wn to her waist.

Thus appeared the Duchess of Richmond, the widow of King Henry's natural
son, Henry Richmond; the sister of Lord Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey;
and the daughter of the noble Duke of Norfolk.

Since her husband had died and left her a widow at twenty, she resided
in her brother's palace, and had placed herself under his protection,
and in the world they were known as "the affectionate brother and
sister."

Ah, how little knew the world, which is ever wont to judge from
appearances, of the hatred and the love of these two; how little
suspicion had it of the real sentiments of this brother and sister!

Henry Howard had offered his sister his palace as her residence,
because he hoped by his presence to lay on her impulsive and voluptuous
disposition a restraint which should compel her not to overstep the
bounds of custom and decency. Lady Richmond had accepted this offer of
his palace because she was obliged to; inasmuch as the avaracious and
parsimonious king gave his son's widow only a meagre income, and her own
means she had squandered and lavishly thrown away upon her lovers.

Henry Howard had thus acted for the honor of his name; but he loved not
his sister; nay, he despised her. But the Duchess of Richmond hated
her brother, because her proud heart felt humbled by him, and under
obligations of gratitude.

But their hatred and their contempt were a secret that they both
preserved in the depths of the heart, and which they scarcely dared
confess to themselves. Both had veiled this their inmost feeling with
a show of affection, and only once in a while was one betrayed to the
other by some lightly dropped word or unregarded look.

CHAPTER XXIII. BROTHER AND SISTER.

Lightly on the tips of her toes the duchess stole toward her brother,
who did not yet observe her. The thick Turkish carpet made her steps
inaudible. She already stood behind the earl, and he had not yet noticed
her.

Now she bent over his shoulder, and fastened her sparkling eyes on the
paper in her brother's hand.

Then she read in a loud, sonorous voice the title of it: "Complaint,
because Geraldine never shows herself to her lover unless covered by
her veil." [Footnote: Sonnet by Surrey.--See Nott's Life and Works of
Surrey.] "Ah," said the duchess, laughing, "now, then, I have spied out
your secret, and you must surrender to me at discretion. So you are in
love; and Geraldine is the name of the chosen one to whom you