‘Not that I know of, my lord,’ answered Mr. Boteler, ’but there may be such with the lord marquis of Ormond’s.’

He then proceeded to give a friendly message from the king concerning the earl.  But at this the ‘smouldering fire out-brake’ from the bosom of the injured father and subject.

‘It is the grief of my heart,’ cried his lordship, wrath predominating over the regret which was yet plainly enough to be seen in his face and heard in his tone—­’It is the grief of my heart that I am enforced to say that the king is wavering and fickle.  To be the more his friend, it too plainly appeareth, is but to be the more handled as his enemy.’

‘Say not so, my lord,’ returned Mr. Boteler.  ’His gracious majesty looketh not for such unfriendly judgment from your lips.  Have I not brought your lordship a most gracious and comfortable message from him concerning my lord Glamorgan, with his royal thanks for your former loyal expressions?’

’Mr. Boteler, thou knowest nought of the matter.  That thou has brought me a budget of fine words, I go not to deny.  But words may be but schismatics; deeds alone are certainly of the true faith.  Verily the king’s majesty setteth his words in the forefront of the battle, but his deeds lag in the rear, and let his words be taken prisoners.  When his majesty was last here, I lent him a book to read in his chamber, the beginning of which I know he read, but if he had ended, it would have showed him what it was to be a fickle prince.’

’My lord! my lord! surely your lordship knoweth better of his majesty.’

’To know better may be to know worse, master Boteler.  Was it not enough to suffer my lord Glamorgan to be unjustly imprisoned by my lord marquis of Ormond for what he had His majesty’s authority for, but that he must in print protest against his proceedings and his own allowance, and not yet recall it?  But I will pray for him, and that he may be more constant to his friends, and as soon as my other employments will give leave, you shall have a convoy to fetch securely your despatches.’

Herewith Mr. Boteler was dismissed, lord Charles accompanying him from the room.

‘False as ice!’ muttered the marquis to himself, left as he supposed alone.  ’My boy, thou hast built on a quicksand, and thy house goeth down to the deep.  I am wroth with myself that ever I dreamed of moving such a bag of chaff to return to the bosom of his honourable mother.’

‘My lord,’ said lady Glamorgan from behind the bed-curtains, ’have you forgotten that I and my long ears are here?’

’Ha! art thou indeed there, my mad Irishwoman!  I had verily forgotten thee.  But is not this king of ours as the Minotaur, dwelling in the labyrinths of deceit, and devouring the noblest in the land?  There was his own Strafford, next his foolish Laud, and now comes my son, worth a host of such!’

’In his letter, my lord of Glamorgan complaineth not of his majesty’s usage,’ said the countess.