When Knighthood Was in Flower

  _CHAPTER VI_

  _A Rare Ride to Windsor_

  The princess knew her royal brother. A man would receive quickerreward for inventing an amusement or a gaudy costume for the king thanby winning him a battle. Later in life the high road to his favor wasin ridding him of his wife and helping him to a new one--a dangerousway though, as Wolsey found to his sorrow when he sank his glory inpoor Anne Boleyn.

  Brandon took the hint and managed to let it be known to hisplay-loving king that he knew the latest French games. The French Ducde Longueville had for some time been an honored prisoner at theEnglish court, held as a hostage from Louis XII, but de Longuevillewas a blockhead, who could not keep his little black eyes off our fairladies, who hated him, long enough to tell the deuce of spades fromthe ace of hearts. So Brandon was taken from his duties, such as theywere, and placed at the card table. This was fortunate at first; forbeing the best player the king always chose him as his partner, and,as in every other game, the king always won. If he lost there wouldsoon be no game, and the man who won from him too frequently was indanger at any moment of being rated guilty of the very highest sort oftreason. I think many a man's fall, under Henry VIII, was owing tothe fact that he did not always allow the king to win in some trivialmatter of game or joust. Under these conditions everybody was anxiousto be the king's partner. It is true he frequently forgot to dividehis winnings, but his partner had this advantage, at least: there wasno danger of losing. That being the case, Brandon's seat opposite theking was very likely to excite envy, and the time soon came, Henryhaving learned the play, when Brandon had to face someone else, andthe seat was too costly for a man without a treasury. It took but afew days to put Brandon _hors de combat_, financially, and he wouldhave been in a bad plight had not Wolsey come to his relief. Afterthat, he played and paid the king in his own coin.

  This great game of "honor and ruff" occupied Henry's mind day andnight during a fortnight. He feasted upon it to satiety as he did witheverything else; never having learned not to cloy his appetite byover-feeding. So we saw little of Brandon while the king's feverlasted, and Mary said she wished she had remained silent about thecards. You see, she could enjoy this new plaything as well as herbrother; but the king, of course, must be satisfied first. They bothhad enough eventually; Henry in one way, Mary in another.

  One day the fancy struck the king that he would rebuild a certainchapel at Windsor; so he took a number of the court, including Mary,Jane, Brandon and myself, and went with us up to London, where welodged over night at Bridewell House. The next morning--as bright andbeautiful a June day as ever gladdened the heart of a rose--we tookhorse for Windsor; a delightful seven-league ride over a fair road.

  Mary and Jane traveled side by side, with an occasional companion ortwo, as the road permitted. I was angry with Jane, as you know, so didnot go near the girls; and Brandon, without any apparent intention oneway or the other, allowed events to adjust themselves, and rode withCavendish and me.

  We were perhaps forty yards behind the girls, and I noticed after atime that the Lady Mary kept looking backward in our direction, as iffearing rain from the east. I was in hopes that Jane, too, would fearthe rain, but you would have sworn her neck was stiff, so straightahead did she keep her face. We had ridden perhaps three leagues, whenthe princess stopped her horse and turned in her saddle. I heard hervoice, but did not understand what she said.

  In a moment some one called out: "Master Brandon is wanted." So thatgentleman rode forward, and I followed him. When we came up with thegirls, Mary said: "I fear my girth is loose."

  Brandon at once dismounted to tighten it, and the others of ourimmediate party began to cluster around.

  Brandon tried the girth.

  "My lady, it is as tight as the horse can well bear," he said.

  "It is loose, I say," insisted the princess, with a little irritation;"the saddle feels like it. Try the other." Then turning impatiently tothe persons gathered around: "Does it require all of you, standingthere like gaping bumpkins, to tighten my girth? Ride on; we canmanage this without so much help." Upon this broad hint everybody rodeahead while I held the horse for Brandon, who went on with his searchfor the loose girth. While he was looking for it Mary leaned over herhorse's neck and asked: "Were you and Cavendish settling all thephilosophical points now in dispute, that you found him sointeresting?"

  "Not all," answered Brandon, smiling.

  "You were so absorbed, I supposed it could be nothing short of that."

  "No," replied Brandon again. "But the girth is not loose."

  "Perhaps I only imagined it," returned Mary carelessly, having lostinterest in the girth.

  I looked toward Jane, whose eyes were bright with a smile, and turnedBrandon's horse over to him. Jane's smile gradually broadened into alaugh, and she said: "Edwin, I fear my girth is loose also."

  "As the Lady Mary's was?" asked I, unable to keep a straight face anylonger.

  "Yes," answered Jane, with a vigorous little nod of her head, and apeal of laughter.

  "Then drop back with me," I responded.

