"
Wellington shifted his chair round a little, and crossed his legs.
He brought his finger-tips together, and over the top of them his
eyes considered the Secretary of State.
"Your Excellency has spoken of expediency - political expediency.
Sometimes political expediency can overreach itself and perpetrate
the most grave injustices. Individuals at times are unnecessarily
called upon to suffer in the interests of a cause. Your Excellency
will remember a certain affair at Tavora some two months ago - the
invasion of a convent by a British officer with rather disastrous
consequences and the loss of some lives."
"I remember it perfectly, my lord. I had the honour of entertaining
Sir Terence upon that subject on the occasion of my last visit here."
"Quite so," said his lordship. "And on the grounds of political
expediency you made a bargain then with Sir Terence, I understand,
a bargain which entailed the perpetration of an injustice."
"I am not aware of it, my lord."
"Then let me refresh your Excellency's memory upon the facts. To
appease the Council of Regency, or rather to enable me to have my
way with the Council and remove the Principal Souza, you stipulated
for the assurance - so that you might lay it before your Council
- that the offending officer should be shot when taken.
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