suppose that I were to ask you to let me help you-you and your friends in parting the volatile Duke from his latest flame? .. t. Would you &C., cept my heIp?"
 Your Eminence IT. ." murmured Everingham, somewhat at a loss what to say
 You would wish to consult your friends, eh ?' continued the Cardinal placidly. Lord Derby. Lord Bath the