Evening star., 1908-01-12
BY
BARONESS ORGY,
! Author of
BEAU BROCADE."


at him by his friend
"And out OF sheer boredom, quotl
Everingham with a sigh OF deep oisap
pointment. ':you piqued the queen OF
England
Wessex did not reply at once. Al
Everingham's tone of rebuke shSh,
frown had contracted hts forehead ane
that certain look of hauteur, never wholly
absent from his face, at once become more
apparent.
There was more than mere camaraderie
between, these two men: unity OF tnouSht
similarity of tastes and education. a grea'
and overwhelming love for their owr
country, together with mutual under
standing and appreciation had long age
knit the ties of friendship closely between
them. 1t was generally admitted by every
one that Lord Everingham might venture
on ground of familiarity with his grace
which no one else quite dared to tread.
This time. too, after that instants hesi,
tation, the reserve which every now anc
then seemed entirely to detach the Duke
of Wessex from his surroundings. Quickly
disappeared again. The pleasant smile
returned to the proud lips. he shrugged
his shoulders and said simply:
rs the Queen of England piaued?" :.
Can you ask" rejoined the other will
increased vehemence.
Then he checked himself abruptly feel
ing no doubt how useless it was to dis
cuss such matters seriously just now.
'The only woman" he added. falling il
once more with his friends lighter mood
"the only woman whose Establishment:
his grace of Wessex has ever been known
to resist"
'And that with difficulty" concluded thu
duke gayly. But you see, friend.p III
added with mock gravity, with Tudor
you never can tell; you might lose youl
heart one day and your head the next.
Mary Tudor loves you too we'll pro
E>x,o III per1,
'She is the daughter of King Harry
VIII, remember. and would threaten ms
with the block or the rack at every In
discretion
He paused, then added quantity:
''And I would commit so many"
"A woman who loves always forglves,
urged his friend.
"A woman, my good Everingham, will
forgive a grave infidelity-perhaps: but
not a number of little indiscretions. Mine.
he added with light sigh, would be the
little indiscretions."
':And while you fed from court. the
Queen Of England has almost promised te
wed the Spanish king" said Everinghan
bitterly.
He watched his friend keenly as he
spoke, and paused moment before ne
added pointedly: !
"'Twill be a proud day for the peers
of England when they bow the knee tc
their liege lord, foreign king"
Wessex shrugged his broad shoulders
and turned to where a pretty wench dis
pensing ale to scarlet-cloaked burghel
formed picture pleasing to his artistic eye
Everingham, somewhat proud of his
own diplomatic skill, had noted, however
a certain stiffening of his grace's figure al
the vision which had been conjured before
him.
That of Wessex bending the knee be-
fore a Spaniard.
You were away" continued Evering-
ham. eager to goad his friend into speech
land my Lord Cardinal and Don Miguel
knew how to blow upon the flames OF
Mary's jealousy. Your influence can still
save England. my lord" he added with
great earnestness; 'let not your enemies
say that fear of a woman keeps you from
exerting IT.
Him! do they say that?" unused Wes-
sex quantity. while smile. which almost
might be called boyish, altered the whole
expression of his serious face BY my
faith! but they are right. Ones enemies
usually are"
He drew his friend away from the i'm
mediate vicinity of a jabbering crowd,
into a dark corner formed by one of the
booths. Everingham; thinking that at
last he had led Wessex into a graver
train of thought, failed to notice the
humorous twinkle of the eyes. which had
30 palpably struggled to the surface.
away from court" he whispered solemniy.
"but that woman is not the Queen OF
England" -- =. ....s
"Who Is 1t. then?' .r -
"In your ear, friend-'tis the Lady Or
sula Glynde." RI
Everingham could scarce suppress a
movement OF intense satisfaction. Lady
Ursula! beautiful. exquisite Lady Ursula.
was the one stumbling block on which the
schemes of his faction might become
hopelessly shattered.
Wessex was nominally plighted to the
lady. True. twas an engagement under
taken by the lady's own father. without
the consent Of the parties chiefly con-
cerned. But in Tudor England there was
a curious adherence to such solenlnly
plighted troths. which might have proved
a bar to the dukes sense Of absolute free
dom.
If, however, he looked upon this unnat-
ural and monstrous pledge with the light
ness which 1t fully deserved, If he consid-
cred himself at liberty to break the i'm
aginary bonds which held him to Lady
Ursula, then the work of his partisans
would become comparatively easy.
would become comparatively easy.
They had always hoped and fully In
tended to overcome his graces scruples
in the matter, and fondly thought that
they would succeed. But since the duke
himself looked indifferently upon this So
was the first to feel the keenest satisfac-
tion at the thought.
You dislike the lady, then?" he asked,
with unfeigned delight.
II have never seen her." retorted Wes-
sex placidly. "At any rate. not since she
was In her cradle. l certainly didn't like
her then
"She is very beautiful" remarked Ever
ingham with somewhat shamefaced
recollection Of his previous adventure,
but"
"She might be a veritable angel yet
she would frighten me-"
A mock shudder passed through his tall,
athletic frame, and taking his friend 6
arm in his. he whispered confidentially
Think of 1t, my lord! A woman whom
duty compels one to love! Brr! Her own
father plighted our troth; l am left COM
paratively free. yet, IL do not wed Ur-
sula. she Is doomed to end her days in a
IL, who could love any woman" he add
ed emphatically. "be she queen or peas
ant-that is-hm!-if / were really put to
it-find the very thought of my prom
ised bride abhorrent She is the one
woman in all the world whom I could
never love. Never-I know IL! So I ran
away from court not because / feared
one woman loved me too much. but be-
cause / knew should love one woman
too little"
He had spoken so t-heartedly. sc
gayly, that in spite of the grave issues a,
stake Everingham could not. help bu,
laugh.
NAY! perhaps you exaggerate the dan.
GER" he said: "the Lady Ursula Nigh,
prefer the convent to being duchess
She has never seen your grace. she is
rich and high-born. she may be pious."
''Or perverse." responded Wessex 'Tve
never met a woman yet who didn't want
badly-the thing she mightn't get"
lis England then a woman" querie6
Everingham with renewed earne estness
..since she wants WeSSexT