"
The Lord Keeper now saw the full drift of his friend's argument, but he
was too cautious to return any positive answer.
"He knew not," he said, "the service which the Lord Marquis could expect
from one of his limited abilities, that had not always stood at his
command, still saving and reserving his duty to his king and country."
Having thus said nothing, while he seemed to say everything, for the
exception was calculated to cover whatever he might afterwards think
proper to bring under it, Sir William Ashton changed the conversation,
nor did he again permit the same topic to be introduced. His guest
departed, without having brought the wily old statesman the length
of committing himself, or of pledging himself to any future line of
conduct, but with the certainty that he had alarmed his fears in a most
sensible point, and laid a foundation for future and farther treaty.
When he rendered an account of his negotiation to the Marquis, they
both agreed that the Keeper ought not to be permitted to relapse into
security, and that he should be plied with new subjects of alarm,
especially during the absence of his lady.
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