Cannot British justice, for the sake of British interests as well as Portuguese interests, be content to leave the matter there ?" "An argument of expediency, eh ?" said Wellington.

"Why not, my lord! Does not expediency govern politicians ?" "I am not a politician." "But a wise soldier, my lord, does not lose sight of the political consequences of his acts." And he sat down again.
"Your Excellency may be right," said his lordship.

"Let us be quite clear, then.

You suggest, speaking in the name of the Council of Regency, that I should suppress all further investigations into the manner in which Count Samoval met his death, so as to save his family the shame and the Council of Regency the discredit which must overtake one and the other if the facts are disclosed--as disclosed they would be that Samoval was a traitor and a spy in the pay of the French.

That is what you ask me to do.