ODDSFISH!

BY

ROBERT HUGH BENSON

Author of "Come Rack! Come Rope!", "Lord of the World, " "Initiation, "etc. 

NEW YORKDODD, MEAD AND COMPANY

1914AUTHOR'S NOTE. 

I wish to express my gratitude for great help received in the writing ofthis book to Miss MacDermot, Miss Stearne and others, as well as tothree friends who submitted to hearing it read aloud in manuscript, andwho assisted me by their criticisms and suggestions. 

Further, I think it worth saying that in all historical episodes in thisbook I have taken pains to be as accurate as possible. The variousplots, the political movements, and the closing scenes of Charles II'slife are here described with as much fidelity to truth as is compatiblewith historical romance. In particular, I do not think that the Kinghimself is represented as doing or saying anything--except of course tomy fictitious personages--to which sound history does not testify. Ihave also taken considerable pains in the topographical descriptions ofWhitehall. 

PROLOGUE

The day from which I reckon the beginning of all those adventures whichoccupied me in the Courts of England and France and elsewhere, was thefirst day of May in the year sixteen hundred and seventy-eight--the day, that is, on which my Lord Abbot carried me from St. Paul's-without-the-Walls to the Vatican Palace, to see our Most Holy Lord Innocent theEleventh. 

It had been a very hot day in Rome, as was to be expected at thatseason; and I had stayed in the cloister in the cool, as my Lord Abbothad bidden me, not knowing whether it would be on that day or another, or, indeed, on any at all, that His Holiness would send for me. I knewthat my Lord Abbot had been to the Vatican again and again on thebusiness; and had spoken of me, as he said he would, not to the HolyFather only, but to the Cardinal Secretary of State and to others; but Idid not know, and he did not tell me, as to whether that business hadbeen prosperous; though I think he must have known long before how itwould end. An hour before _Ave Maria_, then, he sent to me, as I walkedin the cloisters, and when I came to him, told me, all short, to dressmyself in my old secular clothes, as fine as I could, and to be ready toride with him in half an hour, because our Most Holy Lord had consentedto receive me one hour after _Ave Maria_. He said nothing more to methan that; he did not tell me how I was to bear myself, nor what I wasto say, neither as I stood in his cell, nor as we rode as fast as wecould, with the servants before and behind, into Rome and through thestreets of it. I knew nothing more than this--that since neither I normy novice-master were in the least satisfied as to my vocation, andsince I had considerable estates of my own in France (though I was anEnglishman altogether on my father's side), and could speak both Frenchand English with equal ease, and Italian and Spanish tolerably--thatsince, in short, I was a very well-educated young gentleman, and lookedmore than my years, and bore myself--(so I was told)--with ease anddiscretion in any company, and could act a part if it were required ofme--I might perhaps be of better service to the Church in some secularemployment than in sacred. This was all that I knew. The rest my LordAbbot left to my own wits to understand, and to our Holy Father, if hewould, to discover to me: and that, indeed, was presently what he did. 

 * * * * *

I had been within the Vatican before three or four times, both when Ihad first come to Rome four years ago, and once as attendant upon myLord Abbot; but never before had I felt of such importance within thosewalls; for this time it was myself to whom the Holy Father was to giveaudience, and not merely to one in whose company I was. I was in secularclothes too--the peruke, buckles, sword, and all the rest, which I hadlaid aside two years ago, though these were a little old andtarnished--and I bore myself as young men will (for I was onlytwenty-one years old at that time), with an air and a swing; though myheart beat a little faster as we passed through the great rooms, afterleaving our cloaks in an antechamber and arranging our dress after theride; and at last were bidden to sit down while the young Monsignore whohad received us in the last saloon went in to know if the Holy Fatherwere ready to see us. 

It was a smaller room--this in which we sat--than the others throughwhich we had passed, and in which the crimson liveried servants were;and its walls were all covered with hangings from cornice to floor. Thatwhich was opposite to me presented, I remember, Jacob receiving theblessing which his brother Esau should have had; and I wondered, as Isat there, whether I myself were come, as Jacob, to get a blessing towhich I had no right. Idly Lord Abbot said nothing at all; for he was astout man and a little out of breath; and almost before he had got itagain, and before I was sure as to whether I were more like to the liarJacob, who won a blessing when he should not, or to unspiritual Esau, who lost a blessing which he should have had, the young Monsignore inhis purple came back again, and, bowing so low that we saw the littletonsure on the top of his head, beckoned to us to enter. 

 * * * * *

By the time that, behind my Lord Abbot, I had performed the threegenuflections and, at the third, was kissing the ring of our Most HolyLord, I had already taken into my mind something of the room I was inand of him who sat there, wheeled round in his chair to greet us. Theroom was far more plain than I had thought to find it, though prettyrich too. The walls had sacred hangings upon them; but it was so darkwith the shuttered windows that I could not make out very well whattheir subjects were. A dozen damask and gilt chairs stood round thewalls, and three or four tables; and, in the centre of all, where I wasnow arrived, stood the greatest table of all, carved of some black wood, and at the middle of one side the chair in which sat the Holy Fatherhimself. 

He had very kind but very piercing eyes: this was the first thing that Ithought; his hair beneath his cap, as well as his beard, was alliron-grey; his complexion was a little sallow, and seemed all the moresallow because of his red velvet cap and white soutane; (for he wore nocloak because of the heat). As soon as I had kissed his ring he bade mestand up--(speaking in Italian, as he did all through the audience)--andthen beckoned me to a chair opposite to his, and my Lord Abbot toanother on one side. And then at once he went on to speak of thebusiness on which we were come--as if he knew all about it, and had notime to spend on compliments. 

Now our Holy Father Innocent the Eleventh was, I suppose, one of thegreatest men that ever sat in Peter's Seat. I would not speak evil, if Icould help it, of any of Christ's Vicars; but this at least I maysay--that Pope Innocent reformed a number of things that sorely neededit. He would have no nepotism at the Papal Court; men stood or fell bytheir own merits: so I knew very well that my estates in France, evenif they had been ten times as great, would serve me nothing at all. Hewas very humble too--(he asked pardon, it was said, even of his ownservants if he troubled them)--so I knew that no swashbuckling air on mypart would do me anything but harm--(and, indeed, that was all laidaside, willy nilly, so soon as I came in)--since, like all humble men heesteemed the pride, even of kings, at exactly its proper worth, which isnothing at all. He was, too, a man of great spirituality, so I knew thatmy having come to St. Paul's as a novice and now wishing to leave itagain, would scarcely exalt me in his eyes. I felt then a very poorcreature indeed as I sat there and listened to him. 

"This, then, is Master Roger Mallock, " he said to my Lord Abbot, "ofwhom your Lordship spoke to me. "

"This is he, Holy Father, " said my Lord. 

"He has been a novice for two years then; and his superiors are not sureof his vocation?"

"Yes, Holy Father. "

The Pope looked again at me then, and I dropped my eyes. 

"And you yourself, my son?" he asked. 

"Holy Father, " I said, "I am sure that at present I have no vocation. What God may give me in the future I do not know. I only know what Hehas not given me in the present. "

Innocent tightened his lips at that; but I think it was to preventhimself smiling. 

"And he is an English gentleman, " he went on presently, "and he hasestates in France that bring him in above twenty thousand francs yearly;and he is twenty-one years of age; and he is accustomed to all kinds ofsociety, and he is a devoted son of Holy Church, and he speaks Frenchand English and Italian and Spanish and German--"

"No, Holy Father, not German--except a few words, " I said. 

"And he is discreet and courageous and virtuous--"

"Holy Father--" I began in distress, for I thought he was mocking me. 

"And he desires nothing; better than to serve his spiritual superiorsin any employment to which they may put him--Eh, my son?"

I looked into the Pope's face and down again; but I said nothing. 

"Eh, my son?" he said again with a certain sharpness. 

"Holy Father, I have been taught never to contradict my superiors; butindeed in this--"

"Bravo!" said Innocent. 

Then he turned to my Lord Abbot, as if I were no longer in the room. 

"The question, " he said, "is not only whether this young gentleman iscapable of hearing everything and saying nothing, of preserving hisvirtue, of handling locked caskets without even desiring to look insideunless it is his business, of living in the world yet not being ofit--but whether he is willing to do all this without being paid forit--except perhaps his bare expenses. "

My Lord Abbot said nothing. 