  The princess looked at us with a half smile, half frown, and remarked:"Now you doubtless consider yourselves very brilliant and witty."

  "Yes," returned Jane maliciously, nodding her head in emphatic assent,as the princess and Brandon rode on before us.

  "I hope she is satisfied now," said Jane _sotto voce_ to me.

  "So you want me to ride with you?" I replied.

  "Yes," nodded Jane.

  "Why?" I asked.

  "Because I want you to," was the enlightening response.

  "Then why did you not dance with me the other evening?"

  "Because I did _not_ want to."

  "Short but comprehensive," thought I, "but a sufficient reason for amaiden."

  I said nothing, however, and after a time Jane spoke: "The dance wasone thing and riding with you is another. I did not wish to dance withyou, but I do wish to ride with you. You are the only gentleman towhom I would have said what I did about my girth being loose. As tothe new dance, I do not care to learn it because I would not dance itwith any man but you, and not even with you--yet." This made me glad,and coming from coy, modest Jane meant a great deal. It meant thatshe cared for me, and would, some day, be mine; but it also meant thatshe would take her own time and her own sweet way in being won. Thiswas comforting, if not satisfying, and loosened my tongue: "Jane, youknow my heart is full of love for you--"

  "Will the universe crumble?" she cried with the most provoking littlelaugh. Now that sentence was my rock ahead, whenever I tried to giveJane some idea of the state of my affections. It was a part of thespeech which I had prepared and delivered to Mary in Jane's hearing,as you already know. I had said to the princess: "The universe willcrumble and the heavens roll up as a scroll ere my love shall alter orpale." It was a high-sounding sentence, but it was not true, as I wasforced to admit, almost with the same breath that spoke it. Jane hadheard it, and had stored it away in that memory of hers, so tenaciousin holding to everything it should forget. It is wonderful what a fundof useless information some persons accumulate and cling to with apersistent determination worthy of a better cause. I thought Janenever would forget that unfortunate, abominable sentence spoken sograndiloquently to Mary. I wonder what she would have thought had sheknown that I had said substantially the same thing to a dozen others.I never should have won her in that case. She does not know it yet,and never shall if I can prevent. Although dear Jane is old now, andthe roses on her cheeks have long since paled, her gray eyes are stillthere, with their mischievous little twinkle upon occasion, and--infact, Jane can be as provoking as ever when she takes the fancy, forshe is as sure of my affection now as upon the morning of that rareride to Windsor. Aye, surer, since she knows that in all these yearsit has changed only to grow greater and stronger and truer in thefructifying light of her sweet face, and the nurturing warmth of herpure soul. What a blessed thing it is for a man to love his wife andbe satisfied with her, and to t
hink her the fairest being in all theworld; and how thrice happy is he who can stretch out the sweetestseason of his existence, the days of triumphant courtship, through theflying years of all his life, and then lie down to die in the quietedecstasy of a first love.

  So Jane halted my effort to pour out my heart, as she always did.

  "There is something that greatly troubles me," she said.

  "What is it?" I asked in some concern.

  "My mistress," she answered, nodding in the direction of the tworiding ahead of us. "I never saw her so much interested in any one asshe is in your friend, Master Brandon. Not that she is really in lovewith him as yet perhaps, but I fear it is coming and I dread to seeit. She has never been compelled to forego anything she wanted, andher desires are absolutely imperative. They drive her, and she ishelpless against them. She would not and could not make the smallesteffort to overcome them. I think it never occurred to her that such athing could be necessary; everything she wants she naturally thinks ishers by divine right. There has been no great need of such an effortuntil now, but your friend Brandon presents it. I wish he were at theother side of the world. I think she feels that she ought to keep awayfrom him before it is too late, both for his sake and her own, but sheis powerless to deny herself the pleasure of being with him, and I donot know what is to come of it all. That incident of the loose girthis an illustration. Did you ever know anything so bold andtransparent? Any one could see through it, and the worst of all is sheseems not to care if every one does see. Now look at them ahead of us!No girl is so happy riding beside a man unless she is interested inhim. She was dull enough until he joined her. He seemed in no hurry tocome, so she resorted to the flimsy excuse of the loose girth to bringhim. I am surprised that she even sought the shadow of an excuse, butdid not order him forward without any pretense of one. Oh! I don'tknow what to do. It troubles me greatly. Do you know the state of hisfeelings?"

  "No," I answered, "but I think he is heart-whole, or nearly so. Hetold me he was not fool enough to fall in love with the king's sister,and I really believe he will keep his heart and head, even at thatdizzy height. He is a cool fellow, if there ever was one."

