"I know not of what you speak," muttered the King.
"You very well know," replied Cromwell, and through the obscure web of his words a meaning of passion, of force and fire did gleam, like gold or flame. "You know what you have done. How you have deceived and gone crookedly. But God is not mocked. Hath He not said, 'Though they dig into Hell thence shall mine hand take them, though they climb up into Heaven thence shall I pull them down'? And out of darkness and secrecy hath He revealed your designs that you may not bring more evil upon England."
"Of what dost thou accuse the King?" asked Charles.
"Of high treason," replied Cromwell--"of treason towards God and England."
A step farther back moved Charles, so that his shoulders touched and ruffled the tapestry.
"By what authority do you use this boldness?" he asked.
"My authority is from within," answered the Puritan. "I can satisfy men of my authority. I am not afraid. I see that in treating with you I have committed folly, but that is over. God will find another way. Get from Hampton, under what excuse you may. I would not, sir, have the army do you a mischief."
"I will," replied Charles, "get as far as may be from the violence of insulting rebels--I will withdraw myself from my subjects until they remember their duty to their King."
"In what way," demanded Cromwell, "hast thou fulfilled thy duty to God or to His people?"
"I have endured much!" cried Charles, in a sharp voice. "But till now I have been spared open insolence!"
Unmoved and unblenching the Lieutenant-General regarded him.
"Sir," he replied, "you may yet hear worse words than any I have said, and may have to bear a rougher speech. I did not come to rail, but to tell you that I am now persuaded there can be no treaty or understanding between you and us. Sir, others advised me of this awhile ago, but I would not listen. But now the hand of God is plainly discoverable--your plots and subterfuges are revealed, sir, your secret letters to the Queen are known."
Charles, whose quick mind had been reviewing all the possible disasters that could have befallen, who had been wondering which of his intrigues had been unveiled, was not prepared for a catastrophe so complete as the discovery of his secret correspondence with his wife, which revealed, not one, but all of his complicated plots.