A E W Mason

Clementina A E W Mason

Book Excerpt: ...of servants in spite of my commands of secrecy."There was more anger and less despondency than was often heard in his voice. Wogan raised himself again on tiptoes and noticed that the Chevalier's face was flushed and his eyes bright with wrath."Sir," pleaded Hay, "the Princess's mother would not abate a man.""Well, you reached Ratisbon. And there?""There the English minister came forward from the town to flout us with an address of welcome in which he used not our incognitos but our true names.""From Ratisbon then no doubt you hurried? Since you were discovered, you shed your retinue and hurried?""Sir, we hurried--to Augsburg," faltered Hay. He stopped, and then in a burst of desperation he said, "At Augsburg we stayed eight days.""Eight days?"There was a stir throughout the room; a murmur began and ceased. Wogan wiped his forehead and crushed his handkerchief into a hard ball in his palm. It seemed to him that here in this room he could see the Princess Clementina's face flush..