arms about her neck.

"When will he leave?" whispered Mary, shyly confessing all by her
question.

"I do not know," responded Jane, "but he will see you before he goes."

"Do you believe he will?"

"I know it;" and with this consolation Mary softly wept herself to
sleep.

After this, for a few days, Mary was quiet enough. Her irritable mood
had vanished, but Jane could see that she was on the lookout for some
one all the time, although she made the most pathetic little efforts
to conceal her watchfulness.

At last a meeting came about in this way: Next to the king's
bed-chamber was a luxuriously furnished little apartment with a
well-selected library. Here Brandon and I often went, afternoons, to
read, as we were sure to be undisturbed.

Late one day Brandon had gone over to this quiet retreat, and having
selected a volume, took his place in a secluded little alcove half
hidden in arras draperies. There was a cushioned seat along the wall
and a small diamond-shaped window to furnish light.

He had not been there long when in came Mary. I can not say whether
she knew Brandon was there or not, but she was there and he was there,
which is the only thing to the point, and finding him, she stepped