solicitude; but not a word did she ask. She did not come near me, but
made a point of avoidance, as I could plainly see. The next morning
she, with Jane, went over to Scotland Palace without so much as a
breath of inquiry from either of them. This heartless conduct enraged
me; but I was glad to learn afterward that Jane's silence was at
Mary's command--that bundle of selfishness fearing that any
solicitude, however carefully shown upon her part, might reveal her
secret.

It seems that Mary had recent intelligence of the forward state of
affairs in the marriage negotiations, and felt that a discovery by her
brother of what she had done, especially in view of the disastrous
results, would send her to France despite all the coaxing she could do
from then till doomsday.

It was a terrible fate hanging over her, doubly so in view of the fact
that she loved another man; and looking back at it all from the
vantage point of time, I cannot wonder that it drove other things out
of her head and made her seem selfish in her frightened desire to save
herself.

About twelve o'clock of the following night I was awakened by a knock
at my door, and, upon opening, in walked a sergeant of the sheriff of
London, with four yeomen at his heels.

The sergeant asked if one Charles Brandon was present, and upon my
affirmative answer demanded that he be forthcoming. I told the
sergeant that Brandon was confined to his bed with illness, whereupon
he asked to be shown to his room.