"I can have a thousand paid servants, " said Innocent, "who are worthexactly their wages; but, since money cannot buy virtue or discretion orcourage, in such servants I cannot demand those things. And I can have athousand foolish servants who could earn no wages anywhere because oftheir foolishness, and these never have discretion and not often eithervirtue or courage. But what I wish is to have servants who are as wisesons to me--who have all these things, and will use them for love'ssake--for the love of Holy Church and of Christ and His Mother, and whowill be content with the wages that These give. "

He stopped suddenly and looked at me quickly again; and my heart burnedin my breast; for this that he was saying was all that I most desired;and I saw by that that my talk must have been reported to him. I lovedHoly Church then, and the cause of Jesus and Mary, as young men do love, and as I hope to love till I die. I asked nothing better than to servesuch causes as these even to death. It was not for lack of ardour that Iwished to leave the monastery; it was because, truthfully, I had afever on me of greater activity; because, truthfully, I was not sure ofmy vocation; because, truthfully, I doubted whether such gifts and suchwealth and such education as were mine could not be used better in theworld than in the cloister. I knew that I could take a place to-morrowin either the French or the English Court, without disgracing myself orothers; and it was precisely of this that I had spoken to my Lord Abbot;and here was our Holy Father himself putting into words those veryambitions that I had. I met his eyes, and knew that I was beginning toflush. 

"Well, my son?" he said. 

"Holy Father, " I said, "my virtues and capacities, such as they are, Imust leave to my superiors. But my desires are those of which yourHoliness has spoken. I ask no wages: I ask only to be allowed to servewhatever cause my superiors may assign to me. "

He continued to look at me, and for very shame I presently dropped myeyes again. 

"Well, my Lord Abbot?" he said again. "Let us hear what you have tosay. "

Then my lord began to speak; and before he was half-done I wished myselfanywhere else in the world. For, as great men alone are capable, hecould be as lavish of praise as of blame. He said that I was all that ofwhich His Holiness had spoken; that I had been obedient and exact as anovice; and he said other things too of which even under obedience Icould not speak. Then too he added what he had never said to me before, that he was not sure that I had no vocation; but that since God spokethrough exterior circumstances as well as through interior drawings, HisHoly Will seemed to point, at least at present, to a life in the worldfor me; that he was sure I would be as obedient there as here; that Ihad learned not only to use my tongue but, what is much harder, to holdit. And he ended by begging the Holy Father to take me into his serviceand to use me in the ways in which perhaps I might be useful. All this, of course, I now understand to have been rehearsed before; but just atthat time I had no more than a suspicion that this was so. 

When he had finished, His Holiness once more turned and looked at me;and I upon the ground: and then at last he spoke. 

"My son, " he said, "you have heard what his Reverence has said of you;and I too have heard it, and not to-day for the first time. It seemsthat you are right in thinking that for the present at any rate you haveno vocation to Holy Religion. Well, then, the question is as to what isyour Vocation, for Our Lord never leaves any man without a Vocation ofsome kind. You are very young for such service as that on which we thinkto send you; for we shall send you to the Court of England first, andthen perhaps now and again to France; but you look five years at leastolder than your age, and, I am told, have ten times its discretion. Ineed not tell you that you will have no very heavy mission given to youat first; you must mix freely with the world and use your wits and seewhat is best to be done, sending back reports to the Cardinal Secretary. You will live at your own charges, as you yourself have said that youwished to do; but you may draw upon us here for any journeys that youmay undertake upon our business up to a certain amount. In a word youwill be in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, though without directoffice or commission beyond that which I now give you myself. You willhave full liberty to make a career for yourself in the English or FrenchCourts, so long as this comes always second to your service toourselves. If you acquit yourself well--in the way which will beexplained to you later--you may make a career with us too, and will haverewards if you want them: but for the present there must be no talk ofthat. As you must be in the world yet not of it; so you must be of theCourt of Rome yet not in it. It is a delicate position that you willhold; and, to compensate for the informality of it, you will have themore liberty on your side, to make a career, as I have said, or tomarry, if God calls you to that, or in any other way. .. . Does thatcontent you, my son?"

I do not know what I said; for all that the Holy Father had told me waswhat I myself had said to my Lord Abbot. I knew that affairs in Englandwere in a very strange condition, that the Duke of York who was nextheir to the throne was a Catholic, and that Charles himself wasfavourably disposed to us; and I knew a number of other things too whichwill appear in the course of this tale; and I had said to my Lord thatsometimes even a hair's weight will make a balance tip; and had askedagain and again if I might not, with my advantages, such as they were, be of more service to Holy Church in a more worldly place than thecloister; and now here was our Most Holy Lord himself granting andconfirming all that I had wished. 

"There! there!" he said to me presently, when I had tried to say whatwas in my heart. "Go and serve God in this way as well as you can; andremember that you can be as well sanctified in the Court of a King as ina cloister--and better, if it is the Court that is your Vocation. Go anddo your best, my son; and we shall see what you can make of it. "

 * * * * *

When we were outside again I saw that my Lord Abbot's face was allsuffused, as was my own, for there was something strangely fiery andkeen and holy about Innocent; but he said nothing, except that we mustnow go and see His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State, for I wasto receive my more particular instructions from him. 

PART ONE

CHAPTER I

I came to London on the fifteenth of June, having left it seven yearsbefore in company with my father, to go to Paris, two years before hedied. 

It was drawing on to sunset as we rode up through the Southwark fieldsand, at the top of a little eminence in the ground saw for the firsttime plainly all the City displayed before us. 

We came along the Kent road, having caught sight again and again of suchspires as had risen after the Great Fire, and of the smoke that rosefrom the chimneys; but I may say that I was astonished at the progressthe builders had made from what I could remember of seven years before. Then there had still been left great open spaces where there should havebeen none; now it was a city once more; and even the Cathedral shewedits walls and a few roofs above the houses. The steeples too of SirChristopher Wren's new churches pricked everywhere; though I saw laterthat there was yet much building to be done, both in these and in manyof the greater houses. My man James rode with me; (for I had beencareful not to form too great intimacies with the party with whom I hadridden from Dover); and I remarked to him upon the matter. 

"And there, sir, " he said to me, pointing to it, "is the monument nodoubt that they have raised to it. "

And so we found it to be a day or two later--a tall pillar, with aninscription upon it saying that the Fire had been caused by thePapists--a black lie, as every honest man knows. 

By the time that we came to London Bridge the sun was yet lower, settingin a glory of crimson, so that it was hard to see against it much ofWestminster, across the Southwark marshes and the river; but yet I couldmake out the roofs of the Abbey and of some of the great buildings ofWhitehall, where my adventures, I thought, were to lie. But betweenthat and the other end of London Bridge, just before we set foot on it, the rest of the City was plain enough; and, indeed, it was a splendidsight to see the river, all, as it seemed, of molten gold with thebarges and the wherries plying upon it, and the great houses on thebanks and their gardens coming down to the water-gates, and the forestof chimneys and roofs and steeples behind, and all of a translucent bluecolour. The sounds of the City, too, came to us plainly across thewater--the chiming of bells and the firing of some sunset gun, and eventhe noise of wheels and the barking of dogs and the crowing ofcocks--all in a soft medley of human music that made my heart rejoice;for in spite of my long exile abroad and my French and Italianatemanners, I counted myself always an Englishman. 

Now the first design that I had in mind, and for which I had made mydispositions, was to go straight to my lodging that had been secured forme by my cousin Tom Jermyn, where he was to meet me, and where he toowould lie that night. It was with him that I was to present my lettersat Whitehall in a day or two, after I had bought my clothes and othernecessaries; in short he was to be my _cicerone_ for a while--for he wasa Catholic too, like myself--but he was not to be told that I had comeon any mission at all, until at anyrate I had well tested hisdiscretion. 

 * * * * *

Now the mission on which I had been instructed by the Cardinal Secretarywas in one sense a very light one, and in another a very difficult one;for its express duties were of the smallest. 

Affairs in England at this time were in a very strange condition. First, the Duke of York, who was heir to the throne, was a declared Catholic;and then the King himself was next door to one, in heart at anyrate. Certainly he had never been reconciled to the Church, though the reportamong some was that he had been, during his life in Paris: but in heart, as I have said, he was one, and waited only for a favourable occasion todeclare himself. For he had been so bold seventeen years before, as tosend to Rome a scheme by which the Church of England was to be reunitedto Rome under certain conditions, as that the mass, or parts of it, should be read in English, that the Protestant clergy who would submitto ordination should be allowed to keep their wives, and other mattersof that kind. His answer from Rome, sent by word of mouth only, was thatno scheme could be nearer to the heart of His Holiness; but that he mustnot be too precipitate. Let him first show that his subjects were withhim in his laudable desires; and then perhaps the terms of the mattermight be spoken of again. For the King himself, and indeed even the Duketoo at this time (though later he amended his life), Catholic in spirit, were scarce Christian in life. The ladies of the Court then must not beoverlooked, for they as much as any statesman, and some think, more, controlled the king and his brother very greatly at this time. 

