It was useless to resist or to evade, so I awakened Brandon and took
the sergeant in. Here he read his warrant to arrest Charles Brandon,
Esquire, for the murder of two citizens of London, perpetrated, done
and committed upon the night of such and such a day, of this year of
our Lord, 1514. Brandon's hat had been found by the side of the dead
men, and the authorities had received information from a high source
that Brandon was the guilty person. That high source was evidently
Buckingham.

When the sergeant found Brandon covered with wounds there was no
longer any doubt, and although hardly able to lift his hand he was
forced to dress and go with them. A horse litter was procured and we
all started to London.

While Brandon was dressing, I said I would at once go and awaken the
king, who I knew would pardon the offense when he heard my story, but
Brandon asked the sergeant to leave us to ourselves for a short time,
and closed the door.

"Please do nothing of the sort, Caskoden," said he; "if you tell the
king I will declare there is not one word of truth in your story.
There is only one person in the world who may tell of that night's
happenings, and if she does not they shall remain untold. She will
make it all right at once, I know. I would not do her the foul wrong
to think for one instant that she will fail. You do not know her; she
sometimes seems selfish, but it is thoughtlessness fostered by
flattery, and her heart is right. I would trust her with my life. If
you breathe a word of what I have told you, you may do more harm than
you can ever remedy, and I ask you to say nothing to any one. If the
princess would not liberate me ... but that is not to be thought of.