Page:The Queens of England.djvu/340

 300 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. individuals holding appointments in the royal household, as being her paramours. If Katharine found no one to plead in her favor, Anne was less likely to do so ; for having excited the enmity of the catholics by her support of the reformers, and these last being too few in number to give importance to any defense they might wish to offer for her, she found herself unprotected against the machinations put in practice for her ruin ; the known estrangement of her husband having turned her secret foes into open enemies. Yet, though tortured by the pangs of jealousy, Anne exercised sufficient self-control to appear calm and courteous, in the hope of winning back the affection of her cruel husband, once so devotedly her own. She could not bring herself to believe that it was irrecoverably lost — that all the love he once bore her, all the hours of happiness they had known — were forgotten for ever ; and while he was concerting plans not only against her honor, but her life, she was decking her face in smiles to please him, and cheating herself with hopes of success. The king convened a parlia- ment, the motive for which was kept a profound secret, except to his private advisers, for the purpose of annulling the act of succession in favor of Anne and her offspring. Meanwhile, the constant interviews between Henry and Jane Seymour increased his passion for her, and rendered him more impatient to break all obstacles that opposed its gratification. He avoided the society of the queen, and treated her with a marked coldness, most ominous to one who so well knew the implacibility of his nature. The last occasion on which Anne appeared in regal state was at a tournament held at Greenwich, on the ist of May; and it was observed that her beauty, though lately dimmed by care and anxiety, shone forth resplendent. Lord Rochford challenged Norris, and the queen, like all present, looked on with interest at the playful combat, when the king abruptly left the sport, exhibiting an angry aspect, as if displeased by something which he had noticed — a movement which alarmed Anne, and induced her soon after to retire from her place. The cause of the king's anger, or, more probably, the studied plea for it, is said to be this : the queen, either by design or accident, dropped her handkerchief at the feet of Norris, who, being heated in the course, took it up, wiped his face with it, and then handed it to the queen on the