In the Days of Queen Mary

ight filtered through the trees w

roke the silence which sweetly brooded over the broad terrace on which two Sussex boys lay ext

arth, and the gay flowers which spangled the wide-spreadin

en, and the lads could see the maids within the dining-hall busily

"we must go indoors and make ourselves presentable.

wo fine retrievers. "I love to watch the purple light on the down

comes Sue with orders, I expect, from the powe

her approach the dogs ran forward to greet her,

ey stood side by side the like

ilt, fair haired and blue eyed, their strong limbs and fresh complexions betokened youths whose lives had been s

hem had been "foundation scholars" in the famous

already seen something of

ned in t

s London lawyer, and he bid fair to occup

his two nephews had taken the parts of Castor and Pollux. The young King had honoured the performance with his royal presence, and so st

ld hardly tell them apart, and to avoid the continual mistakes which would oth

the one was the complement of the other, and their father, William Jeffer

urt, but they would have to return thither shortly, for

-eminently in agreement-they both adored their s

therless, and Susan, as the eldest member of the family, at once assumed the domestic control of Ch

t of their hearts was laid bare; she was their "dea patrona," and for her both

ossessed their fair complexion and laughing blue eyes-her

and her figure displayed the namele

will be here in a few minutes; his grooms arrived an hour ago with his baggage, and no

nds they ran by her side towards the entrance porch, whic

dismounted from his grey sorrel-th

brother William came forward to gre

hich gathered in the d

ned oriel window, and sent coloured streams across the fair napery of the table as it passed through the stained glass of armorial bearings. Sir John sat at the head of th

vening began to deepen, an

scoted walls and illumined the features of past generations

n 1495, and beside him was the portrait of his wife Agnes

d William, Richard being the father of the fam

se themselves with music and merry games, Sir John and his brother stepped o

nd was stirring the tree-tops, and from the woods

l peace and happiness to the wild drama which

beasts and birds of prey are gathering together at Court ready to fly at each others' throats as soon as the life is out of his poor body. Alas! alas! for England; I see no hope for her but in God. His Grace of No

he might legally sign certain State documents, and I told him that if he did so it wo

heart is wholly with the Lady Mary, and, by my troth, he is wise! For, as a lawyer, I declare that the rights to the throne of the Ladies Mary and Elizabeth a

d I am glad to escape from London and breathe

ur Reformed Church, which is dear to

swered Sir John. "The Lady Mary

enger to the Lord Mayor, declaring that should she be de

p her word?"

e man whom she shall marry, for marry she will. If, by the mercy of God, she

ly moved, and he

lieve that the Reformation has taken a deep hold upon the country; the Church may bend before a fierce storm of persecution, but she will not be broken-she will rise aga

t quivered with emotion, his brother caught hi

t I pray that God may spare us the trial of our faith! But hark! I hear an approaching

oom appeared on the lawn,

m him; then, turning t

ry, and we will read them at once; they must be of im

library-a comfortable room, well lighted with wax candl

and eagerly open

he said. "I will read his let

oured

eto. The Archbishop hesitated to the last, but His Grace of Northumberland would not be withstood-and so all

ed at each other

ry places her hope on the Emperor. I bethink me of our blessed Lord's words: 'These things are the beginning of sorrows! Then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever s

an's pretty voice below; she is singing one of those songs I love so we

rd died at Greenwich in the sixteenth yea

l the end came; then he hastened up to

uspices of their uncle at Gray's Inn, for it was his wish that they