unworthy of a woman to love a man
who does not adore her?" asked the earl, in a significant tone. "I am
rejoiced to hear this from my daughter, and thus to be certain that she
will not fall in love with the Earl of Surrey, who is everywhere else
called 'the lady-killer.' And if you have informed yourself in so
surprising a manner as to the earl's private relations, you have done
so, without doubt, only because your sagacious and subtle head has
already guessed what commission I would give you with respect to the
earl. Besides, my daughter, you are in error: and if a certain high,
but not on that account the less very unfortunate lady, should happen
to really love the Earl of Surrey, her lot will, perhaps, be the common
one--to practise resignation."

An expression of joyful surprise passed over the countenance of Lady
Jane, while her father thus spoke; but it was forced to instantly give
way to a deathly paleness, as the earl added: "Henry Howard is destined
for Catharine Parr, and you are to help her to love so hotly this proud,
handsome earl, who is a faithful servant of the Church, wherein alone is
salvation, that she will forget all considerations and all dangers."

Lady Jane ventured one more objection. She caught eagerly at her
father's words, to seek still for some way of escape.

"You call the earl a faithful servant of our Church," said she, "and yet
you would implicate him also in your dangerous plot? You have not, then,
my father, considered that it is just as pernicious to love the queen as
to be loved by her? And, without doubt, if love for the Earl of Surrey
bring the queen to the scaffold, the head of the earl will fall at the
same time, no matter whether he return her love or not."

The earl shrugged his shoulders.

"When the question is about the weal of the Church and our holy
religion, the danger which, thereby, it may be, threatens one of our
number, must not frighten us back. Holy sacrifices must be always
offered to a holy cause. Well and good, then, let the earl's head fall,
provided the only saving Church gains new vigor from this blood of
martyrs. But see, Jane, the morning already begins to dawn, and I must
hasten to leave you, lest these courtiers, ever given to slandering, may
in some way or other take the father for a lover, and cast suspicion on
the immaculate virtue of my Jane. Farewell, then, my daughter! We both,
now, know our roles, and will take care to play them with success. You