But this was not all. Next, the King was embroiled in a great number ofways. The more extreme of his Protestant subjects feared and hated theCatholic Church as much as good Catholics hate and fear the Devil; andalthough for the present our people had great liberty both at Court andelsewhere, no man could tell when that liberty might be curtailed. And, indeed, it had been to a great part already curtailed five years beforeby the Test Act, forbidding the Catholics to hold any high place at theCourt or elsewhere, though this was largely evaded. There was even amovement among some of them, and among the most important of them too, in the House of Lords and elsewhere, to exclude the Duke of York fromthe succession; and they advanced amongst themselves in support of thisthe fear that a French army might be brought in to subdue England to theChurch. And, worst of all, as I had learned privately in Rome, there wassome substance in their fear, though few else knew it; since the Kingwas in private treaty with Louis for this very purpose. Again, a furtherembroilment lay in the propositions that had been made privately to theKing that he should rid himself of his Queen--Catherine--on the pretextthat she had borne no child to him, and could not, and marry insteadsome Protestant princess. Lastly, and most important of all, so greatlywas Charles turned towards the Church, that he had begged more thanonce, and again lately, that a priest might be sent to him to be alwaysat hand, in the event of his sudden sickness, whom none else knew to bea priest; and it was this last matter, I think, that had determined theHoly Father to let me go, as I had wished, though I was no priest, tosee how the King would bear himself to me; and then, perhaps afterwards, a priest might be sent as he desired. 

This then was the mission on which I was come to London. 

I was to present myself at Court and place myself at His Majesty'sdisposal. The letters that I carried were no more than such as anygentleman might bring with him; but the King had been told beforehandwho I was, and that I was come to be a messenger or a go-between if heso wished, with him and Rome. So much the King was told, and the Duke. But on my side I was told a little more--that I was to do my utmost, ifthe King were pleased with me, to further his conversion and hisdeclaration of himself as a Catholic; that I was to mix with all kindsof folks, and observe what men really thought of all such matters asthese, and send my reports regularly to Rome; that I was to place myselfat the King's service in any way that I could--in short that I was tofollow my discretion and do, as a layman may sometimes even more than apriest, all that was in my power for the furtherance of the Catholiccause. 

Now it may be wondered perhaps how it was that I, who was so young, should be entrusted with such matters as these. Here then, I am bound tosay, however immodest it may appear, that I have had always the art ofmaking friends easily and of commending myself quickly. I had lived tooin the societies of both Paris and Rome; and I had the accomplishmentsof a gentleman as well as his blood. I was thought a pleasant fellow, that is to say, who could make himself agreeable; and I certainly hadtoo--and I am not ashamed to say this--but one single ambition in theworld, and that was to serve God's cause: and these things do not alwaysgo together in this world. Last of all, it must be observed, that novery weighty secrets were entrusted to me: I bore no letters; and I hadbeen told no more of affairs in general than such as any quick andintelligent man might pick up for himself. Even should I proveuntrustworthy or indiscreet, or even turn traitor, no very great harmwould be done. If, upon the other hand, I proved ready and capable, allthat I could learn in England and, later perhaps, in France, would serveme well in the carrying out of weightier designs that might then begiven into my charge. 

Such then I was; and such was my mission, on this fifteenth day of June, as I rode up with James my man--a servant found for me in Rome, who hadonce been in the service of my Lord Stafford--to the door of thelodgings engaged for me in Covent Garden Piazza above a jeweller's shop. 

 * * * * *

It was after sunset that we came there; and all the way along theStrand, until we nearly reached the York Stairs, I had said nothing tomy man, but had used my eyes instead, striving to remember what I couldof seven years before. The houses of great folk were for the most parton my left--Italianate in design, with the river seen between them, andlesser houses, of the architecture that is called "magpie, " on theright. The way was very foul, for there had been rain that morning, andthere seemed nothing to carry the filth away: in places faggots had beenthrown down to enable carts to pass over. The Strand was very full offolk of all kinds going back to their houses for supper. 

Covent Garden Piazza was a fairer place altogether. It was enclosed inrailings, and a sun-dial stood in the centre; and on the south was thespace for the market, with a cobbled pavement. To the east of St. Paul'sChurch stood the greater houses, built on arcades, where manyfashionable people of the Court lived or had their lodgings, and it wasin one of these that I too was to lodge: for I had bidden my CousinJermyn to do the best he could for me, and his letter had reached me atDover, telling me to what place I was to come. 

As I sat on my horse, waiting while my man went in to one of thedoorways to inquire, a gentleman ran suddenly out of another, with nohat on his head. 

"Why, you are my Cousin Roger, are you not?" he cried from the steps. 

"Then you are my Cousin Tom Jermyn, " I said. 

"The very man!" he cried back; and ran down to hold my stirrup. 

All the way up the stairs he was talking and I was observing him. Heseemed a hearty kind of fellow enough, with a sunburnt face from livingin the country; and he wore his own hair. He was still in riding-dress;and he told me, before we had reached the first landing, that he wascome but an hour ago from his house at Hare Street, in Hertfordshire. 

"And I have brought little Dorothy with me, " he cried. "You rememberlittle Dorothy? She is a lady of quality now, aged no less than sixteen;and is come up to renew her fal-lals for her cousin's arrival; for youmust come down with us to Hare Street when your business is done. "

I cannot say that even after all this heartiness, I thought very much ofmy Cousin Tom. He spoke too loud, I thought, on the common stair: but Iforgot all that when I came into the room that was already lighted witha pair of wax candles and set eyes on my Cousin Dorothy, who stood up aswe came in, still in her riding-dress, with her whip and gloves on thetable. Now let me once and for all describe my Cousin Dorothy; and thenI need say no more. She was sixteen years old at this time--as herfather had just told me. She was of a pale skin, with blue eyes andblack lashes and black hair; but she too was greatly sunburnt, with thehaymaking (as her father presently told me again; for she spoke verylittle after we had saluted one another). She was in a green skirt and askirted doublet of the same colour, and wore a green hat with a whitefeather; but those things I did not remember till I was gone to bed andwas thinking of her. It is a hard business for a lover to speak as heshould of the maid who first taught him his lessons in that art; but Ithink it was her silence, and the look in her eyes, that embodied for meat first what I found so dear afterwards. She was neither tall norshort; she was very slender; and she moved without noise. All thesethings I write down now from my remembrance of the observations that Imade afterwards. It would be foolish to say that I loved her so soon asI saw her; for no man does that in reality, whatever he may say of itlater; I was aware only that here was a maid whose presence made thelittle room very pleasant to me, and with whom taking supper would besomething more than the swallowing of food and drink. 

The rooms of my lodging were good enough, as I saw when my Cousin Tomflung open the doors to show me them all. They were three in number:this room into which we had first come from the stairs was hung in greendamask, with candles in sconces between the panels of the stuff; thedoor on the left opened into the room where my Cousin Dorothy would lie, with her maid; and that on the right my Cousin Tom and I would sharebetween us. The windows of all three looked out upon the piazza. 

He said a great number of times that he was sorry that he had brought uphis daughter without giving me warning; but that the maid had set herheart on it and would take no denial. (This I presently discovered to bewholly false. ) For a week, he said, and no more, I should bediscommoded; and after that, when I had come back from Hare Street, Ishould be able to entertain my friends in peace. 

I answered him, of course, with the proper compliments; but I liked hismanner less than ever. He was too boisterous, I thought, on a firstmeeting; and too hearty in his expressions of goodwill. When we were setdown to supper, he began again, with what I thought a good deal ofindiscretion. 

"So you are come from Rome!" he said loudly, "and from a monastery too, as I hear. Well, no man loves a monk more than I do--in theirmonasteries; but I am glad you are not to be one. We will teach himbetter here--eh, Dolly, my dear?"

It was only my man James who was in the room when he spoke; yet as soonas he was gone out to fetch another dish I thought I had best say aword. 

"Cousin, " I said, "with your leave; I think it best not to speak ofmonasteries--"

He interrupted me. 

"Why, you need fear nothing, " he cried. "We Catholics are all in thefashion these days. Why, there is Mr. Huddleston that goes about in hispriest's habit: and the Capuchins at St. James', and the very Jesuitstoo--"

"I think it would be better not--" I began. 

"Oho!" cried Cousin Tom. "That is in the wind, is it? Why, I'll be asmum as a mouse!"

I did not know what he meant; and I supposed that he did not knowhimself, unless indeed by sheer blundering he had pitched upon the truththat I was come on a mission. But so soon as James was in the roomagain, he began upon the other tack, and talked of Prince this and theDuke of that, with whom I might be supposed to be on terms of intimacy, winking on me all the while, so that my man saw it. However, I answeredhim civilly. I could do no less; for he was my cousin, and in a mannermy host; and, most of all, I must depend upon him for a few days atleast, to tell me how I must set about my audiences and my personalaffairs. 

