“Not a doubt of it,” replied Seymour. “Lisle is precisely the man for my purpose; he is daring, ambitious, and troubled with few scruples. See what thou canst do with him, Ugo, but do not commit me.”
“Rest easy, monsignore.”
“Be liberal in thy offers; hold out any temptation thou pleasest.”
“All shall be done as you desire. But hark! there is some one in the waiting-chamber.”
“‘Tis Dorset! I know his voice,” cried Seymour. “What brings him here? Pray Heaven he has not heard of my quarrel with the queen!”
“That is not likely,” replied the esquire. “Her majesty will keep her own counsel. But here comes his lordship. Shall I retire, monsignore?”
“Ay, but remain within call.”
As Ugo withdrew, the marquis was ushered in by a page, and very heartily welcomed by Sir Thomas.
“I have come to inquire after your health, good Sir Thomas,” observed Dorset. “Methinks you look wondrous well.”
“Never better, my dear marquis—never better. How fares my lady marchioness, and your daughter, the fair Lady Jane? Have you reflected on my proposition?”
“Ahem!—Yes,” hesitated the other. “I almost fear I shall be obliged to decline it.”
“He has heard of the quarrel,” thought Seymour. “Your lordship is the best judge of your own affairs,” he said, in an indifferent tone. “Without me the union we spoke of will not take place. You are aware, I suppose, that the lord protector intends to affiance the king to the infant Queen of Scots, who promises to be of extraordinary beauty.”
“Ay, but the Scots refuse the treaty of marriage proposed by the late king for their infant queen,” replied Dorset. “If Henry the Eighth failed, the lord protector is not likely to prove successful.”
“The acceptance of the treaty may be enforced by the sword—a mode of settlement which the lord protector will assuredly try, if he be not prevented.”
“But other powers will not permit the alliance. King Francis is opposed to it.”
“His Most Christian Majesty will not long outlast his royal brother, Henry, if what I hear of him from his ambassador be true. The opposition of France will be useless. Rather than suffer the horrors of war, the Scots will consent to the treaty. My royal nephew’s affiancement with the youthful Queen Mary, I repeat, will take place, if it be not prevented.”
“But who shall prevent it?” cried the marquis.
Seymour smiled, as who should say, “I can prevent it, if I choose.” But he did not give utterance to the words.
“I fear you somewhat overrate your power, Sir Thomas.”
“Not a whit, my dear marquis. I promise nothing that I will not perform.” Approaching close to Dorset, he said in his ear, “I undertake to marry your daughter, the Lady Jane, to my royal nephew. But she must be committed to my charge.”
“But you must be wedded before you can take charge of her—well wedded, Sir Thomas. An exalted personage like her majesty, the queen-dowager, for instance, would be precisely the guardian I should desire for my daughter.”
“I was certain he had heard of the quarrel,” thought Seymour. “Well, marquis,” he said, “suppose the Lady Jane Grey should be intrusted to her majesty?”
“Ah! then, indeed—but no! that cannot be.”
“Why not? I see what has happened. My mischief-making sister-in-law, Lady Hertford, has informed the marchioness, that there has been a trifling misunderstanding between the queen and myself.”
“Not a trifling misunderstanding, as I hear—for I will confess that a hint of the matter has been given me—but a violent quarrel, caused by her highness’s jealousy of the princess. Ah! Sir Thomas—what it is to be the handsomest man at court! But you have thrown away a great chance of aggrandizement.”
“Nonsense! I have thrown away no chance, as you will find, my dear marquis. My amiable sister-in-law has made the most of the quarrel, which was of her own contrivance, and designed not to annoy me, but the queen, whose affronts to her at the banquet Lady Hertford seeks to avenge. The disagreement between myself and her majesty is of no moment—a mere lover’s quarrel—and will be speedily set right.”
“Right glad am I to hear you say so, Sir Thomas—right glad for your own sake.”
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