iplomacy at the very beginning.

Henry was a dullard mentally, while Mary's mind was keen and
alert--two facts of which the girl was perfectly aware--so it was no
wonder she had such confidence in herself. When she first heard of
Brandon's sentence her fear for him was so great, and the need for
action so urgent, that she could not resort to her usual methods for
turning matters her way, but eagerly applied the first and quickest
remedy offered. Now, however, that she had a breathing spell, and time
in which to operate her more slowly moving, but, as she thought,
equally sure forces of cajolery and persuasion, she determined to
marshal the legions of her wit and carry war into the enemy's country
at once.

Henry's brutal selfishness in forcing upon her the French marriage,
together with his cruel condemnation of Brandon, and his vile
insinuations against herself, had driven nearly every spark of
affection for her brother from her heart. But she felt that she might
feign an affection she did not feel, and that what she so wanted would
be cheap at the price. Cheap? It would be cheap at the cost of her
immortal soul. Cheap? What she wanted was life's condensed sweets--the
man she loved; and what she wanted to escape was life's distilled
bitterness--marriage with a man she loathed. None but a pure woman can
know the torture of that. I saw this whole disastrous campaign from
start to finish. Mary began with a wide flank movement conducted under
masked batteries and skilfully executed. She sighed over her troubles
and cried a great deal, but told the king he had been such a dear,
kind brother to her that she would gladly do anything to please him
and advance his interests. She said it would be torture to live with
that old creature, King Louis, but she would do it willingly to help
her handsome brother, no matter how much she might suffer.

The king laughed and said: "Poor old Louis! What about him? What about
his suffering? He thinks he is making such a fine bargain, but the
Lord pity him, when he has my little sister in his side for a thorn.
He had better employ some energetic soul to prick him with needles and
bodkins, for I think there is more power for disturbance in this
little body than in any other equal amount of space in all the
universe. You will furnish him all the trouble he wants, won't you,
sister?"

"I shall try," said the princess demurely, perfectly willing to obey
in everything.

"Devil a doubt of th