dispatch a note to Brandon, at Newgate, telling him upon his escape to come to her.  He might remain in hiding in the neighborhood of Windsor, and she could see him every day.  The time had come to Mary when to “see him every day” would turn Plutonian shades into noonday brightness and weave sunbeams out of utter darkness.  With Mary, to resolve was to act; so the note was soon dispatched by a page, and one hour later the girls were on their road to Windsor.

Buckingham went to Newgate, expecting to make a virtue, with Mary, out of the necessity imposed by the king’s command, in freeing Brandon.  He had hoped to induce Brandon to leave London stealthily and immediately, by representing to him the evil consequences of a break between the citizens and the king, liable to grow out of his release, and relied on Brandon’s generosity to help him out; but when he found the note which Mary’s page had delivered to the keeper of Newgate, he read it and all his plans were changed.

He caused the keeper to send the note to the king, suppressing the fact that he, Buckingham, had any knowledge of it.  The duke then at once started to Greenwich, where he arrived and sought the king a few minutes before the time he knew the messenger with Mary’s note would come.  The king was soon found, and Buckingham, in apparent anger, told him that the city authorities refused to deliver Brandon except upon an order under the king’s seal.

Henry and Buckingham were intensely indignant at the conduct of the scurvy burghers, and an immense amount of self-importance was displayed and shamefully wasted.  This manifestation was at its highest when the messenger from Newgate arrived with Mary’s poor little note as intended by the duke.

The note was handed to Henry, who read aloud as follows: 

  “To Master Charles Brandon”: 

“Greeting—­Soon you will be at liberty; perhaps ere this is to your hand.  Surely would I not leave you long in prison.  I go to Windsor at once, there to live in the hope that I may see you speedily.

  “MARY.”

“What is this?” cried Henry.  “My sister writing to Brandon?  God’s death!  My Lord of Buckingham, the suspicions you whispered in my ear may have some truth.  We will let this fellow remain in Newgate, and allow our good people of London to take their own course with him.”

Buckingham went to Windsor next day and told Mary that arrangements had been made the night before for Brandon’s escape, and that he had heard that Brandon had left for New Spain.

Mary thanked the duke, but had no smiles for any one.  Her supply was exhausted.

She remained at Windsor nursing her love for the sake of the very pain it brought her, and dreading the battle for more than life itself which she knew she should soon be called upon to fight.