She spoke to a man of a nature absolutely unforgiving, and at this moment her mention of vengeance came like comfort to his anguish and palliation of his baseness.
"I will never forget, I will never pardon," he swore, lifting up his hand towards heaven. "Never, never shall there be peace between me and Parliament until this shame is covered over with blood."
He snatched up the warrant with trembling hand.
"Send some lords to me," he cried. "I cannot sign this myself—get it done—bring this most hateful day to an end!"
He sank into the chair on which her tears had fallen, and stared at the paper clutched in his fingers as if it was a sight of horror.
Henriette Marie hastened away to tell the waiting deputies of the Houses that the King would pass the Bill, and as she went she heard a cry intense enough to have carried to the Tower where my lord sat waiting the news of his fate.
"Oh, Strafford! Strafford! my friend!"