to carry off the prize. Which of the
two candidates Margaret herself would have preferred there is no means
of knowing. She was yet only about fifteen years of age, and was
completely in the power and at the disposal of her father and mother.
And then the political and family interests which were at stake in
the decision of the question were too vast to allow of the personal
preferences of the young girl herself being taken much into the
account.

[Sidenote: The affair finally settled.]

At last every thing was arranged, and Suffolk returned to England,
bringing with him the treaty of peace and the contract of marriage, to
be ratified by the king's council and by Parliament. A new contest now
ensued between the Gloucester and Beaufort parties. The king, of
course, threw all his influence on the cardinal's side, and so the
treaty and the contract carried the day. Both were ratified. The Earl
of Suffolk, as a reward for his services, was made a marquis, and he
was appointed the king's proxy to proceed to France and espouse the
bride in the king's name, according to the usual custom in the case of
royal marriages.

CHAPTER VI.

THE WEDDING.

[Sidenote: Preparations for the wedding.]

[Sidenote: Excitement.]

Preparations were now immediately made for solemnizing the marriage
and bringing the young queen at once to England. The marriage ceremony
by which a foreign princess was united to a reigning prince, according
to the custom of those times, was twofold, or, rather, there were two
distinct ceremonies to be performed, in one of which the bride, at her
father's own court, was united to her future husband by proxy, and in
the second the nuptials were celebrated anew with her husband himself
in person, after her arrival in his kingdom. Suffolk, as was stated in
the last chapter, was appointed to act as the king's proxy in this
case, for the performance of the first of these ceremonies. He was to
proceed to France, espouse the bride in the king's name, and convey
her to England. Of course a universal excitement now spread itself
among all the nobility and among all the ladies of the court, which
was awakened by the interest which all took in the approaching
wedding, and the desire they felt to accompany the expedition.

[Sidenote: Dresses.]

[Sidenote: Company.]

A great many of the lords and ladies began to make preparations to
join Lord and Lady Suffolk. Nothing was talked of but dresses,
equipments,