"And I return the pledge," replied the fair Geraldine, earnestly. "I vow to be yours, and yours only."

"Would that Richmond could hear your vow !" said Surrey"it would extinguish his hopes."

"He has heard it!" cried the duke, advancing. "But his hopes are not yet extinguished."

The fair Geraldine uttered a slight scream, and disengaged herself from the earl.

"Richmond, you have acted unworthily in thus playing the spy," said Surrey, angrily.

"None but a spy can surprise interviews like these," rejoined Richmond, bitterly. "The Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald had better have kept her chamber, than come here to plight her troth with a boy, who will change his mind before his beard is grown." "Your grace shall find the boy man enough to avenge an insult," rejoined Surrey, furiously.

"I am glad to hear it!" returned the duke. "Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, I must pray you to return to your lodgings. The king's jester will attend you. This way, my lord!"

Too much exasperated to hesitate, Surrey followed the duke down the passage, and the next moment, the clashing of swords was heard. The fair Geraldine screamed loudly, and Will Sommers began to think the jest had been carried too far.

"What is to be done ?" he cried. "If the king hears of this duel, he will assuredly place the Earl of Surrey in arrest. now repent having brought the duke here."

"You deserve to be soundly bastinadoed for your malice," cried the fair Geraldine; "but fly, and prevent further mischief."

Thus urged, the jester ran towards the lower ward, and finding an officer of the guard and a couple of halberdiers near the entrance of Saint George's Chapel, told them what was taking place, and they immediately hastened with him to the scene of the conflict.

"My lords!" cried the officer to the combatants, "I command you to lay down your weapons."

But finding no respect paid to his injunctions, he rushed between them, and with the aid of the halberdiers, forcibly separated them.

"My lord of Surrey," said the officer, " you are my prisoner. I demand your sword."

"Why so?" rejoined the other.

"You have drawn it against the king's son-and the act is treason," replied the officer. "I shall take you to the guardhouse until the king's pleasure is known."

"But I provoked the earl to the conflict," said Richmond; "I was the aggressor."

"Your grace will represent the matter as you see fit to your royal father," rejoined the officer, " I shall fulfil my duty. My lord, to the guard-house!”

"I will procure your instant liberation, Surrey," said Richmond.

The earl was then led away, and conveyed to a chamber in the lower part of Henry the Eighth's gate, now used as a place of military punishment, and designated the "black hole."

BY

IX.

WHAT MEANS SIR THOMAS WYAT OBTAINED AN INTERVIEW WITH ANNE BOLEYN; AND HOW THE EARL OF SURREY SAVED THEM FROM THE KING'S ANGER.

THE incident at the hunting party gave new life to the adherents of Catherine of Arragon, while it filled those devoted to Anne Boleyn with alarm. Immediately on her return to the castle, Lord Rochford had a private interview with his daughter, and bitterly reproached her for endangering her splendid prospects. Anne treated the matter very lightly; said it was only a temporary gust of jealousy; and that the king would be at her feet again before the day was past.

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"You are over-confident, mistress!" cried Rochford, angrily. Henry is not an ordinary gallant."

"It is you who are mistaken, father," replied the Lady Anne. "The king differs in no respect from any of his love-smitten subjects. I have him in my toils, and will not let him escape."

"You have a tiger in your toils, daughter, and take heed he does not forcibly break through them," rejoined Rochford. "The king is more wayward than you suppose him. Once let him take up a notion, and nothing can shake him from it. He has resolved upon the divorce as much out of self-will as from any other consideration. If you regain your position with him, of which you seem so confident, do not consider yourself secure -not even when you are crowned queen-but be warned by Catherine of Arragon."

"Catherine has not the art to retain him," said Anne. "Henry will never divorce me."

"Take care he does not rid himself of you in a more summary manner, daughter," rejoined Rochford. "If you would stand well with him, you must study his lightest word, look, and action,-humour him in every whim, and yield to every caprice. Above all, you must exhibit no jealousy."

"You are wrong in all but the last, father," returned Anne. "Henry is not to be pleased by such nice attention to his humours. It is because I have shewn myself careless of him that I have captivated him. But I will take care not to exhibit jealousy, and sooth to say, I do not think I shall have cause."

"Be not too sure of that," replied Rochford. "And, at all events, let not the king have cause to be jealous of you. I trust Wyat will be banished from court. But if he is not, do not let him approach you more."

"Poor Sir Thomas!" exclaimed Anne, with a sigh. loved me very dearly."

"He

"But what is his love compared to that of a king?" cried Rochford. "Tut, tut, girl! think no more of him.”

"I will not, my lord," she rejoined; "I see the prudence of your counsel, and will act according to it. Leave me, I pray you. I will think over some plan to win back the affections of the king."

No sooner had Rochford quitted the chamber than the arras at the further end was raised, and Sir Thomas Wyat stepped from behind it. His first proceeding was to bar the door.

"What means this, Sir Thomas Wyat?" cried Anne, in alarm. "How have you obtained admittance here?"

"Through the secret staircase," replied Wyat, bending the knec before her.

"Rise, sir!" cried Anne, in great alarm-" Return, I beseech you, as you came. You have greatly endangered me by coming here. If you are seen to leave this chamber, it will be in vain to assert my innocence to Henry. Oh, Sir Thomas, you cannot love me, or you would not have done this."

"Not love you, Anne!" he repeated, bitterly; "not love