The Constable of the Tower by W. Harrison Ainsworth

“It will gladden me to comply with your Majesty’s injunctions, if I have my father’s permission,” she replied; “but he will probably think me much too young to appear at court. I have lived almost wholly in retirement hitherto, my education being far from complete.”

“But if I command, my lord of Dorset must obey; and so must you, fair cousin,” cried Edward, with a slight touch of his father’s imperious manner.

“Your Grace will command nothing that a loyal subject cannot comply with—of that I am certain,” rejoined Jane. “But your Majesty seems to forget that you have a governor—and a strict one, if what I hear be true. Are you quite sure that the Lord Protector will allow you to choose your own companions?”

“Peradventure not, unless they are agreeable to him,” returned Edward; “but he cannot object to you, fair cousin, or to my sister Elizabeth. I will not ask him to let my sister Mary come often to me, unless she will abjure her errors, and conform to the new doctrines.”

“Gentle persuasion may lead the Lady Mary’s Grace into the right path,” said Jane. “No pains should be spared with one so richly endowed. Such a convert would be worthy of your Majesty, and redound greatly to your honor.”

“I despair of making a convert of Mary,” replied Edward. “So stiff-necked and bigoted is she, that even the strong-willed king my father had enough to do to bring her to submission; and for a time she set his rightful authority at defiance. His Grace of Canterbury will advise me as to the course that ought to be pursued with her, and I shall be guided by his counsel.—Know you my younger uncle, Sir Thomas Seymour, Jane?”

“But little,” she answered. “I have seen him with my father, and I could not fail to notice him yesterday, for by common assent he was judged the noblest-looking personage who vowed fealty to you. Now I bethink me, her Highness the queen-dowager called my attention to him, and asked me what I thought of him. I told her I deemed him wondrous handsome, whereat she smiled very graciously upon me.”

“He is wondrous handsome!” cried Edward, enthusiastically; “and I marvel not her Majesty should smile to hear him praised, for he is a favorite with her, as indeed he is with my sister Elizabeth, and with most people, except the lord protector. To speak plain—for I dare speak plain to you, sweet cousin—I think the lord protector is jealous of him, and of his fancied influence over me. I would Sir Thomas Seymour had been chosen my governor. My elder uncle is good and kind, but he is austere, and—not exactly like Sir Thomas. He will keep all the power in his own hands, and leave little more than the name to me.”

“Perhaps it is for the best. Your Grace is very young, and can have had but slight experience in state affairs.”

“But I shall not like the lord protector’s control,” cried Edward. “I feel impatient already, though he has scarcely begun to exercise it. But I could obey Sir Thomas without a murmur.”

“I begin to perceive that Sir Thomas’s influence over your Majesty is by no means imaginary, and that the lord protector may have good cause for jealousy of his younger brother,” observed Jane, smiling. “But I must crave your Majesty’s permission to retire. I have sufficiently interrupted your studies already, and will not trespass further on your valuable time.”

“Nay, I hold your discourse to be more profitable than my studies, as I just now told you, fair coz,” rejoined the youthful king. “I shall read no more now. Do not burden yourself longer with that book, but let Fowler carry it for you.”

And as at a sign from his Majesty the gentleman in attendance respectfully advanced to take the books from his royal master and the Lady Jane, Edward observed that he looked very cold.

“I am well-nigh starved, an please your Majesty,” replied Fowler. “I have no inward fire, like your Highness and the Lady Jane Grey, to warm me withal.”

“What inward fire dost thou speak of, Fowler?” demanded the king, smiling.