The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

556 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
erable. His purpose of lying concealed in those private apartments was
explained by the exclamations of Alice; and Charles, notwithstanding the
placidity of his disposition, and his habitual guard over his passions,
resented the attempt to seduce his destined mistress, as an Eastern Sultan
would have done the insolence of a vizier, who anticipated his intended purchases of captive beauty in the slave market. The swarthy features of
Charles reddened, and the strong lines on his dark visage seemed to become
inflated, as he said, in a voice which faltered with passion, "Buckingham,
you dared not have thus insulted your equal! To your master you may
securely offer any affront, since his rank glues his sword to the scabbard."
The haurghty Duke did not brook this taunt unanswered. " My sword,"
lie said, with emphasis, "was never in the scabbard, when your Majesty's
service required it should be unsheathed."
"Your Grace means, when its service was required for its master's interest," said the King; " for you could only gain the coronet of a Duke by
fighting for the royal crown. But it is over-I have treated you as a friend
-a companion-almost an equal-you have repaid me with insolence and
ingratitude."
" Sire," answered the Duke, firmly, but respectfully, "I am unhappy in
your displeasure; yet thus far fortunate, that while your words can confer
honour, they cannot impair or take it away. - It is hard," he added, lowering his voice, so as only to be heard by the King, -"It is hard that the
squall of a peevish wench should cancel the services of so many years!"
" It is harder," said the King, in the same subdued tone, which both preserved through the rest of the conversation, "that a wench's bright eyes
can make a nobleman forget the decencies due to his Sovereign's privacy."
"May I presume to ask your Majesty what decencies are those?" said the
Duke.
Charles bit his lip to keep himself from smiling.'Buckingham," he
said, "this is a foolish -business; and we must not forget, (as we have nearly
done,) that we have an audience to witness this scene, and should walk the
stage with dignity. I will show you your fault in private."
" It is enough that your Majesty has been displeased, and that I have unhappily been the occasion," said the Duke, kneeling; " although quite ignorant of any purpose beyond a few words of gallantry; and I sue thus low
for your Majesty's pardon."
So saying, he kneeled gracefully down. " Thou hast it, George," said the
placable Prince. "I believe thou wilt be sooner tired of offending than I of
forgiving."
"Long may your Majesty live to give the offence, with which it is your
royal pleasure at present to charge my innocence," said the Duke.
"What mean you by that, my lord?" said Charles, the angry shade
returning to his brow for a moment.
"My Liege," replied the Duke, "you are too honourable to deny your
custom of shooting with Cupid's bird-bolts in other men's warrens. You
have ta'en the royal right of free-forestry over every man's park. It is hard
that you should be so much displeased at hearing a chance arrow whizz
near your own pales."
"No more on't," said the King; "but let us see where the dove has
harboured."
" The Helen has found a Paris while we were quarrelling," replied the
Duke.
" Rather an Orpheus," said the King; " and what is worse, one that is
already provided with a Eurydice-She is clinging to the fiddler."
" It is mere fright," said Buckingham, " like Rochester's, when he crept
into the bass-viol to hide himself from Sir Dermot O'Cleaver."
"We must make the people show their talents," said the King, "and stop