“By no means,” he answered decidedly. “Did I not say it to the king, and is not this foreign lord bond for me?”
“What can be done?” she went on; then, as a thought struck her, turned to d’Aguilar, and, clasping her slender hands, looked pleadingly into his face and asked: “Señor, you who are so powerful, and the friend of great people, will you not help us?”
“Am I not here to do so, Señora? Although I think that a man who can call half London to his back, as I saw your cousin do, needs little help from me. But listen, my country has two ambassadors at this Court—de Ayala, whom he has offended, and Doctor de Puebla, the friend of the king; and, strangely enough, de Puebla does not love de Ayala. Yet he does love money, which perhaps will be forthcoming. Now, if a charge is to be laid over this brawl, it will probably be done, not by the churchman, de Ayala, but through de Puebla, who knows your laws and Court, and—do you understand me, Señor Castell?”
“Yes,” answered the merchant; “but how am I to get at de Puebla? If I were to offer him money, he would only ask more.”
“I see that you know his Excellency,” remarked d’Aguilar drily. “You are right, no money should be offered; a present must be made after the pardon is delivered—not before. Oh! de Puebla knows that John Castell’s word is as good in London as it is among the Jews and infidels of Granada and the merchants of Seville, at both of which places I have heard it spoken.”
At this speech Castell’s eyes flickered, but he only answered:
“May be; but how shall I approach him, Señor?”
“If you will permit me, that is my task. Now, to what amount will you go to save our friend here from inconvenience? Fifty gold angels?”
“It is too much,” said Castell; “a knave like that is not worth ten. Indeed, he was the assailant, and nothing should be paid at all.”
“Ah! Señor, the merchant is coming out in you; also the dangerous man who thinks that right should rule the world, not kings—I mean might. The knave is worth nothing, but de Puebla’s word in Henry’s ear is worth much.”