allow the Princess to use the jewels and plate for the
present, so that when the time came for demanding their surrender her
father and mother would be ashamed of her being deprived of them, and
would pay their value in money. Henry explained to Katharine that he was
quite shocked at such a dishonest suggestion, which he refused, he said,
to entertain. He had therefore asked for the valuables at once as he saw
that there was craft at work, and he would be no party to it. He
acknowledged, however, that the jewels were not due to be delivered until
the last payment on account of the dowry had to be made. It was all
Puebla's fault, he assured his daughter-in-law, which was probably true,
though it will be observed that the course pursued allowed Henry to assert
his eventual claim to the surrender of the jewels, and his many
professions of disinterestedness cloaked the crudeness of his demand.
The next day Henry sent for Bishop Ayala, who was Puebla's colleague and
bitter enemy, and told him that Prince Arthur must be sent to Wales soon,
and that much difference of opinion existed as to whether Katharine should
accompany him. What did Ayala advise? The Spaniard thought that the
Princess should remain with the King and Queen in London for the present,
rather than go to Wales where the Prince must necessarily be absent from
her a good deal, and she would be lonely. When Katharine herself was
consulted by Henry she would express no decided opinion; and Arthur was
worked upon by his father to persuade her to say that she wished to go to
Wales. Finding that Katharine still avoided the expression of an opinion,
Henry, with a great show of sorrow, decided that she should accompany
Arthur. Then came the question of the maintenance of the Princess's
household. Puebla had again tried to please every one by saying that Henry
would provide a handsome dotation for the purpose, but when Dona Elvira
Manuel, on the eve of the journey to Wales, asked the King what provision
he was going to make, he feigned the utmost surprise at the question. He
knew nothing about it, he said. The Prince would of course maintain his
wife and her necessary servants, but no special separate grant could be
made to the Princess. When Puebla was brought to book he threw the blame
upon the members of Katharine's household, and was publicly rebuked by
Henry for his shiftiness. But the Spaniards believed, probably with
reason, that the whole comedy was agreed upon
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