He paused, and Leicester threw his tablets from him with an air of
reckless despite. "It may be as thou sayest," he said? "and, in sooth,
I care not whether truth or cowardice dictate thy forebodings. But it
shall not be said I fell without a struggle. Give orders that those of
my retainers who served under me in Ireland be gradually drawn into the
main Keep, and let our gentlemen and friends stand on their guard, and
go armed, as if they expected arm onset from the followers of Sussex.
Possess the townspeople with some apprehension; let them take arms, and
be ready, at a given signal, to overpower the Pensioners and Yeomen of
the Guard."
"Let me remind you, my lord," said Varney, with the same appearance of
deep and melancholy interest, "that you have given me orders to prepare
for disarming the Queen's guard. It is an act of high treason, but you
shall nevertheless be obeyed."
"I care not," said Leicester desperately--"I care not. Shame is behind
me, ruin before me; I must on."
Here there was another pause, which Varney at length broke with the
following words: "It is come to the point I have long dreaded. I must
either witness, like an ungrateful beast, the downfall of the best and
kindest of masters, or I must speak what I would have buried in the
deepest oblivion, or told by any other mouth than mine."
"What is that thou sayest, or wouldst say?" replied the Earl; "we have
no time to waste on words when the times call us to action."
"My speech is soon made, my lord--would to God it were as soon answered!
Your marriage is the sole cause of the threatened breach with your
Sovereign, my lord, is it not?"
"Thou knowest it is!" replied Leicester. "What needs so fruitless a
question?"
"Pardon me, my lord," said Varney; "the use lies here. Men will wager
their lands and lives in defence of a rich diamond, my lord; but were it
not first prudent to look if there is no flaw in it?"
"What means this?" said Leicester, with eyes sternly fixed on his
dependant; "of whom dost thou dare to speak?"
"It is--of the Countess Amy, my lord, of whom I am unhappily bound to
speak; and of whom I WILL speak, were your lordship to kill me for my
zeal."
"Thou mayest happen to deserve it at my hand," said the Earl; "but speak
on, I will hear thee."