“My God!” he contrived to gasp at last, and his shaking hands clutched at the carved arms of his chair.
“Ye don’t seem as pleased as I expected,” ventured O’Moy.
“But, General, surely... surely his Excellency cannot mean to take so... so terrible a step?”
“Terrible to whom, sir?” wondered O’Moy.
“Terrible to us all.” Forjas rose in his agitation. He came to lean upon O’Moy’s writing-table, facing the adjutant. “Surely, sir, our interests—England’s interests and Portugal’s—are one in this.”
“To be sure. But England’s interests can be defended elsewhere than in Portugal, and it is Lord Wellington’s view that they shall be. He has already warned the Council of Regency that, since his Majesty and the Prince Regent have entrusted him with the command of the British and Portuguese armies, he will not suffer the Council or any of its members to interfere with his conduct of the military operations, or suffer any criticism or suggestion of theirs to alter system formed upon mature consideration. But when, finding their criticisms fail, the members of the Council, in their wrongheadedness, in their anxiety to allow private interest to triumph over public duty, go the length of thwarting the measures of which they do not approve, the end of Lord Wellington’s patience has been reached. I am giving your Excellency his own words. He feels that it is futile to remain in a country whose Government is determined to undermine his every endeavour to bring this campaign to a successful issue.
“Yourself, sir, you appear to be distressed. But the Council of Regency will no doubt take a different view. It will rejoice in the departure of a man whose military operations it finds so detestable. You will no doubt discover this when you come to lay Lord Wellington’s decision before the Council, as I now invite you to do.”
Bewildered and undecided, Forjas stood there for a moment, vainly seeking words. Finally:
“Is this really Lord Wellington’s last word?” he asked in tones of profoundest consternation.
“There is one alternative—one only,” said O’Moy slowly.