When Knighthood Was in Flower

e in Billi

tion of affairs that showed the difference in the quality of these two persons thrown so marvelously together from their far distant stations at each end of the ladder of fortune, in a way that reflec

e afternoon at the king's ante-chamber. The first day or so she sighed, but thought l

eir positions seemed to be reversed. At the end of the third day she sent for him to come to her rooms, but he, by a mighty effort, sent back a brief note saying that he could not and ought not to go. This, of course, threw Mary into a great passion, for she judged him by herself-a very common but dangerous method of judgment-and thought that if he felt at all as she did, he would throw prud

hed his limit. He had a fund of that most useful of all wisdom, knowledge of self, and knew his limita

ven her gift to one who offered a responsive passion, she was glad and proud of what she had done, but she had heard of man's pretense in order to cozen woman out of her favors, and she began to think she had been deceived. To her the logic seemed irresistible; that if the same motive lived in his heart, and prompted him, that burned in her breast, and induced her, who was virgin to her very heart-core, and whose hand had hardly before been touched by the hand of man, to give so much, no power of prudence could keep him away from her. So sh

nd again her heart began to ache; but her sense of injury grew stronger day

old Louis with descriptions of Mary's beauty. As there was a prospect of a new emperor soon, and as the imperial bee had of late been making a most vehement buzzing in Henry's bonnet, he encouraged de Longueville, and thought it would be a good time to purchase the help of France at the cost of his beautiful sister and a handsome dowe

ough she said nothing to any one but Jane, and was holding her forces in reserve fo

e her most wretched indeed. For the first time in her life she began to

a prospective husband. Flashes of all sorts of wild schemes had begun to shoot through her anger and grief when she stared in the face the prospect of her double separation from him-her marriage to another, and the countless miles of fathomles

London-a Jewish soothsayer named Grouche. He was also an astrologer, and h

in great numbers, and, notwithstanding the priests and bishops all condemned him as an imp of Satan and a follower of witchcraft, many fine people, including some court ladies, continued to go there by stealth in order to take a dangerous, inquisitive peep into the future. I say by stealth; because his ostensible occupation of sooths

sciences-would not think of permitting it. Two ladies, Lady Chesterfield and Lady Ormond, both good and virtuous women, had bee

me a longing to know the outcome of the present momento

proportion of persons who visited Grouche made his soothsaying an excuse. The thought of how wretched life would be with Louis had put into Mary's mind the thought of how sweet it would be with Brandon. Then came the wish that Brandon had been a prince, or even a great English nobleman; and then leaped up, all rainbow-hued, the hope that he might yet, by reason of his own great

imes lie to themselves; a

t for; second, to learn if she would be able to dissuade Henry from the French marriage and perhaps catch

y whither, although she would not acknowledge it, even to herself,

, and was confident she could arrange the visit

o make some purchases, would lodge at Bridewell House, and go over to Billingsgate that evening t

Mary thought they could disguise themselves as orange girl

ondon after dark, to say nothing of Billingsgate, that nest of water-rats and cut-throats. But

ght at a dance given in honor of the French envoys who had just arrived, bringing with them commission of special ambassador to de Longueville to negotiate the treaty of marriage, and it was impossible for me to go. Mary was going partly to avoid this ball, and her wilful persistency made Henry very angry. I regretted that I could not go, but I

d time hid himself behind a hedge near the private gate through

usk and return, so Mary

tle attention to the law requiring them to hang o

he see coming down the path toward the gate but his grace, the Duke of Buckingham.

ut on this path. As I said, I do not know where they are going; I only overheard them say they would go out at this ga

he "would take

them and Brandon quickly followed him. The girls passed through a little postern in the wall opposite Bridewell House, and walked rapidly up Fleet Ditch; climbed Ludgate Hill; passed Paul's church; turned toward the riv

ed spirit that dwelt in her soft white breast. Aside from the re

way over, but Ma

place, Brandon told me, a load of hay blocked the streets, compelling them to squeeze between the houses and the hay. He could hardly believe the girls had passed that way, as he had not always b

andon waited for the girls to come out. It seemed a very long time that they were i

he was, became greatly alarmed. The object of her journey had been accompli

is following us,

d Mary, for she knew Jane was a coward from the top o

o this wretched place; and to think, too, that I came here only

n he did when coming. Mary's fears grew upon her as she heard his step and

r ever expect to have on earth for-for Master Brandon at this mom

is Master Brandon following us. If we wait a few seconds he w

quickly flashed through the girl's mind. She was angry with Brandon for having cheated her out of so many favors and for having slighted her love, as she had succeeded in convincing herself was the case, all of which Grouche had confirmed by telling

oke, you shall leave me as soon as we get back

iants would be a mere pastime to him; yet see how she treated him. The girls had stopped when Jane called Brandon, and he was at once by their side with uncovered head, hoping for, and, of course, e

rly. We do not desire your company, and will thank you to leave us

given him so much within le

and was the cause of his fo

she had just said-" Slap! came Mary's hand on Jane'

an upper route, and now they walked rapidly in that direction. Brandon continued to follow th

uted an alarm to their comrades, but so intent were the latter in their pursuit that they did not hear. One of the men on foot fell dead, pierced through the back of the neck by Brandon's sword, before either was aware of his presence. The other turned, but was a corpse before he could cry out. The girls had stopped a short distance ahead, exhausted by their flight. Mary had stumbled and fallen, but had risen again, and both were now leaning against a wall, clinging to each other, a picture of abject terror. Brandon ran to the girls, but by the time he reached them the two men on horseback were there also, hacking away at him from their saddles. Brandon did his best to save himself from being cut to pieces and the girls from being trampled under foot by the prancing horses. A narrow jutting of the wall, a foot or two in width, a sort of

to escape with the girls. Of this he took advantage, you may be sure, for one of his mottoes was

ndon recognized the face of Buckingham, from which the mask had fallen. Of this he d

r unspoken may have the v

the princess and help Jane until he thought they were out of danger. Jane soon recovered, but Mary di

I think you had better. We shall soon be near Fishmonger'

but, as Brandon fell a step or two b

She then learned for the first time that he was wounded, and the tears came softly as she slipped from his arms to the ground. She walked beside him quietly for a little time, then, taking his hand in both of hers,

g that she would soon marry a very great prince or nobleman, the indications being in favor of the former, and, in place of this making her happy, she wished the wretched soothsayer in the bottomless pit-he and all his prophecies; herself, too, for going to him. His guesses were pretty shrewd; that is, admitting he did not know who Mary was, which she at least supposed was the case. So Mary wept that night and moaned and moaned because she had gone to Grouche's. It had added infinitely to the pain of which her heart was already too full, and made her thoroughly wretched