in
the hopes of getting out yourself. Sir William Parkyns and Sir John
Friend, knights and gentlemen of good repute, with full purses and
with empty heads, you are paving a golden road to the gallows.
Charnock, you are a butcher; but depend upon it, you were not made to
slaughter any better beast than a bullock. The rest of you,
gentlemen, good night. As for you, Porter, I wish you were out of
this business. You are too honest a man to be in it; but take care
that you do not make a knave of yourself in trying to shake yourself
free from a cloak that you should never have put on."
It may easily be conceived that this speech was not particularly
palatable to any of the parties present. But Sir George Barkley was
the only one who answered, and he only did it by a sneer.
"Oh! we know very well," he said, "my good Colonel, that you can turn
your coat as well as any man. We have heard of certain visits to
Kensington, and interviews with the usurper; and, doubtless, we shall
soon see a long list of our names furnished by you, and stuck up
against Whitehall."
"He who insinuates a falsehood, sir," replied Green, turning sharply
upon him, "is worse than he who tells a lie, for a lie is a bolder
sort of cowardice than a covered falsehood. I have never been but
once to Kensington in my life, and that was to see Bentinck, Lord
Portland--whom I did not see. William of Nassau I have never spoken
to in my life, and never seen, that I know of, except once through a
pocket-glass, upon the banks of the Boyne. All that you have said,
sir, you know to be false; and as to my giving a list of your names,
that you know to be false also. What I may do to prevent evil actions
I do not know, and shall hold it over your heads. But of one thing
you may be quite sure, that no man's name would ever be compromised
by me, however much he may deserve it."
Thus saying, he turned upon his heel and quitted the room, still
holding the pistol in his hand. After closing the door, he paused for
an instant and meditated, then thrust the pistol back into his belt,
and walked along one of the many passages of the house, with the
intricacies of which he seemed perfectly well acquainted.
The scene of dismay and confusion, however, which he left behind is
almost indescribable. Every person talked at once, some addressing
the general number, not one of whom was attending; some speaking
vehemently to another individual, who in turn was speaking as
vehemently to some one else. The great majority of