My Cousin Dorothy said little or nothing all this time; but sat withdowncast eyes, giving a look now and again at the table to see if we hadall that we needed; for she was housekeeper at Hare Street, her motherhaving died ten years before, and she herself being the only child. Shedid not look at me at all, or shew any displeasure; and yet it seemed tome that she was not best pleased with her father's manners. Once, towards the end of supper, when James came behind him with the wine-jug, I saw her shake her head at him; and, indeed, Cousin Tom was alreadypretty red in the face with all that he had drunk. 

When the meal was finished at last, and the table cleared, and theservants gone downstairs to their own supper, he began again with histalk, stretching his legs in the window-seat where he sat; while I satstill in my chair wheeled away from the table, and my Cousin Dorothywent in and out of the rooms, bestowing the luggage that she and hermaid had unpacked. I watched her as she went to and fro, telling myself(as some lads will, who pride themselves on being come to manhood) thatshe was only a little maid. 

"As to your affairs, Cousin Roger, " he said, "they will soon bedetermined. I take it that when you have kissed His Majesty's hand andpaid your duty to the Duke, you will have done all that you should forthe present. "

I did not contradict him; but he was not to be restrained. 

"You are come to seek your fortune, no doubt:" (he winked on me again ashe said this, to draw attention to his discretion); "and there isnothing else in the world but that, no doubt, that brings you toEngland. " (He said this with an evident irony that even a child wouldhave understood. ) "Not that you have not a very pretty fortune already:I understand that it is near upon a thousand pounds a year; and greatestates in Normandy too, when you shall be twenty-eight years old. I amright, am I not?"

Now he was right; but I wondered that he should take such pains to knowit all. 

"There or thereabouts, " I said. 

"That condition of twenty-eight years is a strange one, " he went on. "Now what made your poor father fix upon that, I wonder?"

I told him that my father held that a man's life went by sevens, andthat every man was a boy till he was twenty-one, a fool till he wastwenty-eight, and a man, by God's grace, after that. 

"Ah, that was it, was it?" he said, stretching his legs yet further. "Ihave often wondered as to how that was. "

And that shewed me that his mind must have run a good deal upon myfortunes; but as yet I did not understand the reason. 

When, presently, my Cousin Dorothy had shut the door of her room, andmy man was gone down again to the horses, he began again on his oldtack. 

"You and I, Cousin Roger, " he said, "will soon understand one another. Iknew that as soon as I clapped eyes on you. Come, tell me what yourbusiness is here. I'm as close as the grave over a friend's secrets. "

"My dear cousin, " I said, "I do not know what business you mean. Was notmy letter explicit enough? I am come to live here as an Englishgentleman. What other business should I have?"

He winked again at me. 

"Yes, yes, " he said. "And now having done your duty to your discretion, do it to your friendship for me too. I know very well that a man whocomes from a Roman monastery, with letters from the French ambassador, does not come for nothing. Is there some new scheme on hand?--for thehonour of Holy Church, no doubt?"

I thanked God then that I had said not one word in my letter thatShaftesbury himself might not have read. I had been in two minds aboutit; but had determined to wait until I saw my cousin and learned formyself what kind of man he was. 

"My dear cousin, " I said again, "even if I had come on some suchmission, I should assure you, as I do now, that it was nothing of thekind. How else could such missions be kept secret at all? It would be a_secretum commissum_ in any case; as the theologians would say. I canbut repeat what I said in my letter to you; and, if you will think ofit, you will see that it is not likely that any matter of importancewould be entrusted to a young man of my age. "

That seemed to quiet him. I have often noticed that to appeal to theexperience and wisdom of a fool is the surest way to content him. 

He began then to talk of the Court; and it would not be decent of me torecord even a tenth part of the gossip he told me regarding thecorruption that prevailed in Whitehall. Much of it was no doubt true;and a great deal more than he told me in some matters; but it camepouring out from him, and with such evident pleasure to himself, that itwas all I could do to preserve a pleasant face towards him. He told meof the little orange-girl, Nell Gwyn, who was now just twenty-eightyears old; and how she lived here and there as the King gave herhouses--in Pall Mall, and in Sandford House in Chelsea, and at first atthe "Cock and Pie" in Drury Lane; and how her hair was of a reddishbrown, and how, when she laughed her eyes disappeared in her head; andof the Duchess of Cleveland, that was once Mrs. Palmer and then my LadyCastlemaine, now in France; and of the Duchess of Portsmouth, and herson created Duke of Richmond three years ago; and of the mock marriagethat was celebrated, in my Lord Arlington's house at Euston, seven yearsago between her and the King. And these things were only the more decentmatters of which he spoke; and of all he spoke with that kind ofchuckling pleasure that a heavy country squire usually shews in suchthings, so that I nearly hated him as he sat there. For to myself suchthings seem infinitely sorrowful; and all the more so in such a man asthe King was; and they seemed the more sorrowful the more that I knew ofhim later; for he had so much of the supernatural in him after all, andknew what he did. 

Then presently my Cousin Jermyn began upon the Duke; and at that Inearly loosed my tongue at him altogether. For I knew very well that theguilt of the Duke was heavier even than the guilt of the King, sinceJames had the grace of the Sacraments to help him and the light of theFaith to guide him. But I judged it better not to shew my anger, since Iwas, as the Holy Father had told me, to be "in the world, " thoughinteriorly not of it: and so I feigned sleep instead, and presently hadto snore aloud before my cousin could see it: and, as he stoppedspeaking, my Cousin Dorothy came in to bid us good-night. 

"Why, I have been half asleep, " I said. "I am tired with my journey. What were you saying, cousin?"

He leered again at that, as if to draw attention to his daughter'spresence. 

"Why, we were talking of high matters of state, " he said, "when you fellasleep--matters too high for little maids to hear of. Give me a kiss, mydear. "

When she came to me, I kissed her on the forehead, and not upon thecheek which she offered me. 

"Is that the Italian custom?" cried my Cousin Tom. "Why, we can teachyou better than that--eh, Dolly?"

She said nothing to that; but looked at me a little anxiously and thenat the table where the wine stood; and I thought that I understood her. 

"Well, cousin, " I said, "I, too, had best be off to bed. We had bestboth go. I do not want to lie awake half the night; and if you wake mewhen you come to bed, I shall not sleep again. "

He tried to persuade me to stay and drink a little more; but I wouldnot: and for very courtesy he had to come with me. 

In spite of my drowsiness, however, when I was once in bed and the lightwas out I could not at once sleep. I heard the watchman go by and crythat it was a fine night; and I heard the carriages go by, and thechairs; and saw the light of the links on the ceiling at the end of mybed; and I heard a brawl once and the clash of swords and the scream ofa woman; as well as the snoring of my Cousin Tom, who fell asleep atonce, so full he was of French wine. But it was not these things thatkept me awake, except so far as they were signs to me of where I was. 

For here I was in London at last, which, whatever men may say, is theheart of the world, as Rome is the heart of the Church; and there, within a gunshot, was the gate of Whitehall where the King lived, andwhere my fortunes lay. Neither was I here as a mere Englishman come homeagain after seven years, but as a messenger from the Holy See, with workboth to find and to do. To-morrow I must set out, to buy, as I may say, the munitions of war--my clothes and my new periwigs and my swords andmy horses; and then after that my holy war was to begin. I had myletters not only to the Court, but to the Jesuits as well--though ofthese I had been careful to say nothing to my cousin; for I couldpresent these very well without his assistance. And this holy war I wasto carry on by my own wits, though a soldier in that great army ofChrist that fights continually with spiritual weapons against thedeceits of Satan. 

I wondered, then, as I lay there in the dark, as to whether this warwould be as bloodless as seemed likely; whether indeed it were true (andif true, whether it were good or bad) that Catholics should again almostbe in the fashion, as my cousin had said. There were still those oldbloody laws against us; was it so sure that they would never be revivedagain? And if they were revived, how should I bear myself; and how wouldmy Cousin Jermyn, and all those other Catholics of whom London was sofull?

Of all these things, then, I thought; but my last thoughts, before Icommended myself finally to God and Our Lady, were of my CousinDorothy--that little maid, as I feigned to myself to think of her. Yes;I would go down to Hare Street in Hertfordshire so soon as Iconveniently could, without neglecting my business. It would be pleasantto see what place it was that my Cousin Dorothy called her home. 

CHAPTER II

It was again a fair evening, five days later, when, in one of my newsuits, with my new silver-handled sword, I set out on foot to Whitehallto see the King first and the Duke afterwards, as word had been broughtme from the Chamberlain's office; for I had presented my letters on themorning after I had come to London. 

