"What did he say to you?"
"The King? Why, he said——"
"No, no. What did my lord say?" He pointed to Arlington, who was walking off with the King.
"He asked whether I were a good Churchman, and told me that I should hear from him. But if he is so solicitous about the Church, how does he endure your religion?"
Darrell had no time to answer, for Lord Quinton's grave voice struck in.
"He is a wise man who can answer a question touching my Lord Arlington's opinion of the Church," said he.
Darrell flushed red, and turned angrily on the interrupter.
"You have no cause, my lord," he cried, "to attack the Secretary's churchmanship."
"Then you have no cause, sir," retorted Quinton, "to defend it with so much temper. Come, let me be. I have said as much to the Secretary's face, and he bore it with more patience than you can muster on his behalf."
By this time I was in some distress to see my old friend and my new at such variance, and the more as I could not understand the ground of their difference; the Secretary's suspected leaning towards the Popish religion had not reached our ears in the country. But Darrell, as though he did not wish to dispute further with a man his superior in rank and age, drew off with a bow to my lord and a kindly nod to me, and rejoined the other gentlemen in attendance on the King and his party.