The king
bent down closer to him. "Douglas," whispered he, "you are as
cunning as a serpent; and I now see through your artfully-woven web!
You wanted to destroy Surrey, but the queen was to sink into the
abyss with him. Because I am indebted to you for Surrey, I forgive
you what you have done to the queen. But take heed to yourself, take
heed that I do not meet you again on the same track; do not ever try
again, by a look, a word, ay, even by a smile, to cast suspicion on
the queen. The slightest attempt would cost you your life! That I
swear to you by the holy mother of God; and you know that I have
never yet broken that oath. As regards Lady Jane, we do not want to
consider that she has misused the name of our illustrious and
virtuous consort in order to draw this lustful and adulterous earl
into the net which you had set for him; she obeyed your orders,
Douglas; and we will not now decide what other motives besides have
urged her to this deed. She may settle that with God and her own
conscience, and it does not behoove us to decide about it."
"But it behooves me, perhaps, my husband, to ask by what right Lady
Jane has dared to appear here in this attire, and to present to a
certain degree a counterfeit of her queen?" asked Catharine in a
sharp tone. "I may well be allowed to ask what has made my maid of
honor, who left the festive hall sick, now all at once so well that
she goes roaming about the castle in the night time, and in a dress
which seems likely to be mistaken for mine? Sire, was this dress
perchance a craftily-devised stratagem, in order to really confound
us with one another? You are silent, my lord and king.
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