Those four days had passed busily and merrily enough in company with mycousins. The first two days I had spent in the shops, and had expendedabove forty pounds, with both my cousins to advise me. It would not beto the purpose to describe all that I bought; but there was a blue suitI had, that was made very quickly, and that was the one I wore when Iwent to see the King, that was very fine. All was of blue; the coat wassquare-cut, with deep skirts, and had great laced cuffs that turned upas high as the elbow, showing the ruffled wristbands of the shirtbeneath; the waistcoat below--in the new fashion--was so hung as to comedown to my knees; and both coat and waistcoat had buttons all the waydown the front, with silver trimming. My stockings--for the brodequinswere out of fashion again now--were of a darker blue, and my shoes ofstrong leather, with a great rosette upon each, for buckles were notusual at this time. Then my cravat was of Flanders lace; and my CousinDorothy showed me how to fasten it so that the ends lay down square infront; and my hat was round with a blue favour in it upon the left side;and I wore it with what was called the "Monmouth cock. " I carried a longcane in my hand, with a silver head, and a pair of soft leather gloves, without cuffs to them. Then, as my own hair was still short, I bought acouple of dark periwigs of my own colour, and put on, the better to goto Whitehall in. Besides these things I had three other suits, one veryplain, of grey, and two less plain; a case of pistols, and a secondsword, very plain and strong, in a leather scabbard, with its belt; twopair of riding-boots, besides other shoes; and two dozen of shirts andcravats, of which half were plain, without lace. 

While we went to and fro on all those businesses, we saw something bothof the town and of the folks. On our way back from Cheapside one day, weturned aside to see the Monument, with the lying inscription upon it;and then to see the Cathedral, which was already of a considerableheight. Of the persons of importance we saw one day the Duke ofBuckingham in his coach, drawn by two white horses, with riders beforeand behind, pass along towards Whitehall; and a chair went by us oneevening in which, it was said, was the Duchess of Portsmouth (onceMadame de la Querouaille, or Mrs. Carwell); but it was so closelyguarded that I could not see within. Also, we saw my Lord Shaftesbury, asly yet proud looking fellow, I thought him, walking with Mr. Pepys, whofell later under suspicion of being a Catholic, because his servant wasone. 

On the Saturday evening we went to take the air in St. James' Park, andwalked by Rosamund's pond; and here we but just missed seeing the Kingand Queen; for as we came into it from Charing Cross (where I had seenfor the first time in the public street the Punch-show, which I thinkmust take its origin from Pontius Pilate) their Majesties rode out--handin hand, I heard later--through the Park Gate into the Horse-Guards, andso to Whitehall, with guards in buff and steel following. There was agreat company of gentlemen and ladies who rode behind, of whom we caughta sight; but they were too far away for us to recognize any of them. (Isaw, too, the cress-carts come in from Tothill fields. )

On the Sunday morning we went all three together to hear mass sung inSt. James'; and here for the first time I saw Mr. Huddleston, who was ofthe congregation, who was in his priest's habit--as my cousin had toldme--for this was allowed to him by Act of Parliament, because he hadsaved the King's life after the battle of Worcester. He was a man thatlooked like a scholar, but was very brown with the sun, too. We couldnot see the Duke, for he was in his closet, with the curtains halfdrawn--a tribune, as we should call it in Rome. It was very sweet to meto hear mass again after my journey; and it was not less sweet to methat my Cousin Dorothy was beside me; but the crush was so great, ofProtestants who had come to see the ceremonies, as well as of Catholics, that there was scarcely room even to kneel down at the elevation. On ourway back we saw Prince Rupert, a fat pasty-faced man, driving out in hiscoach. He spent all his time in chymical experiments, I was told. AsSedley said, he had exchanged Naseby for Noseby. 

I had been bidden, on the Monday, to present myself first at Mr. Chiffinch's lodgings that were near the chapel, between the Privy Stairsand the Palace Stairs; and, as I was before my time, when I came intothe Court, behind the Banqueting Hall, I turned aside to see the PrivyGarden. A fellow in livery, of whom there were half a dozen in sight, asked me my business very civilly; and when I told him, let me gothrough by the Treasury and the King's laboratory, so that I might seethe garden: and indeed it was very well worth seeing. There were sixteengreat beds, set in the rectangle, with paved walks between; there was astone vase on a pedestal, or a statue, in the centre of each bed, and agreat sundial in the midst of them all. There were some ladies walkingat the further end, beneath the two rows of trees; and the sight was avery pretty one, for the sunlight was still on part of the garden and onthe Bowling-Green beyond the trees; and the flowers and the ladies'dresses, and the high windows that flashed back the light, all conspiredto make what I looked upon very beautiful. The lodgings that looked onto the Privy Garden and the Bowling-Green were much coveted, I heardlater; and only such personages as Prince Rupert, my Lord Peterborough, Sir Philip Killigrew, and such like, could get them there. 

Mr. Chiffinch's lodgings, when I came to them, were not so fine; forthey looked out upon little courts on both sides, and my LadyArlington's lodgings blocked his view to the river. I went up thestairs, and beat upon the door with my cane: and a voice cried to me toenter. 

Now I had heard enough of Mr. Chiffinch to make me prejudge him; for hismain business, it seemed, was to pander to the King's pleasures; and hehad his rooms so near the river, it was said, that he might more easilymeet those who came by water and take them up to His Majesty's roomsunobserved: yet when I saw him, I understood that any prejudgement wasunnecessary. For if ever man bore his character in his face it was Mr. Chiffinch. 

He had risen at my knock, and was standing in the light of the window. He was dressed in a dark suit, very plain, yet of very rich stuff, andhad laid his periwig aside, so that I could see his features. He was adark secret-looking man with his eyes set near together, and with a lipso short that it seemed as if he sneered; he stooped a little too. Yet Iam bound to say that his manner was perfection itself. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " I said. And at that he bowed. 

"I am Mr. Roger Mallock, " I said; "and I was bidden to come here at thishour. "

"I am honoured to meet you, Mr. Mallock, " he said. "I have had HisMajesty's instructions very particular in your regard. I am ashamed thatyou should find me so unready; but I will not keep you above fiveminutes, if you will sit down for a little. "

He made haste to set me a chair near the window; and with anotherapology or two he went out of a second door. The room in which he leftme was like the suit that he wore--in that it was both plain and rich. There were three or four chairs with arms; a table, with twisted legs, on which lay a great heap of papers and a pair of candlesticks: andthere was a tall lightly-carved press, with locks, between the windows. The walls were plain, with a few good engravings hung upon them. I wentup to examine one, and found it to be a new one, by Faithorne. 

Now that I was drawing so near to the King, I found my apprehensionsreturning upon me, for half my success, I knew, if not all, turned uponthe manner I first shewed to him. I knew very well that I could bearmyself with sufficient address; but sufficient address was not all thatwas needed: I must so act that His Majesty would remember me afterwards, and with pleasure. Yet how was I to ensure this?

As I was so thinking to myself, Mr. Chiffinch came in again, having, with marvellous speed, changed his suit into one of brown velvet, with agreat black periwig, from which his sharp face looked out like a ferretfrom a hole. 

"I must ask your pardon, Mr. Mallock, " he said, as I stood up to meethim, "again and again; but I have scarcely an hour to myself day ornight. Duty treads on the heels of duty all day long. But we have stilltime: His Majesty does not expect us till half-past five. "

I made the usual compliments and answers, to which he bowed again; andthen, as I thought he would, he began upon what was not his business--atleast I thought not then. 

"You are come from Rome, I hear. I trust that His Holiness was in goodhealth?"

"The reports were excellent, " I said, determined not to be taken in thisway. 

"You have seen His Holiness lately, no doubt?"

"It was the French and Spanish ambassadors, " I said, "who gave me myletters. A poor gentleman like myself does not see the Holy Father oncein a twelvemonth. "

He seemed contented with that; and I think he put me down as somethingof a well-bred simpleton, which was precisely what I wished him tothink; for his manner changed a little. 

"You have seen His Majesty before, no doubt?"

"I have not been in England for seven years, " I said, smiling. "I sawHis Majesty once when I was a lad, as he went to dinner; and I have seenhim once, on Saturday last; at least, I saw the top of his hat from ahundred yards off. "

"And the Duke of York?" he asked. 

"I have never seen the Duke of York in my life, to my knowledge, " Isaid. 

Now I saw well enough what he was after. Without a doubt he had asuspicion that I was an emissary in some way from the Holy Father, or atleast that I was more than I appeared to be; and being one of those menwho desire to know everything, that they may understand, as the sayingis, which way the cat will jump, and how to jump with her, he wasdetermined to find out all that he could. On my side, therefore, Iassumed the air of a rather stupid gentleman, to bear out better thecharacter that I had--that I was a mere gentleman from Rome, recommendedby the Catholic ambassadors; and I think that, for the time at anyrate, he took me so to be; for his manner became less inquisitive. 

"We must be going to His Majesty, sir, " he said presently, rising; andthen he added as if by chance: "You are a Catholic, Mr. Mallock?"