  "He certainly is different from other men," returned Jane. "I think hehas never spoken a word of love to her. He has said some prettythings, which she has repeated to me; has moralized to some extent,and has actually told her of some of her faults. I should like to seeanyone else take that liberty. She seems to like it from him, and sayshe inspires her with higher, better motives and a yearning to be good;but I am sure he has made no love to her."

  "Perhaps it would be better if he did. It might cure her," I replied.

  "Oh! no! no! not now; at first, perhaps, but not now. What I fear isthat if he remains silent much longer she will take matters in handand speak herself. I don't like to say that--it doesn't soundwell--but she is a princess, and it would be different with her fromwhat it would be with an ordinary girl; she might have to speak first,or there might be no speaking from one who thought his position toofar beneath hers. She whose smallest desires drive her so, will neverforego so great a thing as the man she loves only for the want of aword or two."

  Then it was that Jane told me of the scene with the note, of thelittle whispered confidence upon their pillows, and a hundred otherstraws that showed only too plainly which way this worst of ill windswas blowing--with no good in it for any one. Now who could haveforetold this? It was easy enough to prophesy that Brandon would learnto love Mary, excite a passing interest, and come off crestfallen, asall other men had done. But that Mary should love Brandon, and heremain heart-whole, was an unlooked-for event--one that would hardlyhave been predicted by the shrewdest prophet.

  What Lady Jane said troubled me greatly, as it was but theconfirmation of my own fears. Her opportunity to know was far betterthan mine, but I had seen enough to set me thinking.

  Brandon, I believe, saw nothing of Mary's growing partiality at all.He could not help but find her wonderfully attractive and interesting,and perhaps it needed only the thought that she might love him, tokindle a flame in his own breast. But at the time of our ride toWindsor, Charles Brandon was not in love with Mary Tudor, however nearit he may unconsciously have been. He would whistle and sing, and wasas light-hearted as a lark--I mean when away from the princess as wellas with her--a mood that does not go with a heart full of heavy love,of impossible, fatal love, such as his would have been for the firstprincess of the first blood royal of the world.

  But another's trouble could not dim the sunlight in my own heart, andthat ride to Windsor was the happiest day of my life up to that time.Even Jane threw off the little cloud our forebodings had gathered,and chatted and laughed like the creature of joy and gladness she was.Now and then her heart would well up so full of the sunlight and theflowers, and the birds in the hedge, aye, and of the contagious lovein my heart, too, that it poured itself forth in a spontaneous littlesong which thrills me even now.

  Ahead of us were the princess and Brandon. Every now and then hervoice came back to us in a stave of a song, and her laughter, rich andlow, wafted on the wings of the soft south wind, made the glad birdshush to catch its silvery note. It seemed that the wild flowers hadtaken on their brightest hue, the trees their richest Sabbath-daygreen, and the sun his softest radiance, only to gladden the heart ofMary that they might hear her laugh. The laugh would have come quiteas joyously had the flowers been dead and the sun black, for flowersand sunlight, south wind, green pastures and verdant hills, all wereriding by her side. Poor Mary! Her days of laughter were numbered.

  We all rode merrily on to Windsor, and when we arrived it was curiousto see the great nobles, Buckingham, both the Howards, Seymour and adozen others stand back for plain Charles Brandon to dismount thefairest maiden and the most renowned princess in Christendom. It wasdone most gracefully. She was but a trifle to his strong arms, and helifted her to the sod as gently as if she were a child. The noblesenvied Brandon his evident favor with this unattainable Mary and hatedhim accordingly, but they kept their thoughts to themselves for tworeasons: First, they knew not to what degree the king's favor, alreadymarked, with the help of the princess might carry him; and second,they did not care to have a misunderstanding with the man who had cutout Adam Judson's eyes.

  We remained at Windsor four or five days, during which time the kingmade several knights. Brandon would probably have been one of them, aseverybody expected, had not Buckingham related to Henry the episode ofthe loose girth, and adroitly poisoned his mind as to Mary'spartiality. At this the king began to cast a jealous eye on Brandon.His sister was his chief diplomatic resource, and when she loved ormarried, it should be for Henry's benefit, regardless of all else.

  Brandon and the Lady Mary saw a great deal of each other during thislittle stay at Windsor, as she always had some plan to bring about ameeting, and although very delightful to him, it cost him much inroyal favor. He could not trace this effect to its proper cause and ittroubled him. I could have told him the reason in two words, but Ifeared to put into his mind the thought that the princess might learnto love him. As to the king, he would not have cared if Brandon orevery other man, for that matter, should go stark mad for love of hissister, but when she began to show a preference he grew interested,and it was apt sooner or later to go hard with the fortunate one. Whenwe went back to Greenwich Brandon was sent on a day ahead.