is more honest in his intent, that so she may not
wholly waste her maiden days--which sweet Saint Katharine forbid! Yet,
most worshipful Mistress Margery, I entreat you with due submission not
to take this amiss in your beloved brother, nor to withdraw from him any
share of your precious love, whereas my gracious master may rightly look
higher for his future wife. And as touching his doings now in his
unmarried state, of us the saying is true: Like master, like man. And
whereas I, who am but a poor and simple serving man, have never been fain
to set my heart on one only maid, no less is to be looked for in my
gracious master, who is rich and of noble birth."

This epistle would of a certainty have moved me to laughter at any other
time but, as things stood, the matter and manner of the low varlet's
letter in daring to write thus of Ann, roused me to fury. And yet he was
a brave fellow, and of rare faithfulness to his master; for when the
Marchese's nephew had fallen upon Herdegen, he had wrenched the sword out
of the young nobleman's hand at the peril of his own life and had
thereafter modestly held his peace as to that brave deed. It was, in
truth, hard not to betray the coming of this letter, even by a look; yet
did I hide it; but when another letter was brought, not long after, all
care and secrecy were vain.

Oh! that dreadful letter. I could not hide the matter of it; but I let
pass her mother's wedding before I confessed to Ann what my brother had
written to me.

That cruel letter lies before me now. It is longer than any he had
written me heretofore, and I will here write it fair, for indeed I could
not, an I would, copy the writing, so wild and reckless as it is.

"All must be at an end, Margery, betwixt Ann and me"--and those first
words stung me like a whip-lash. "There. 'Tis written, and now you know
it. I was never worthy of her, for I have sold my heart's love for money,
as Judas sold the Lord.

"Not that my love or longing are dead. Even while I write I feel dragged
to her; a thousand voices cry to me that there is but one Ann, and when a
few weeks ago the young Sieur de Blonay made so bold as to vaunt of his
lady and her rose-red as above all other ladies and colors, my sword
compelled him to yield the place of honor to blue--for whose sake you
know well.

"And nevertheless I must give her up. Although I fled from temptation, it
pursued me, and when it fell upon me, after a short battle I was broug