Saw Somerset in 'em in the
Pantiles. Could have pushed her over and trundled her like a barrel."
"My lord," reiterated Blount, "I await your explanation."
"Boot's on the other leg," he chirped. "A'nt I pouched you all cleverly,
stap me, seeing the ink on my commission's hardly dry? Didn't think it was
in me!"
"I will take the authority of your commission as sufficient, my lord, the
times being what they are. But will you be good enough to tell me why you
come?"
"Gadso! Certainly! There's a dirty rascal in pewter buttons behind there
--come here, sir, and let Sir James see your ugly face!--who says you're a
disloyal person, a traitor, and so forth. I don't believe him. I wouldn't
crack a flea on his unsupported testimony, but he's in the know of things,
and showed me a commission from Mr. Secretary, calling on His Majesty's
liege subjects, etc., you know the run of it, and I was bound to look into
it. Charges are charges, stap me if they a'nt. Don't come too near, pig's
eyes! Out with your tale!"
His lordship plainly disliked the whole business, and it was a very
awkward thing for Sir James that I was here, a circumstantial piece of
evidence against him.
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