u have written to the archbishop?" cried Seymour, amazed.
"How! what say you? Cranmer awaits us in the private chapel?"

"Without doubt he is waiting for us, as I have written him to do so."

"And what is he to do? What do you want of him?"

She looked at him in astonishment. "What do I want of him? Why, that he
may marry us!"

The earl staggered back as if stunned. "And have you written him that
also?"

"Nay, indeed," said she, with a charming, childlike smile. "I know very
well that it is dangerous to trust such secrets to paper. I have only
written him to come in his official robes, because I have an important
secret to confess to him."

"Oh, God be praised! We are not lost," sighed Seymour.

"But how, I do not understand you?" asked she. "You do not extend me
your hand! You do not hasten to conduct me to the chapel!"

"Tell me, I conjure you, tell me only this one thing: have you ever
spoken to the archbishop of your--no--of our love? Have you ever
betrayed to him so much, as a syllable of that which stirs our hearts?"

She blushed deeply beneath the steady gaze which he fixed on her.
"Upbraid me, Seymour," whispered she. "But my heart was weak and
timorous; and as often as I tried to fulfil the holy duty, and confess
everything honestly and frankly to the archbishop, I could not do
it! The word died on my lips; and it was as though an invisible power
paralyzed my tongue."

"So, then, Cranmer knows nothing?"

"No, Seymour, he knows nothing as yet. But now he shall learn all;
now we will go before him and tell him that we love each other, and
constrain him, by our prayers, to bless our union, and join our hands."

"Impossible!" cried Seymour. "That can never be!"

"How! What do you say?" asked she in astonishment.

"I say that Cranmer will never be so insane, nay, so criminal, as to
fulfil your wish. I say that you can never be my wife."

She looked him full and square in the face. "Have you not then told me
that you loved me?" asked she. "Have I not sworn to you that I loved you
in return? Must we then not be married, in order to sanctify the union
of our hearts?"

Seymour sank his eyes to the ground before her pure innocent look, and
blushed for shame. She did not understand this blush; because he was
silent, she deemed him convinced.

"Come," said she, "come; Cranmer is waiting for us!"

He again raised his eyes and looked at her in amazement, "Do you not
see, then, this is all only a dream t