“Jane,” said Lord Guilford Dudley, “I will not attempt to excuse my conduct. But if it is possible to repair the injury I have done you, I will do so. Everything now depends on resolution. The council are more to be feared than Mary and her forces. So long as you are mistress of the Tower, you are mistress of London, and Queen of England—even though the day should go against the Duke, my father. Give me a warrant under your hand for the arrest of the council, and the ambassadors Renard and De Noailles, and I will see it instantly executed.” “My lord!” she exclaimed. “Trust me, my queen, it is the only means to save us,” replied Dudley. “This bold step will confound them and compel them to declare their purposes. If they are your enemies, as I nothing doubt, you will have them in your power.” “I understand,” replied Jane. “You shall have the warrant. It will bring matters to an issue.” At this moment, the door of the chamber was thrown open, and an usher announced “Monsieur Simon Renard.” “You are right welcome, M. Renard,” said Lord Guilford, bowing haughtily. “I was about to go in search of you.” “Indeed,” rejoined the ambassador, coldly returning the salutation. “I am glad to spare your lordship so much trouble,—and I am still more rejoiced to find you have recovered your temper, and returned to your royal consort.” “Insolent!” exclaimed Lord Guilford. “Guards!” he cried, motioning to the attendants—“Assure yourselves of his person.” “Ha!” exclaimed Renard, laying his hand upon his sword. “You have no authority for this.” “I have the Queens warrant,” rejoined Dudley, sternly. “The person of an ambassador is sacred,” observed Renard. “The emperor, Charles the Fifth, will resent this outrage as an insult to himself.” “I will take the consequences upon myself,” replied Lord Guilford, carelessly. “Your highness will not suffer this wrong to be done?” said Renard, addressing Jane. “Monsieur Renard,” replied the queen, “I have reason to believe you have played me false. If I find you have deceived me, though you were brother to the emperor, you shall lose your head.” “You will have cause to repent this step,” rejoined Renard, furiously. “The council will command my instant release.” “The order must be speedy then,” replied Dudley, “for I shall place them all in arrest. And here, as luck will have it, are your friends the Earls of Arundel and Pembroke. They will attend you to the White Tower.” So saying, he motioned to the guards to take them into custody. “What means this?” cried Pembroke in astonishment. “It means that Lord Guilford Dudley, who has been slumbering for some time in Sion House, has awakened at last, and fancies his royal consort’s crown is in danger,” rejoined Renard with a bitter sneer. “This is some jest surely, my lord,” observed Pembroke. “The council arrested at a moment of peril like this! Will you provoke us to manifest our power?”