“How if you be thwarted in your designs, my lord admiral?” said Lord Clinton.
“I do not think I shall be,” rejoined Seymour. “But by God’s precious soul!” he continued, fiercely, “if I be thwarted, I will make this the blackest Parliament that ever was in England.”
“You seem to threaten us, my lord,” observed Lord Clinton.
“I pray you pardon me, my lord,” rejoined the admiral, controlling himself. “I am galled by the ill usage that my royal nephew has received, and spoke intemperately.”
“I am a plain, blunt man, as you know, my lord admiral, and speak my mind freely,” observed the constable. “I cannot approve of the course you are about to pursue.”
“Wherefore not, good Sir John?” inquired Seymour.
“‘Twere better, if possible, the matter should be peaceably and quietly arranged. If publicly discussed, it may breed scandal. Besides, in a struggle of this nature with your brother, you may get the worst of it, and if so, he will not spare you.”
“Give yourself no concern about me, Sir John,” said Seymour. “The lord protector hath more reason to fear me than I have to fear him. And this you will find. I will have the king better ordered, and not kept so close that no man may come near him.”
“Then you have made up your mind to an open quarrel with your brother,” said the constable.
“I have, Sir John,” replied the admiral. “His majesty’s letter shall be laid before both Houses, and methinks there are few of his loyal subjects but will eagerly respond to it.”
“Who will deliver the letter?” demanded Lord Russell.
“I myself,” replied the admiral. “Some of you, I perceive, are inclined to hang back, as if alarmed at the notion of a quarrel with the lord protector. You overrate his power. He is not so strong as you imagine. You will see what the result of this step will be.”
“Ay, ay; we shall see, and will be guided by what occurs,” observed Lord Russell.
“A prudent resolution,” cried Dorset, contemptuously. “I will stick by the lord admiral, whatever may betide.”
“And so will we,” cried several voices.
“I thank you heartily, my good friends,” rejoined Seymour.
After some further discussion, the conference broke up. While the others were departing, Sir John Gage approached the admiral, and said:
“‘Tis a friend’s part to warn you. You are rushing on a great peril. Of a certainty the lord protector will clap you in the Tower!”
“Tut! Sir John; he dares not do it.”
“Ay, but if he should, you will find it no easy matter to get out.”
“I tell you, Sir John, my brother will not dare to proceed to such extremities with me. You may rest perfectly easy on that score.”
“Well, I have done my best to settle the matter peaceably,” observed the constable. “If ill comes of it, ’tis not my fault.”
With this he took his departure.
One person only was now left, the Marquis of Dorset. Seymour thanked him warmly for his support.
“If I stood not by your lordship at a critical juncture like the present, my friendship were worth little,” said Dorset. “But I do not think that fortune, that has hitherto favored you, will desert you now.”
“If I am successful, as I hope to be, you will be a gainer as well, marquis. Meantime, is there anything I can do for you? You know you can command me.”
“Your lordship has already made me very extensively your debtor. But, in sooth, I am almost as much straitened for money as our young king appears to be. I am ashamed to allude to the circumstance. You will think I am always borrowing from you.”
“I think only of the pleasure of serving you, marquis. Will you have five hundred more?”
“You are a great deal too good. Half the amount will suffice.”
“Pooh! why divide so paltry a sum?—Ho there, Ugo,” he shouted. “Count out five hundred pounds, and let it be forthwith conveyed to Dorset House. Adieu, marquis.”
“Adieu, my lord admiral. Success attend you!”
Shortly afterwards, Ugo was again summoned by his lord.
“I am going upon a dangerous enterprise to-night, Ugo,” said the admiral. “If anything goes wrong, let this packet be delivered instantly to the queen—but not otherwise. She will know how to act.”