The girl took the billet, and saying that she would carry it to Arabella at once, returned towards her mistresss chamber, while Overbury bent his steps to the council-room, where he had left a young clerk making out the warrants.
"Well, are they done?" said the Knight.
"One is ready, sir," replied the clerk, "and the other wants but a few words."
Overbury took up the paper which was completed, and read it slowly through.
"Good Heaven!" he exclaimed. "This will never do. Why, it is a warrant against the Lady Arabella, as if she were a common felon. Recollect, sir, that she is the King's cousin. It ought to have been a simple summons to appear before the Council."
"You said two warrants, Sir Thomas," replied the clerk.
"Well, at all events," exclaimed the Knight, sharply, "this will not do;" and he tore the paper, throwing the fragments under the table. "There, leave that, leave that! and make out a summons. The Lady Arabella's case is the most important. Remember you give her her proper style, sir."
"I am sure I do not know what that is," answered the clerk.
"If you look in that book, sir, you will find it," rejoined the Knight; "it is not very difficult to discover. You can finish the warrant against Mr. Seymour afterwards; I will return for the summons in half an hour;" and away he went to inform the King that there had been a mistake in drawing out the papers, but that they would be ready shortly.
He found James I. still in a high state of perturbation, which was increased by the tidings that the warrants were not yet ready.