“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 have none of it.”
He handed the queen the rosette, and she smilingly fastened it on her shoulder again.