"Why, yes, " I said: for there was no need of any concealment on thepoint of my religion. 

 * * * * *

As we went downstairs and along the passage that led by Sir FrancisClinton's lodgings, he began to speak of how I was to behave myself tothe King, and how kiss his hand and the rest. I knew very well all thesethings, but I listened to him as if I did not, and even put a questionor two; and he answered me very graciously. 

"You should be very modest with His Majesty, " he said, "if you wouldplease him. He likes not originals over-much; or, rather, I wouldsay--(but it must not be repeated)--that he likes to be the onlyoriginal of the company. "

And when Mr. Chiffinch said that I knew that he was lying to me; for thevery opposite was the truth; and I understood that he still had hissuspicions of me and wished me to fail with the King. But I noddedwisely, and thanked him. 

A couple of Yeomen of the Guard--of which body no man was less than sixfeet tall--stood at the foot of the little stairs that led up to theKing's lodgings: and these made no motion to hinder the King's page andhis companion. So English were they that they did not even turn theireyes as we went through, Mr. Chiffinch preceding me with an apology. 

At the door on the landing of the first floor he turned to me againbefore he knocked. 

"His Majesty will be within the second room, " he said. "Will you wait, Mr. Mallock, please, in this first anteroom, and I will go through. Thisis a private reception by His Majesty. There will be no formalities. "

He tapped upon both the doors that were one inside the other; and thenled me through. The first chamber was very richly furnished, thoughbarely. There was a long table with chairs about it; and he led me toone of these. Then with a nod or two he passed on to a second door, tapped upon it softly and went through, closing it behind him. I heard awoman's laugh as he went through, suddenly broken off. 

There was, I supposed (and as I learned afterwards to be the case) oneother way at least out of the King's lodgings, through his privatelibrary, where he kept all his clocks and wheels and such-like; forwhen, after a minute or two, the door opened again and Mr. Chiffinchbeckoned me in, there was no woman with the King. 

It was a great room--His Majesty's closet as it was called--which heused for such solitary life as he led; and while I was with him, andafterwards upon other occasions, I saw little by little how it wasfurnished. The table in the midst, at which His Majesty wrote, was allin disorder; it was piled high with papers and books, for he would dowhat writing or reading he cared to do by fits and starts. The wallswere hung with panels of tapestry, and tall curtains of brocade hung atthe windows. Between the panels were pictures hung upon the walls--threeor four flower-pictures by Varelst; three pictures of horses and dogs byHondius, and a couple of Dutch pictures by Hoogstraaten. Over thefireplace was a chimney-breast by Gibbons; and the ceiling was alla-sprawl with gods and goddesses, I suppose by Verrio. In the windows, which looked out on two sides, over the river and into a little court, were little tables covered with curious things, for His Majestydelighted in such ingenuities--Dutch figures in silver, clockwork, andthe like, and a basket of spaniels lay beneath one of the tables. Asecond great table stood against the wall on the further side from thaton which I entered, covered with retorts and instruments, and behind ita press, and near it sat the King. The floor was carpeted with rushmatting, loosely woven, with rugs upon it. But of all these things I sawlittle or nothing at the first, for Mr. Chiffinch was gone out behindme, and I was alone with His Majesty. One of the spaniels had given alittle yelp as I came in; but disposed himself to sleep again. 

Now I am not one of those who think that those who are noble by birthmust always be noble by character, though I know that it should be so. Iknew, too, very well that Charles was less than noble in a great numberof ways. His women did what they liked with him; he would spend fortuneson those who pleased him and did him nothing but injury, and would lethis faithful lovers and servants go starve. He lived always, you wouldsay, only for the flesh and the pride of the eyes; he was careless andselfish and ungrateful; in short, he was as dissolute as a man could be, or, rather, as dissolute as a king could be, and that is much more. Yetfor all this, he was a man of an extraordinary power, if he had cared touse it. It was said of him that "he could, if he would, but that hewould not"; and of his brother that "he would if he could, but that hecould not"; and I know no better epigram on the two than that. James wasall intention without success; and Charles all success withoutintention. And so James at the end lived and died as a saint, though hewas far from being one at this time; and Charles lived and died asinner, though, thank God, a penitent one. 

Now although I knew all this well enough, and how Charles' private lifestank in the nostrils of God and man, I cannot describe how he affectedme with loyalty and compassion and even a kind of love, in this littlewhile that I had with him in private, nor how these emotions grew uponme the more that I knew him. 

He was sitting in his great chair, not yet dressed for supper, for hiswristbands were tumbled and turned back, and his huge dark brown periwigwas ever so little awry. He was in a dark suit, with a lace cravat; andhis rosetted shoes were crossed one over the other as he sat. The lightof the window fell full upon him from one side, shewing his swarthyface, his thin close moustaches, and his heavy eyes under his archedbrows--shewing above all that air of strange and lovable melancholy thatwas so marked a trait in those of the Stuart blood. He smiled a littleat me, but did not move, except to put out his hand. I came across thefloor, kneeled and kissed his hand, then, at a motion from him, stood upagain. 

"So you are Mr. Roger Mallock, " he said. "Welcome to England, Mr. RogerMallock. You bring good news of His Holiness, I hope. "

"His Holiness does very well, Sir, " I said. 

"We should all do as well if we were as holy, " said the King. "And youcome to look after my soul, I am informed. "

(He said this with a kind of gravity that can scarcely be believed. )

"I am no priest, Sir, " I said, "if you mean that. I am only aforerunner, at the best. "

"_Vox clamantis in deserto_, " said the King. "I hope I shall be no Herodto cut off your head. But it is very kind of you to come to thiswilderness. And have you seen my brother yet?"

"I am to see his Royal Highness immediately, " I said. "I waited uponYour Majesty first. "

"Poor James!" said the King. "He wants looking after, I think. And whathave you come to do in England, Mr. Mallock?"

Now I felt that I was cutting a poor figure at present; and that I mustsay something presently, if I could, to make the King remember meafterwards. It appeared to me that he was trying me, as he tried allnewcomers, to see whether they would be witty or amusing; but, for thelife of me, I could think of nothing to say. 

"I am come to put myself wholly at Your Majesty's disposal, " I said. 

"Come! come! That's better, " said Charles. "It is usually the other wayabout. _Servus servorum Dei_, you know. And in what manner do youpropose that I should use you?"

"I will clean Your Majesty's shoes, if you will. Or I will run errandsin my own. Or I will sing psalms, or ditties; or I will row in a boat;or I will play tennis, or fence. I am what is called an accomplishedyoung gentleman, Sir. "

Now I think I put in a shade too many clauses, for I was a littleagitated. But the King's face lightened up very pleasantly. 

"But I have plenty of folks who can do all that, " he said. "In what areyou distinguished from the rest?"

Then I determined on a bold stroke; for I knew that the King liked suchthings, if they were not too bold. 

"I am a Jesuit at heart, Sir;" I said. "I desire to do these things, ifYour Majesty wills it so, simply that I may serve His Holiness inserving Your Majesty. "

"Oho!" said Charles; and he gathered his feet under him and looked at memore closely. I met his eyes fairly and then dropped my own. 

"Oho! That is frank enough, Mr. Mallock. You know all about me, Isuppose. You seem very young for such work. How old are you?Twenty-five?"

"I pass as twenty-five, Sir. But I am only twenty-one!"

"I would that I were!" said Charles earnestly. "And so you are a Jesuitin disguise--a wolf in sheep's clothing. "

"No, Sir. I am a Jesuit at heart only, in that I would do anything inGod's cause. But I am rather a sheep in wolf's clothing. I was aBenedictine novice till lately. "

He seemed not to hear me. He had dropped his chin on his hand, and waslooking at me as if he were thinking of something else. 

"So you are come to serve me, " he said presently, "in any way that Iwill; and you will serve me only that you may serve your master better. And what wages do you want?"

"None that Your Majesty can give, " I said. 

"Better and better, " said Charles. "Nor place, nor position?"

"Only at Your Majesty's feet. "

"And what if I kick you?"

"I will look for the halfpence elsewhere, Sir. "

Then the King laughed outright, in the short harsh way he had; and Iknew that I had pleased him. Then he stood up, and I saw that he wastaller than I had thought. He was close upon six feet high. 

"Well, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "this seems all very pleasant andsatisfactory. You said you would run errands. I suppose you mean toRome?"

"To Rome and back, Sir, " I said. "Or to anywhere else, except Hell. "

"Oh! you draw the line there, do you?"

"No, Sir. It is God Almighty who has drawn it. I am not responsible. "

"But you observe God His line?"

"Yes, Sir. At least, I try to. "

"We all do that, I suppose. The pity is that we do not succeed moreconsistently . .. Well, Mr. Mallock, I have nothing for you at present. Iam a great deal too busy. These ladies, you know, demand so much. Isuppose you heard one of them laugh just now?"

