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."




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