"
"You will then receive him by night!" said John Heywood, sadly. "At
what hour?"
"At midnight! And now you know all; and I beg you, John, hasten and
carry him my message; for, look, the sun is setting, and it will
soon be night."
She nodded to him with a smile, and turned to go.
"Princess, you have forgotten the most important point. You have not
yet told me his name."
"My God! and you do not guess it? John Heywood, who has such sharp
eyes, sees not that there is at this court but a single one that
deserves to be loved by a daughter of the king!"
"And the name of this single one is--"
"Thomas Seymour, Earl of Sudley!" whispered Elizabeth, as she turned
away quickly and entered the castle.
"Oh, Thomas Seymour!" said John Heywood, utterly astounded. As if
paralyzed with horror, he stood there motionless, staring up at the
sky and repealing over and over, "Thomas Seymour! Thomas Seymour! So
he is a sorcerer who administers a love-potion to all the women, and
befools them with his handsome, saucy face. Thomas Seymour! The
queen loves him; the princess loves him; and then there is this
Duchess of Richmond, who will by all means be his wife! This much,
however, is certain, he is a traitor who deceives both, because to
both he has made the same confession of love. And there again is
that imp, chance, which compels me to be the confidant of both these
women. But I will be well on my guard against executing both my
commissions to this sorcerer.
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