"There he was wrong," cried the King; "there he was wrong. What more, lady?"
"Really, I cannot justly tell, sire," replied Arabella; "I was much frightened, and not a little displeased; and after some sharp words between the two gentlemen, Mr. Seymour yielded, I think out of pity to me, and came to the other side."
"There he was right," said James. "But where is Sir Lewis Lewkenor! Have you called him, usher?"
"He is in bed, your Majesty," said the other, "and humbly begged your Majesty would excuse him."
"In bed?" exclaimed the King; "why, what ails him? He has not got the plague, has he?"
"No, your Majesty," replied the usher; "he's somewhat badly wounded in the shoulder."
"I found myself bound, sire," said William Seymour, taking a step forward, "to punish a personage who thought fit to use towards me words unbecoming a gentleman to give or to receive; and who had, moreover, paid no respect either to my rank or station, to my distant relationship to your Majesty, or to your own will in naming me the first to escort the Lady Arabella hither."
"And so ye have fought?" cried the King, opening his large eyes, and gaping upon him with his mouth, as if in utter astonishment; "and so ye have fought.--My truly! ye are a graceless pack; and if ye have drawn your swords within the precincts of our court, ye shall both suffer accordingly."
"No, sire," replied Seymour; "we took care not so to offend. But immediately on our return, we went beyond the park walls to a spot about a mile and a half distant, and there ended our quarrel as became us."
"Became you?" cried the King; "I'd have you to know, that nothing of the kind becomes you at all--I will have a stop put to such things, and no more bickering, and quarrelling, and taking to the strong hand in my dominions. As ye punished him, as ye call it, I'll punish you and banish you from our realm, not to return till our pleasure. Ye take much upon you, sir, on the strength of a very distant relationship to ourselves; ye set great store by a small matter."