"
"I will bear any chastisement your grace may choose to inflict upon me,
if I prove not the truth of my assertion," replied Sommers. And he
dropped into the rear of the train.
The two friends, as if by mutual consent, avoided each other during the
rest of the day--Surrey feeling he could not unburden his heart to
Richmond, and Richmond brooding jealously over the intelligence he
had received from the jester.
At the appointed hour the duke proceeded to the lower ward, and
stationed himself near Wolsey's tomb-house. Just as he arrived there,
the vesper hymn arose from the adjoining fane, and its solemn strains
somewhat soothed his troubled spirit. But they died away; and as the
jester came not, Richmond grew impatient, and began to fear he had
been duped by his informant. At length the service concluded, and,
losing all patience, he was about to depart, when the jester peered
round the lower angle of the tomb-house, and beckoned to him.
Obeying the summons, the duke followed his conductor down the
arched passage leading to the cloisters.
"Tread softly, gossip, or you will alarm them," said Sommers, in a low
tone.
They turned the corner of the cloisters; and there, near the entrance of
the chapel, stood the youthful pair--the Fair Geraldine half reclining
upon the earl's breast, while his arm encircled her slender waist.
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