CHAPTER XV

To Make a Man of Her

So it was all arranged, and I converted part of Mary’s jewels into money.  She said she was sorry now she had not taken de Longueville’s diamonds, as they would have added to her treasure; I, however, procured quite a large sum, to which I secretly added a goodly portion out of my own store.  At Mary’s request I sent part to Bradhurst at Bristol, and retained the rest for Brandon to take with him.

A favorable answer soon came from Bristol, giving the young nobleman a separate room in consideration of the large purse he had sent.

The next step was to procure the gentleman’s wardrobe for Mary.  This was a little troublesome at first, for, of course, she could not be measured in the regular way.  We managed to overcome this difficulty by having Jane take the measurements under instructions received from the tailor, which measurements, together with the cloth, I took to the fractional little man who did my work.

He looked at the measurements with twinkling eyes, and remarked:  “Sir Edwin, that be the curiousest shaped man ever I see the measures of.  Sure it would make a mighty handsome woman, or I know nothing of human dimensions.”

“Never you mind about dimensions; make the garments as they are ordered and keep your mouth shut, if you know what is to your interest.  Do you hear?”

He delivered himself of a labored wink.  “I do hear and understand, too, and my tongue is like the tongue of an obelisk.”

In due time I brought the suits to Mary, and they were soon adjusted to her liking.

The days passed rapidly, till it was a matter of less than a fortnight until the Royal Hind would sail, and it really looked as if the adventure might turn out to our desire.

Jane was in tribulation, and thought she ought to be taken along.  This, you may be sure, was touching me very closely, and I began to wish the whole infernal mess at the bottom of the sea.  If Jane went, his august majesty, King Henry VIII, would be without a Master of the Dance, just as sure as the stars twinkled in the firmament.  It was, however, soon decided that Brandon would have his hands more than full to get off with one woman, and that two would surely spoil the plan.  So Jane was to be left behind, full of tribulation and indignation, firmly convinced that she was being treated very badly.

Although at first Jane was violently opposed to the scheme, she soon caught the contagious ardor of Mary’s enthusiasm, and knowing that her dear lady’s every chance of happiness was staked upon the throw, grew more reconciled.  To a person of Jane’s age, this venture for love offers itself as the last and only cast—­the cast for all—­and in this particular case there was enough of romance to catch the fancy of any girl.  Nothing was lacking to make it truly romantic.  The exalted station of at least one of the lovers; the rough road of their true love; the elopement, and, above all, the elopement to a new world, with a cosy hut nestling in fragrant shades and glad with the notes of love from the throats of countless song-birds—­what more could a romantic girl desire?  So, to my surprise, Jane became more than reconciled, and her fever of anticipation and excitement grew apace with Mary’s as the time drew on.