you, dear John, give me the letter."

"Then only, when you give me the rosette. I have sworn it by the gods,
and what I vow to them, that I stick to! No, no, queen--not those sullen
airs, not that angry frown. For if I cannot in earnest receive the
rosette as a present, then let us do like the Jesuits and papists, who
even trade with the dear God, and snap their fingers at Him. I must
keep my oath! I give you the letter, and you give me the rosette; but
listen--you only lend it to me; and when I have it in my hand a moment,
I am generous and bountiful, like the king, and I make you a present of
your own property."

With a quick motion the queen tore the rosette from her shoulder, and
handed it to John Heywood.

"Now give me the letter, John."

"Here it is," said John Heywood as he received the rosette. "Take it;
and you will see that Thomas Seymour is my brother."

"Your brother?" asked Catharine with a smile, as with trembling hand she
broke the seal.

"Yes, my brother, for he is a fool! Ah, I have a great many brothers.
The family of fools is so very large!"

The queen no longer heard. She was reading the letter of her lover. She
had eyes only for those lines, that told her that Thomas Seymour loved
her, adored her, and was pining away with longing after her. She did
not see how John Heywood, with nimble hand, unfastened the diamond clasp
from the rosette, and took out of it the little paper that was concealed
in the folds of the ribbon.

"She is saved!" murmured he, while he thrust the fatal paper into his
doublet, and fastened the clasp again with the pin. "She is saved, and
the king will not sign her death-warrant this time."

Catharine had read the letter to the end, and hid it in her bosom.

"Queen, you have sworn to burn up every letter that I bring you from
him; for, forbidden love-letters are dangerous things. One day they may
find a tongue and testify against you! Queen, I will not bring you again
another letter, if you do not first burn that one."

"John, I will burn it up when once I have really read it. Just now I
read it only with my heart, not with my eyes. Allow me, then, to wear it
on my heart a few hours more."

"Do you swear to me that you will burn it up this very day?"

"I swear it."

"Then I will be satisfied this time. Here is your rosette; and like
the famous fox in the fable, that pronounced the grapes sour because he
could not get them, I say, take your rosette back; I will ha