"Oh, you may sneer, sir," he mocked the prisoner. "But we have you fast. This letter was brought hither by you, and this one was to have been carried hence by you.""The latter, sir, was a matter for the future, and you can hardly prove what a man will do; so we'll let that pass. As for the former - the letter which you say I brought - you'll remember that you searched me at Maidstone - ""And I have your admission that the letter was upon you at the time," roared the spy, interrupting him - "your admission in the presence of that lady, as she can be made to witness."Mistress Winthrop rose. "'Tis a lie," she said firmly. "Ican not be made to witness."
Mr. Caryll smiled, and nodded across to her. "'Tis vastly kind in you, Mistress Winthrop. But the gentleman is mistook." He turned to Green. "Harkee, sirrah did I admit that I had carried that letter?"Mr. Green shrugged. "You admitted that you carried a letter.
What other letter should it have been but that?""Nay," smiled Mr. Caryll. "'Tis not for you to ask me.
Rather is it for you to prove that the letter I admitted having carried and that letter are one and the same. 'Twill take a deal of proving, I dare swear.""Ye'll be forsworn, then," put in her ladyship sourly. "For Ican witness to the letter that you bore. Not only did I see it - a letter on that same fine paper - in my husband's hands on the day you came here and during your visit, but I have his lordship's own word for it that he was in the plot and that you were the go-between.""Ah!" chuckled Mr. Green. "What now, sir? What now? By what fresh piece of acrobatics will you get out of that?""Ye're a fool," said Mr. Caryll with calm contempt, and fetched out his snuff-box. "D'ye dream that one witness will suffice to establish so grave a charge? Pah!" He opened his snuff-box to find it empty, and viciously snapped down the lid again. "Pah!" he said again, "ye've cost me a whole boxfull of Burgamot.""Why did ye throw it in my face?" demanded Mr. Green. "What purpose did ye look to serve but one of treason? Answer me that!""I didn't like the way ye looked at me. 'Twas wanting respect, and I bethought me I would lessen the impudence of your expression. Have ye any other foolish questions for me?"And he looked again from Green to Rotherby, including both in his inquiry. "No?" He rose. "In that case, if you'll give me leave, and - ""You do not leave this house," Rotherby informed him.
"I think you push hospitality too far. Will you desire your lackey to return me my sword? I have affairs elsewhere.""Mr. Caryll, I beg that you will understand," said his lordship, with a calm that he was at some pains to maintain, "that you do not leave this house save in the care of the messengers from the secretary of state."Mr. Caryll looked at him, and yawned in his face. "Ye're prodigiously tiresome," said he, "did ye but know how I detest disturbances. What shall the secretary of state require of me?""He'll require you on a charge of high treason," said Mr. Green.
"Have you a warrant to take me?"
"I have not, but - "
"Then how do you dare detain me, sir?" demanded Mr. Caryll sharply. "D'ye think I don't know the law?""I think you'll know a deal more of it shortly," countered Mr. Green.
"Meanwhile, sirs, I depart. Offer me violence at your peril."He moved a step, and then, at a sign from Rotherby, the lackey's hands fell on him again, and forced him back and down into his chair.
"Away with you for the warrant," said Rotherby to Green.
"We'll keep him here till you return."
Mr. Green grinned at the prisoner, and was gone in great haste.
Mr. Caryll lounged back in his chair, and threw one leg over the other. "I have always endeavored," said he, "to suffer fools as gladly as a Christian should. So since you insist, I'll be patient until I have the ear of my Lord Carteret -who, I take it, is a man of sense. But if I were you, my lord, and you, my lady, I should not insist. Believe me, you'll cut poor figures. As for you, my lord, ye're in none such good odor, as it is.""Let that be," snarled his lordship.
"If I mention it at all, I but do so in your lordship's own interests. It will be remembered that ye attempted to murder me once, and that will not be of any great help to such accusations as you may bring against me. Besides which, there is the unfortunate circumstance that it's widely known ye're not a man to be believed.""Will you be silent?" roared his lordship, in a towering passion.
"If I trouble myself to speak at all, it is out of concern for your lordship," Mr. Caryll insisted sweetly. "And in your own interest, and your ladyship's, too, I'd counsel you to hear me a moment without witnesses."His tone was calculatedly grave. Lord Rotherby looked at him, sneering; not so her ladyship. Less acquainted with his ways, the absolute confidence and unconcern of his demeanor was causing her uneasiness. A man who was perilously entrammelled would not bear himself so easily, she opined. She rose, and crossed to her son's side.
"What have you to say?" she asked Mr. Caryll.
"Nay, madam," he replied, "not before these." And he indicated the servants.
"'Tis but a pretext to have them out of the room," said Rotherby.
Mr. Caryll laughed the notion to scorn. "If you think that -I give you my word of honor to attempt no violence, nor to depart until you shall give me leave," said he.
Rotherby, judging Mr. Caryll by his knowledge of himself, still hesitated. But her ladyship realized, in spite of her detestation of the man, that he was not of the temper of those whose word is to be doubted. She signed to the footmen.
"Go," she bade them. "Wait within call."
They departed, and Mr. Caryll remained seated for all that her ladyship was standing; it was as if by that he wished to show how little he was minded to move.
Her ladyship's eye fell upon Hortensia. "Do you go, too, child," she bade her.
Instead, Hortensia came forward. "I wish to remain, madam,"she said.
"Did I ask you what you wished?" demanded the countess.
