She paused, out of breath, with flaming cheek, and sparkling eyes--quivering, palpitating in every part of her body.
"Nest," said the King, "you are a woman--a fool. You do not understand policy."
"Policy!" she cried scornfully. "What is policy? My people have their faults and their good qualities."
"Faults! I know them, I trow. As to their good qualities, I have them to learn." He shrugged his shoulders contemptuously.
"You know their faults alone," pursued Nest passionately, "because you seek to find them that you may foster and trade on them. That is policy. Policy is to nurture the evil and ignore the good. None know better their own weaknesses than do we. But why not turn your policy to helping us to overcome them and be made strong?"
"It is through your own inbred faults that we have gained admission into your mountains. Brothers with you cannot trust brothers----"
"No more than you or Robert can trust each other, I presume," sneered Nest. "An arrow was aimed at you from behind. Who shot it? Not a Welshman, but Robert, or a henchman of Robert. On my honor, you set us a rare example of fraternal affection and unity!"
"It is through your own rivalries that we are able to maintain our hold upon your mountains."
"And because we know you as fomenters of discord--doers of the devil's work--that is why we hate you. Give up this policy, and try another method with us."
"Justice, they say, is figured as a woman; for Justice is pitiful towards feebleness and infirmity. But with you is no justice at all, only rank tyranny--tyranny that can only rule with the iron rod, and drive with the scourge."
"Be silent! My salamander is moving again."
But she would not listen to him. She pursued--
"My people are tender-hearted, loving, loyal, frank. Show them trust, consideration, regard, and they will meet you with open arms. We know now that our past has been one of defeat and recoil, and we also know why it has been so. Divided up into our little kingdoms, full of rivalries, jealousies, ambitions, we have not had the wit to cohere. Who would weave us into one has made a rope of sand. It was that, not the superior courage or better arms of the Saxon, that drove us into mountains and across the sea. It is through playing with, encouraging this, bribing into treachery, that you are forcing your way among us now. But if in place of calling over adventurers from France and boors from Flanders to kill us and occupy our lands, you come to us with the olive branch, and offer us your suzerainty and guarantee us against internecine strife--secure to us our lands, our laws, our liberties--then we shall become your devoted subjects, we shall look up to you as to one who raises us, whereas now we regard you as one who casts us down to trample on us. We have our good qualities, and these qualities will serve you well if you will encourage them. But your policy is to do evil, and evil only."