You all hear this question that he has asked, my lords? You shall hear the answer. Listen, and look out for yourselves, all of you, however great you may be, because you will see that I need only stamp upon the earth with my foot to bring from out of it a scaffold.
Chandos, open that folding-door. Call the Court--every one! Bid every one enter.
[_The door at the back is opened. The entire Court enters._
SCENE VIII
_The same. The Lord Chancellor, all the Court_
THE QUEEN.
Enter, enter, my lords! I am truly pleased to see you to-day. Good!
good! The officers of the law this way: nearer, nearer! Where are the sergeants-at-arms of the House of Lords? Harriot and Herbert? Ah, there you are, gentlemen! Be welcome! Draw your swords. Good! Place yourselves at the right and at the left of that man. He is your prisoner.
FABIANI.
Madame, what is my crime?
THE QUEEN.
My Lord Gardiner, my learned friend, you are chancellor of England.
We order you and the twelve lord commissioners of the Star Chamber, whom we regret not to see here, to a.s.semble yourselves in haste.
Strange things are pa.s.sing in this palace. Listen, my lords! Madame Elizabeth has raised more than one enemy to our crown. We have had the Pietro Caro plot--that man who started the Exeter movement, and who communicated with Madame Elizabeth by means of a cipher cut on her guitar. We have had the treachery of Thomas Wyatt who roused the county of Kent. We have had the rebellion of the Duke of Suffolk, who was captured in the hollow of a tree, after his followers were defeated. To-day we have a new attempt. Listen, all of you. To-day, this morning, a man presented himself at my audience. After a few words, he drew his dagger on me. I stopped his hand in time. Lord Chandos and the bailiff D"Amont seized the man. He says that he was urged to the crime by Lord Clanbra.s.sil.
FABIANI.
By me! It is not true! This is a frightful thing! This man does not exist. This man cannot be found! Who is he? Where is he?
THE QUEEN.
He is here!
GILBERT (_coming out from among the soldiers, behind whom he has been hidden up to this time_).
I am the man!
THE QUEEN.
According to this man"s declarations, we Mary, Queen, accuse before the Star Chamber this other man, Fabiano Fabiani, Earl of Clanbra.s.sil, of high treason, and of an attempt of regicide upon our imperial and sacred person.
FABIANI.
Regicide? I? This is monstrous. Oh, my brain is bewildered! I cannot see clear! What is this trap? Whoever you may be, wretched creature, dare you affirm that what the Queen says is true?
GILBERT.
Yes!
FABIANI.
I urged you to regicide?
GILBERT.
Yes.
FABIANI.
Yes, always yes! Malediction! Oh, it is impossible for you to know how false that is, gentlemen. That man comes from h.e.l.l! Unfortunate wretch, you want to ruin me, but don"t you see that you ruin yourself in the same breath? The crime you charge upon me falls upon you too.
You will send me to the block, but you will die also. Madman, with a single word you cause two heads to fall! Did you know that?
GILBERT.
I know it.
FABIANI.
My lords, this man is bribed--
GILBERT.
By you. Here is the purse full of gold which you paid me for the crime. Your crest and your monogram are embroidered upon it.
FABIANI.
Just Heaven! But you don"t show me the dagger with which this man, it is said, attempted to strike the Queen. Where is the dagger?
LORD CHANDOS.
Here it is!
GILBERT (_to Fabiani_).
It is yours. You gave it to me for that purpose. They will find the sheath at your house!
THE LORD CHANCELLOR.
Earl of Clanbra.s.sil, what reply do you make? Do you recognize this man?
FABIANI.
No!
GILBERT.
In truth, he only saw me by night. Let me whisper two words to him, madame, they will help his memory. [_He approaches Fabiani._] My lord, you appear to recognize no one to-day--neither the man you have wronged, nor the woman you have seduced. Ah, the Queen avenges herself; but the man of the people, he avenges himself also. You defied me to do it, I think. Behold yourself caught between a double vengeance, my lord! What do you say to that? I am Gilbert the engraver!
FABIANI.