Brandon did not tell her that his faith in her ultimate ability to keep her promise was as small as it was great in his own.  Neither did he dampen her spirits by telling her that there was a reason, outside of himself, which in all probability would help him in keeping his word, and save her from the pangs of that jealousy she so much feared; namely, that he would most certainly wed the block and ax should the king get possession of him.  He might have escaped from England in the Royal Hind, for the wind had come up shortly after they left the ship, and they could see the sails indistinctly through the gloom as she got under way.  But he could not leave Mary alone, and had made up his mind to take her back to London and march straight into the jaws of death with her, if the king’s men did not soon come.

He knew that a debt to folly bears no grace, and was ready with his principal and usance.

CHAPTER XVIII

To the Tower

Whether or not Brandon would have found some way to deliver the princess safely home, and still make his escape, I cannot say, as he soon had no choice in the matter.  At midnight a body of yeomen from the tower took possession of the Bow and String, and carried Brandon off to London without communication with Mary.  She did, not know of his arrest until next morning, when she was informed that she was to follow immediately, and her heart was nearly broken.

Here again was trouble for Mary.  She felt, however, that the two great questions, the marriage of herself to Louis, and Brandon to any other person, were, as she called it, “settled”; and was almost content to endure this as a mere putting off of her desires—­a meddlesome and impertinent interference of the Fates, who would soon learn with whom they were dealing, and amend their conduct.

She did not understand the consequences for Brandon, nor that the Fates would have to change their purpose very quickly or something would happen worse, even, than his marriage to another woman.

On the second morning after leaving Bristol, Brandon reached London, and, as he expected, was sent to the Tower.  The next evening Lady Mary arrived and was taken down to Greenwich.

The girl’s fair name was, of course, lost—­but, fortunately, that goes for little with a princess—­since no one would believe that Brandon had protected her against himself as valiantly and honorably as he would against another.  The princess being much more unsophisticated than the courtiers were ready to believe, never thought of saying anything to establish her innocence or virtue, and her silence was put down to shame and taken as evidence against her.

Jane met Mary at Windsor, and, of course, there was a great flood of tears.

Upon arriving at the palace, the girls were left to themselves, upon Mary’s promise not to leave her room; but, by the next afternoon, she, having been unable to learn anything concerning Brandon, broke her parole and went out to see the king.