On the other hand, however, the journey daunted him.

He was not a man to sacrifice his creature comforts, and to be asked to sacrifice them to a mere whim, a shadow, added weight to his inclination to refuse the undertaking.
"Since you have the matter so much at heart," said he at length, "does it not occur to you that you could plead with greater fervour, and be the likelier to succeed ?" "You know that Cromwell will lend a more willing ear to you than to me--perchance because you know so well upon occasion how to weave your stock of texts into your discourse," he added with a sneer.

"Will you go, Joseph ?" "Bethink you that we know not where he is.

I may have to wander for weeks o'er the face of England." "Will you go ?" Gregory repeated.
"Oh, a pox on it," broke out Joseph, rising suddenly.

"I'll go since naught else will quiet you.