As for Mr. Caryll, the shock of that announcement seemed to cast a spell upon him. He stood still, limp and almost numbed. Oh, the never-ceasing irony of things! That his father should have died at such a moment.
“Dead?” quoth he. “Dead? Is my lord dead? They told me he was recovering.”
“They told you false,” answered Rotherby. “So now--those papers!”
Mr. Caryll relinquished them. “Take them,” he said. “Since that is so--take them.”
Rotherby received them himself. “Remove his sword,” he bade a footman.
Mr. Caryll looked sharply round at him. “My sword?” quoth he. “What do you mean by that? What right?”
“We mean to keep you by us, sir,” said Mr. Green on his other side, “until you have explained what you were doing with those papers--what is your interest in them.”
Meanwhile a servant had done his lordship's bidding, and Mr. Caryll stood weaponless amid his enemies. He mastered himself at once. Here it was plain that he must walk with caution, for the ground, he perceived, was of a sudden grown most insecure and treacherous. Rotherby and Green in league! It gave him matter for much thought.
“There's not the need to hold me,” said he quietly. “I am not likely to tire myself by violence. There's scarcely necessity for so much.”
Rotherby looked up sharply. The cool, self-possessed tone had an intimidating note. But Mr. Green laughed maliciously, as he continued to mop his still watering eyes. He was acquainted with Mr. Caryll's methods, and knew that, probably, the more at ease he seemed, the less at ease he was.
Rotherby spread the letters on the desk, and scanned them with a glowing eye, Mr. Green at his elbow reading with him. The countess swept forward that she, too, might inspect this find.
“They'll serve their turn,” said her son, and added to Caryll: “And they'll help to hang you.”
“No doubt you find me mentioned in them,” said Mr. Caryll.
“Ay, sir,” snapped Green, “if not by name, at least as the messenger who is to explain that which the writers--the royal writer and the other--have out of prudence seen fit to exclude.”
Hortensia looked up and across the room at that, a wild fear clutching at her heart. But Mr. Caryll laughed pleasantly, eyebrows raised as if in mild surprise. “The most excellent relations appear to prevail between you,” said he, looking from Rotherby to Green. “Are you, too, my lord, in the secretary's pay.”