“My good fellow,” said Raymond, “this is neither the time nor place for the delivery of a moral lecture:  take my word for it that my amusements and society are not so bad as you imagine.  We are neither hypocrites or fools —­for the rest, ’Dost thou think because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?’”

I turned angrily away:  “Verney,” said Adrian, “you are very cynical:  sit down; or if you will not, perhaps, as you are not a frequent visitor, Lord Raymond will humour you, and accompany us, as we had previously agreed upon, to parliament.”

Raymond looked keenly at him; he could read benignity only in his gentle lineaments; he turned to me, observing with scorn my moody and stern demeanour.  “Come,” said Adrian, “I have promised for you, enable me to keep my engagement.  Come with us.”—­Raymond made an uneasy movement, and laconically replied—­“I won’t!”

The party in the mean time had broken up.  They looked at the pictures, strolled into the other apartments, talked of billiards, and one by one vanished.  Raymond strode angrily up and down the room.  I stood ready to receive and reply to his reproaches.  Adrian leaned against the wall.  “This is infinitely ridiculous,” he cried, “if you were school-boys, you could not conduct yourselves more unreasonably.”

“You do not understand,” said Raymond.  “This is only part of a system:—­a scheme of tyranny to which I will never submit.  Because I am Protector of England, am I to be the only slave in its empire?  My privacy invaded, my actions censured, my friends insulted?  But I will get rid of the whole together.—­Be you witnesses,” and he took the star, insignia of office, from his breast, and threw it on the table.  “I renounce my office, I abdicate my power—­assume it who will!”—–­

“Let him assume it,” exclaimed Adrian, “who can pronounce himself, or whom the world will pronounce to be your superior.  There does not exist the man in England with adequate presumption.  Know yourself, Raymond, and your indignation will cease; your complacency return.  A few months ago, whenever we prayed for the prosperity of our country, or our own, we at the same time prayed for the life and welfare of the Protector, as indissolubly linked to it.  Your hours were devoted to our benefit, your ambition was to obtain our commendation.  You decorated our towns with edifices, you bestowed on us useful establishments, you gifted the soil with abundant fertility.  The powerful and unjust cowered at the steps of your judgment-seat, and the poor and oppressed arose like morn-awakened flowers under the sunshine of your protection.

“Can you wonder that we are all aghast and mourn, when this appears changed?  But, come, this splenetic fit is already passed; resume your functions; your partizans will hail you; your enemies be silenced; our love, honour, and duty will again be manifested towards you.  Master yourself, Raymond, and the world is subject to you.”