Queen had forbidden the privilege of the court.

There, in a secluded bower, the two lovers whispered their hopes and plans,

unmindful of the royal charge playing neglected among the flowers and

shrubbery of the garden.

Toward the middle of July De Vac had his plans well laid. He had managed

to coax old Brus, the gardener, into letting him have the key to the little

postern gate on the plea that he wished to indulge in a midnight escapade,

hinting broadly of a fair lady who was to be the partner of his adventure,

and, what was more to the point with Brus, at the same time slipping a

couple of golden zecchins into the gardener's palm.

Brus, like the other palace servants, considered De Vac a loyal retainer of

the house of Plantagenet. Whatever else of mischief De Vac might be up to,

Brus was quite sure that in so far as the King was concerned, the key to

the postern gate was as safe in De Vac's hands as though Henry himself had

it.

The old fellow wondered a little that the morose old master of fence

should, at his time in life, indulge in frivolous escapades more befitting

the younger sprigs of gentility, but, then, what concern was it of his ?

Did he not have enough to think about to keep the gardens so that his royal

master and mistress might find pleasure in the shaded walks, the well-kept

sward, and the gorgeous beds of foliage plants and blooming flowers which

he set with such wondrous precision in the formal garden ?

Further, two gold zecchins were not often come by so easily as this; and if

the dear Lord Jesus saw fit, in his infinite wisdom, to take this means of

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