"I hear nothing but Your Majesty's commands, " I said very meekly. 

Charles laughed again and began to walk up and down. 

"Well--and there are all these clockwork businesses, and chymical andthe like. And there is so much to eat and drink and see: and there arethe affairs of the kingdom--I had forgot that. Well; I have no time atpresent, Mr. Mallock, as you can see for yourself. But I will not forgetyou, if I want you. Where do you lodge?"

I named my lodgings in Covent Garden. 

"And I have a cousin, Sir, " I said, "who has bidden me to his house inHare Street. I shall be here or there. "

"His name?"

"Thomas Jermyn, Sir. "

The King nodded. 

"I will remember that, " he said. "Well, it may be a long time before Ihave anything more to say to His Holiness. 'He that will not when hemay--' You know all about that, I suppose, Mr. Mallock?"

"I know that Your Majesty has the reunion of Christendom at heart, " Isaid discreetly. 

"Yes, yes; I understand, " said Charles. "I have received very favourableaccounts of you, sir. And your letters, which are for the public eye, are perfectly in order. Well; I will remember, Mr. Mallock. Meanwhileyou had best not shew yourself at Court in public too much. " (And thishe said very earnestly. )

He put out his hand to be kissed. 

"And you will give my compliments to my brother James, " he said. 

 * * * * *

One of the spaniels snored in his sleep as I went out again. 

CHAPTER III

My interview with the Duke was a very different matter. I was informedat his lodgings that he was not yet come from tennis; and upon askinghow long he would be, or if I might go to the tennis-court, was toldthat he might be half an hour yet, and that I might go there if Iwished; so I went up from the river again, with a fellow they sent toguide me, down through the Stone Gallery, across the Privy Garden, andso across the street, midway between the gates, and so by the Duke ofMonmouth's lodgings to the tennis-court. Here, as I went across thestreet, I caught sight of the sentries changing guard. These were theColdstream Guards, in their red coats; for it was these foot-guards whodid duty for the most part in the Palace and round about at the gates. The other troops about His Majesty were, first the King's Guards proper, who attended him when he rode out: these were in buff coats andcuirasses, very well mounted, and very gay with ribbons and velvet andgold lace and what not: and to each troop of these were attached acompany of grenadiers with their grenades. Besides these were the Blues, also cavalry; and the dragoons, who were infantry on horseback, andcarried bayonets. Of the foot-soldiers, such as the Buffs, most weremousquetaires; but some trailed pikes, and every one of them had asword. These troops I saw constantly in town; besides the Yeomen whowere closely attached to the person of his Sacred Majesty. 

It was by the Duke of Monmouth's lodgings that I had my first sight ofthe Duke of Monmouth himself; for as I came towards the archway, bywhich were the lodgings of my Lady Suffolk, he himself came out from hisown. I did not know who he was, until the fellow by me saluted him anddoffed his cap, whereupon I did the same. I think I have never seen amore handsome lad in all my life (for he looked no more, though he wasnear thirty years old). His face was as smooth as a girl's, though notat all effeminate; he had a high and merry look with him, and borehimself, with his two friends, like a prince; he had violet eyes andarched brows over them. It is piteous to me now to think of his end, andthat it was against his uncle by blood (whom I was to see presently)that he rebelled later, and by his uncle that he was condemned; and itis yet more piteous to think how he met that end, crying and cringingfor fear of his life, both in the ditch in which he was discovered, andafterward in prison. He looked very kindly on me as he passed, liftinghis hand to his hat; but I think he would not have so looked if he hadknown all about me; for he was as venomous against the Catholics as aman could be, or at least feigned himself so, for I think he had not agreat deal of religion at any time. But he was to know me betterafterwards. 

When I came up into the gallery of the tennis-court I found it prettyfull; yet not so full but that I could get a sight of the players. TheDuke was in the court of the _dédans_ when I first came in, so I couldsee no more of him than his back and his cropped head; but when, aftertwo _chaces_ he crossed over, I had a good view of him. 

He was more heavily built than Charles; but his features were not unlikethe King's, though he was fairer in complexion, I suppose; and his lipwas shorter, and he wore no hair on his face. He had somewhat of aheavier look too in his face, without the fire that burned like embersin his brother's eyes. All this I noticed somewhat of, even from thegallery, though he was all a-sweat with his exercise. 

I had left word with one of the men below as to my name and my business;and when the game was ended and the Duke went out, I remained stillupstairs for a little, thinking that perhaps another would be played, and then perhaps he would send for me. But a servant came up presentlyand told me I was to follow to the Stone Gallery, where the Duke wouldwalk for a while before changing his clothes, as his custom was. ThisStone Gallery, as I had seen, was roofed, with skylights in it, and hadpresses of books all along the walls, together with collections of allkinds. 

When I came to the Gallery he was at the further end, walking with SirRobert Murray, as I learned afterwards, who was a very earnestProtestant, but always at Court; but when he saw me he sent Sir Robertaway and beckoned to me to come. So I went up to him and kissed hishand, and he bade me walk with him for a little. (He had put on a cloakand hat to prevent his taking cold. )

Now his manner was wholly different from His Majesty's. There was acourtesy always in Charles that was not in James; for the Duke saidnothing as to his receiving me here in his _déshabille_, but beganimmediately to talk in a low voice. 

"I am pleased that you are come to England, Mr. Mallock. I have had newsof you from Rome. "

Then he asked very properly of the Holy Father, and of a Cardinal or twothat he knew; and I answered him as well as I could. But I very soon sawthat His Royal Highness wanted nothing like wit from me: he was somewhatof a solemn man, and had great ideas of his rights, and that all men whowere below his own station should keep their own. He desired deferenceand attention above all things. 

He spoke presently of Catholics in England. 

"God hath blest us very highly, " he said, "both in numbers andinfluence. But we can well do with more of both; for I never heard ofany cause that could not. There is a feeling against us in manyquarters, but it is less considerable every year. You are to attachyourself to His Majesty, I understand?"

"But I am to have no place or office, sir, " I said. "I am rather to beat His Majesty's disposal--to fetch and carry, I may say, if he shouldneed my services. "

His Highness looked at me sidelong and swiftly; and I understood that hedid not wish any originality even in speech. 

"We must all be discreet, however, " he said--(though I suppose there wasnever any man less discreet than himself, especially when he most neededto be so). "It is useless to say that we are altogether loved; for weare not. But you will soon acquaint yourself with all our politics. "

I did not say that I had already done so; but assured him that I woulddo my best. 

"As a general guide, I may say, " he went on; "where there is Whiggery, there is disloyalty, however much the Whigs may protest. They say theydesire a king as much as any; but it is not a king that they want, buthis shadow only. "

He talked on in this manner for a little, for we had the Gallery toourselves, telling me, what I knew very well already, that the Catholicsand the High Churchmen were, as a whole, staunch Royalists; but that therest, especially those of the old Covenanting blood, still were capableof mischief. He did not tell me outright that it was largely against hisown succession that the disaffection was directed; nor that the Duke ofMonmouth was his rival; but he told me enough to show that my owninformation was correct enough, and that in the political matters myweight, such as it was, must be thrown on to the side of the Tories--asthe other party was nicknamed. I understood, even in that firstconversation with him, why he was so little loved; and I remembered, with inward mirth, how His Majesty once, upon being remonstrated with byhis brother for walking out so freely without a guard, answered that heneed have no fears; for "they will never kill me, " said he, "to set youupon the throne. "

"You have seen Father Whitbread, no doubt, " said the Duke suddenly. 

"No, sir. I waited to pay my homage first to His Majesty and toyourself. "

He nodded once or twice at that. 

"Yes, yes; but you will see him presently, I take it. You could not havea better guide. Why--"

He broke off on a sudden. 

"Why here is the man himself, " he said. 

A man in a sober suit was indeed approaching, as His Highness spoke. Hewas of about the middle-size, clean-shaven, of grave and kindly face, and resembled such a man as a lawyer or physician might be. He wasdressed in all points like a layman, though I suppose it was tolerablywell known what he was, if not his name. 

He saluted as he came near, and made as if he would have passed us. 

"Mr. Whitbread! Mr. Whitbread!" cried the Duke. 

The priest turned and bowed again, uncovering as he did so. Then he cameup to the Duke and kissed his hand. 

"I was on my way to see your Royal Highness, " he said, "but when I sawyou were in company--"

"Why, this is Mr. Mallock, come from Rome, who has letters to you. Thiswill save you a journey, Mallock. "

The priest and I saluted one another; and I found his face and mannervery pleasant. 

