“I have your confederate Butts’s confession of the whole affair, which shall be produced to confound you,” cried Seymour. “Now, what say you, brother? Am I to be deprived of my offices, and sent to the Tower?”
“I thought the secret had died with Butts,” said Somerset, trembling in spite of himself.
“No, it lives to blast you,” rejoined the admiral. “Knowing that I ran some risk to-night, I took the precaution of placing the confession in such hands, that, if aught befalls me, its production will be certain. Send me to the Tower if you will. You will speedily follow me thither.”
Somerset was visibly embarrassed, and quailed beneath the admiral’s looks.
“Make up your mind quickly, brother,” continued Seymour, “either for peace or war. A word from me will shake your government to pieces.”
“But you will destroy yourself in uttering it,” said the protector.
“I will take my chance of that. In any case, I am certain of revenge.”
At this moment, the king, who had been anxiously watching them, stepped forward.
“I hope your Highness relents,” he said to the protector.
“Let your uncle submit, and he shall not find me unforgiving,” observed Somerset.
“Why should I submit?” rejoined the admiral. “If I have erred at all, it has been from excess of devotion to your Majesty.”
“For my sake, yield!” cried Edward, imploringly.
“Thus urged, I cannot refuse,” replied the admiral. “Brother, I am content to own myself in the wrong, and to ask your forgiveness.”
And he bent his proud neck with an affectation of submission.
“I am satisfied,” rejoined the protector. “My lords,” he added, turning to the council, “you may blame my weakness. But I cannot proceed further against my brother. He has expressed his contrition, and I am therefore willing to pardon his offence, and beseech you to do the same.”
“Since your Highness so wills it, we are content to proceed no further in the matter,” replied the Earl of Warwick. “But we must have a promise from the lord admiral that he will abstain from all such practices in future.”
“I will answer for him,” replied the protector. “It is my earnest desire to please your Majesty in all things,” he continued; “and if there be aught not done to your satisfaction, it shall be amended.”
“That is the sum of my treasonable designs,” observed the admiral. “All I have labored for is, that his majesty should be properly treated.”
“His majesty shall have no reason to complain,” observed the lord protector. “To prove to you how much you have misjudged me, brother, and how sincerely I desire to promote a good understanding between us, an addition shall be made of a thousand a year to your revenue from the royal treasure.”
“I thank your Highness,” replied the admiral, bowing.
“But you must forego all pretension to be made governor of his majesty’s person—for such will never be permitted.”
“All I desire is free intercourse with my royal nephew,” said the admiral.
“And this shall be accorded you so long as the license is not abused,” rejoined the protector.
While this was passing, the Earl of Warwick and the Lord Russell conferred apart.
“What has caused this sudden change in the lord protector’s disposition towards his brother?” observed Russell.
“I know not,” replied Warwick. “But it is plain the admiral has some hold upon him. Instead of being sent to the Tower he is rewarded. Somerset is wrong to temporize thus. His brother will never cease plotting. Better crush him now than let him live to do more mischief.”
“I am of your opinion,” said Russell. “This leniency is ill judged.”
After the departure of the lord protector and the others, the admiral tarried for a short time with his royal nephew, and while he was taking his leave, Edward said to him:
“We have both gained something by this struggle, gentle uncle. I have obtained my liberty, and you have got a thousand a year added to your revenue. You cannot be governor of our person, but you will ever hold the first place in our regard.”
“That is all I aspire to, my gracious liege,” rejoined the admiral, kissing his hand. And he added to himself as he retired: “Somerset thinks to conciliate me with this paltry bribe. Were he to offer me half his own revenues, he should not induce me to forego my purpose.”