Windsor Castle [150]
"I will await you here."
And Norris returned to the queen.
"Have you discovered anything? " she cried.
"Come with me, madam," said Norris, bowing and taking her hand.
Proceeding thus they glided through the throng of dancers, who respectfully cleared a passage for them as they walked along until they approached the spot where the tall monk was standing. As they drew near him he moved on, and Norris and the queen followed in silence. Passing from the great hall in which the crowd of dancers were assembled, they descended a short flight of steps, at the foot of which the monk paused, and pointed with his right hand to a chamber, partly screened by the folds of a curtain.
At this intimation the queen and her companion stepped quickly on, and as she advanced, Anne Boleyn perceived Jane Seymour and the king seated on a couch within the apartment. Henry was habited like a pilgrim, but he had thrown down his hat, ornamented with the scallop- shell, his vizard, and his staff, and had just forced his fair companion to unmask.
At the sight, Anne was tranfixed with jealous rage, and was for the moment almost unconscious of the presence of Norris, or of the monk, who remained behind the curtain, pointing to what was taking place.
"Your majesty is determined to expose my blushes," said Jane Seymour, slightly struggling with her royal lover.
"Nay, I only want to be satisfied that it is really yourself, sweetheart," cried Henry passionately. "It was in mercy to me, I suppose, that you insisted upon shrouding those beauteous features from my view.
"Hear you that, madam?" whispered Norris to Anne.
The queen answered by a convulsive clasp of the hand.
"Your majesty but jests with me," said Jane Seymour. "Jests!" cried Henry passionately. "By my faith! I never understood the power of beauty till now. No charms ever moved my heart like yours; nor shall I know a moment's peace till you become mine."
"I am grieved to hear it, my liege," replied Jane Seymour, "for I never can be yours, unless as your queen."
Again Norris hazarded a whisper to Anne Boleyn, which was answered by another nervous grasp of the hand.
"That is as much as to say," pursued Jane, seeing the gloomy reverie into which her royal lover was thrown, "I can give your majesty no hopes at all"
"You have been schooled by Anne Boleyn, sweetheart," said Henry.
"How so, my liege? "demanded Jane Seymour.
"Those are the very words she used to me when I wooed her, and which induced me to divorce Catherine of Arragon," replied Henry.
"Now they may bring about her own removal"
"Just Heaven!" murmured Anne.
I dare not listen to your majesty," said Jane Seymour, in a tremulous tone; "and yet, if I dared speak -
"Speak on, fearlessly, sweetheart," said Henry.
"Then I am well assured," said Jane,." that the queen no longer loves you; nay, that she loves another."
"It is false, minion! "cried Anne Boleyn, rushing forward, while Norris hastily retreated, " it is false! It is you who would deceive the king for your own purposes. But I have fortunately been brought hither to prevent the injury you would do me. Oh, Henry! have I deserved this of you?"
"You have chanced to overhear part of a scene in a masquerade, madam--that is all," said the king.
"I have chanced to arrive most opportunely for myself," said Anne. "As for this slanderous and deceitful minion, I shall dismiss her from my service. If your majesty is determined to prove faithless to me, it shall not be with one of my own dames."
"Catherine of Arragon should have made that speech," retorted Jane Seymour bitterly. "She had reason to complain that she was supplanted by one much beneath her. And she never played the king falsely."
"Nor have I!" cried Anne fiercely. "If I had my will, I should strike thee dead for the insinuation. Henry, my lord - my love--if you have any regard for me, instantly dismiss Jane Seymour."
"It may not be, madam," replied Henry in a freezing tone; "she has done nothing to deserve dismissal. If any one is to blame
And Norris returned to the queen.
"Have you discovered anything? " she cried.
"Come with me, madam," said Norris, bowing and taking her hand.
Proceeding thus they glided through the throng of dancers, who respectfully cleared a passage for them as they walked along until they approached the spot where the tall monk was standing. As they drew near him he moved on, and Norris and the queen followed in silence. Passing from the great hall in which the crowd of dancers were assembled, they descended a short flight of steps, at the foot of which the monk paused, and pointed with his right hand to a chamber, partly screened by the folds of a curtain.
At this intimation the queen and her companion stepped quickly on, and as she advanced, Anne Boleyn perceived Jane Seymour and the king seated on a couch within the apartment. Henry was habited like a pilgrim, but he had thrown down his hat, ornamented with the scallop- shell, his vizard, and his staff, and had just forced his fair companion to unmask.
At the sight, Anne was tranfixed with jealous rage, and was for the moment almost unconscious of the presence of Norris, or of the monk, who remained behind the curtain, pointing to what was taking place.
"Your majesty is determined to expose my blushes," said Jane Seymour, slightly struggling with her royal lover.
"Nay, I only want to be satisfied that it is really yourself, sweetheart," cried Henry passionately. "It was in mercy to me, I suppose, that you insisted upon shrouding those beauteous features from my view.
"Hear you that, madam?" whispered Norris to Anne.
The queen answered by a convulsive clasp of the hand.
"Your majesty but jests with me," said Jane Seymour. "Jests!" cried Henry passionately. "By my faith! I never understood the power of beauty till now. No charms ever moved my heart like yours; nor shall I know a moment's peace till you become mine."
"I am grieved to hear it, my liege," replied Jane Seymour, "for I never can be yours, unless as your queen."
Again Norris hazarded a whisper to Anne Boleyn, which was answered by another nervous grasp of the hand.
"That is as much as to say," pursued Jane, seeing the gloomy reverie into which her royal lover was thrown, "I can give your majesty no hopes at all"
"You have been schooled by Anne Boleyn, sweetheart," said Henry.
"How so, my liege? "demanded Jane Seymour.
"Those are the very words she used to me when I wooed her, and which induced me to divorce Catherine of Arragon," replied Henry.
"Now they may bring about her own removal"
"Just Heaven!" murmured Anne.
I dare not listen to your majesty," said Jane Seymour, in a tremulous tone; "and yet, if I dared speak -
"Speak on, fearlessly, sweetheart," said Henry.
"Then I am well assured," said Jane,." that the queen no longer loves you; nay, that she loves another."
"It is false, minion! "cried Anne Boleyn, rushing forward, while Norris hastily retreated, " it is false! It is you who would deceive the king for your own purposes. But I have fortunately been brought hither to prevent the injury you would do me. Oh, Henry! have I deserved this of you?"
"You have chanced to overhear part of a scene in a masquerade, madam--that is all," said the king.
"I have chanced to arrive most opportunely for myself," said Anne. "As for this slanderous and deceitful minion, I shall dismiss her from my service. If your majesty is determined to prove faithless to me, it shall not be with one of my own dames."
"Catherine of Arragon should have made that speech," retorted Jane Seymour bitterly. "She had reason to complain that she was supplanted by one much beneath her. And she never played the king falsely."
"Nor have I!" cried Anne fiercely. "If I had my will, I should strike thee dead for the insinuation. Henry, my lord - my love--if you have any regard for me, instantly dismiss Jane Seymour."
"It may not be, madam," replied Henry in a freezing tone; "she has done nothing to deserve dismissal. If any one is to blame