"
"But how have I offended the Marquis?" demanded Jocelyn, surprised.
"Is it possible you can have spoken at random, and without knowledge of
the force of your own words?" John Wolfe rejoined, looking hard at him.
"It may be so, for you are plainly ignorant of the world. Well, then,"
he added, lowering his tone, "when you said that these two abominable
extortioners were the creatures of some great man, who glozed over their
villainous practices to the King, and gave a better account of them than
they deserve, you were nearer the truth than you imagined; but it could
hardly be agreeable to the Marquis to be told this to his face, since it
is notorious to all (except to yourself) that he is the man."
"Heavens!" exclaimed Jocelyn, "I now see the error I have committed."
"A grave error indeed," rejoined Wolfe, shaking his head, "and most
difficult to be repaired--for the plea of ignorance, though it may
suffice with me, will scarcely avail you with the Marquis. Indeed, it
can never be urged, since he disowns any connection with these men; and
it is suspected that his half-brother, Sir Edward Villiers, goes between
them in all their secret transactions. Of this, however, I know nothing
personally, and only tell you what I have heard. But if it were not
almost treasonable to say it, I might add, that his Majesty is far too
careless of the means whereby his exchequer is enriched, and his
favourites gratified; and, at all events, suffers himself to be too
easily imposed upon.
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