"I have heard of you, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "but I hope His Highness ismisinformed, and that this will not save you a journey, after all. "

"I was just telling this gentleman, " broke in the Duke, as we continuedour walking, "that he must take you for his mentor, Dr. Whitbread, inthese difficult times. Mr. Mallock seems very young for his business, but I suppose that the Holy Father knows what he is about. "

"The Holy Father, sir, " I said, "has committed himself in no sort of wayto me. I am scarcely more than a free-lance who has had his blessing. "

"Well, well; it is all the same thing, " said James a little impatiently. "Free-lance or drilled soldier--they fight for the same cause. "

He continued to talk in the same manner for a little, as if for myinstruction; and I listened with all the meekness I had. He did not tellme one word which I did not already know; but I had perceived by nowwhat kind of man he was--well intentioned, no doubt, as courageous as alion, and as impatient of opposition, and not a little stupid: at leasthe had not a tenth of his brother's wits, as all the world knew. Hesolemnly informed me therefore of what all the world knew, and Ilistened to him. 

When he dismissed me at last, however, he remembered to ask where Ilodged, and I told him. 

"A very good place too, " he said. "I am glad your cousin had the senseto put you there. Then I will remember you, if I need you for anything. "

"I will go with Mr. Mallock, " said the priest, "if Your Royal Highnesswill permit. I came but to pay my respects; and it is a little late. "

The Duke nodded; and gave us his hand to kiss. 

As we went out through the Courtyard, Father Whitbread pointed out a fewthings to me which be thought might be of interest; and I liked the manmore at every step. He was a complete man of the world, with a certaingentle irony, yet none the less kindly for it. He did not say onedisparaging word of anyone, nor any hint of criticism at His RoyalHighness; yet he knew, and I knew that he knew, and he knew that again, that our Catholic champion was a shade disappointing; and that, not inhis vices only--of which my Lady Southesk could have given anaccount--but in that which I am forced to call his stupidity. But, afterall, our Saviour uttered a judgment generally as to the children oflight and the children of this world, that must always be ourconsolation when our friends are dull or perverse. Father Whitbread onlyobserved emphatically that the Duke was a man of excellent heart. 

He showed me the windows of a number of lodgings on the way, and thedirection of a great many more: for indeed this Palace of Whitehall wasliker a little town than a house. Father Patricks, he said, had alodging near the Pantry, which he shewed me. 

"There be some of us priests who have an affinity, do you not think, Mr. Mallock? with pantries and butteries and such like--good sound men too, many of them. I have not a word to say against Mr. Patricks. "

He shewed me too how the Palace was in four quarters, of which two weredivided from two by Whitehall itself and the street between thegatehouses. That half of it that was nearer to the Park held thetennis-court and the cock-pit and the lodgings of the Duke of Monmouthand others nearer Westminster, and the other half the Horse Guards andthe barracks: and that nearer the river held, to the south the StoneGallery, the Privy Garden, the Bowling Green and a great number oflodgings amongst which were those of the King and of his brother andPrince Rupert, and of the Queen too, as well as of their more immediateattendants--and this part contained what was left of the old York House;to the north was another court surrounded by lodgings, the Wood-Yard, the two courts called Scotland Yard, and the clock-house at theextremity, nearest Charing Cross. In the very midst of the whole Palace, looking upon Whitehall itself, was the Banqueting House where HisMajesty dined in state, and from a window of which King Charles theFirst, of blessed memory, went out to lose his head. Indeed as we wentby the end of the Banqueting House the trumpets blew for supper; and wesaw a great number of cooks and scullions run past with dishes on theirheads. 

 * * * * *

As we went up Whitehall, Mr. Whitbread began to speak of more intimatethings. 

"You are a stranger in England, Mr. Mallock, I think. "

I told him I had not been in the country for seven years. 

"You will find a great many changes, " he said; "and I think we are onthe eve of some more. Certainly His Majesty has wonderfully establishedhis position; and yet, if you understand me, there is a great andgrowing disaffection. It is the Catholic Faith that they fear; and Icannot help thinking that some victims may be required again presently, though I do not know what they can allege against us. There is a deal offeeling, too, against the Queen; she has borne no children--that istrue; but the main part of it arises from her religion: and so with theDuke of York also. Certainly we are in the fashion in one way: but thosewho are on the top of the wave must always look to come down suddenly. "

Here again, Father Whitbread did not tell me anything that I did notknow; yet he put matters together as I had not heard them put before;and he seemed to me altogether a shrewd kind of man whose judgment Imight very well rely upon; and as we went up the Strand he spoke againof the Queen. 

"His Majesty hath been urged again and again to divorce her; but he willnot. He said to the Duke himself in my hearing one day that an innocentwoman should never suffer through him--which is good hearing. But HerMajesty is not very happy, I am afraid. "

When we came to the Maypole, which I had already seen, in the midst ofthe Strand, he spoke to me of how it had been carried there and set upwith great rejoicing, after the Restoration. It was a great structure, hung about by a crown and a vane; and he said that it stood as a kind ofsymbol against Puritanism. 

"There are many, " he told me, "who would pull it down to-morrow if theycould, as if it were some kind of idol. "

He saw me as far as the door of my lodgings; but he would not come in. He said that he had no great desire to be known more widely than be wasat present known. 

"But if you have time to come in to-morrow morning about ten o'clock toMr. Fenwick's lodgings in Drury Lane--over the baker's shop--I shall bethere, and Mr. Ireland also--all Fathers of our Society; and I will verygladly make you known to them. My own lodgings are in Weld Street--atthe Ambassador's. "

I thanked him for his kindness, and said I would be there; and so I badehim good-night. 

 * * * * *

Although I had learned very few things that day which I had not knownalready, I felt that evening as I sat at supper, and afterwards, in thecoffee house at 17, Fleet Street (which he recommended to me) that Iknew them in a different manner. For I had spoken with some of theprincipal actors, and, above all, with the King himself. My cousinquestioned me delightedly upon my experiences when we were alone withour pipes at one end of the great room that had been a council-chamber;and related to me all his own experiences with the King at greatlength; and how Charles had made to him some witty remarks which I thinkmust have lost in the telling, for they were not witty at all when Iheard them. It appeared that my cousin had spoken with the King three orfour times, at City-banquets and such like; and he would know all thatHis Majesty had said to me. But much I would not tell him, and some Icould not: I could not that is, even if I would, have conveyed to himthe strange compassion that I felt, and the yet more strange affection, for this King who might have done so much, and who did so little--exceptwhat he should not; and I would not on any account tell him of what theKing had said as to Rome and his desires and procrastinations. But Itold him how I had met Father Whitbread, and how I was to go and see himon the morrow. 

"Why, I will come with you myself, " he said. "I know Mr. Fenwick'slodgings very well: and we will ride afterwards as far as Waltham Cross, and lie there; and so to Hare Street for dinner next day. "

All the way home again, and when my Cousin Dorothy was gone to bed, andwe sat over a couple of tankards of College Ale, he would talk ofnothing but the Jesuits. 

"They are too zealous, " he said. "I am as good a Catholic as any man inEngland or Rome; but I like not this over-zeal. They are everywhere, these good fathers; and it will bring trouble on them. They hold theirconsults even in London, which I think over-rash; and no man knows whatpasses at them. Now I myself--" and so his tongue wagged on, telling ofhis own excellence and prudence, and even his own spirituality, whilehis eyes watered with the ale that he drank, and his face grew ever morered. And yet there was no true simplicity in the man; he had that kindof cunning that is eked out with winks and becks and nods that all theworld could see. He talked of my Cousin Dorothy, too, and her virtues, and what a great lady she would be some day when these virtues wereknown; and he, declared that in spite of this he would never let her goto Court; and then once more he went back again to his earlier talk ofthe corruptions there, and of what my Lady this and Her Grace of thathad said and done and thought. 

 * * * * *

Mr. Fenwick's lodgings in Drury Lane were such as any man might have. The Jesuit Fathers lived apart in London--Father Whitbread in the City, Father Ireland in Russell Street, and Father Harcourt, who was calledthe "Rector of London, " I heard, in Duke Street, near the arch--lest toomuch attention should be drawn to them if they were all together. Theywere pleasant quiet men, and received me very kindly--for my cousin whohad forgot some matter he had to do before he went into the country, wasgone down into the City to see to it. Mr. Grove, whom I learned later tobe a lay brother of the Society, opened the door to me; and shewed me tothe room where they were all three together. 

They were all three of them just such men as you might meet anywhere, incoffee-houses or taverns, none of them under forty or over sixty yearsold. Father Harcourt was seventy--but he was not there. They were insober suits, such as a lawyer might wear, and carried swords. These werenot all the Jesuits thereabouts; for I heard them speak of Father JohnGavan and Father Anthony Turner (who were in the country on that day), and others. 

As I talked with them, and gave my news and listened to theirs, againand again I thought of the marvellous misjudgments that were alwayspassed upon the Society; of how men such as these were always thought tobe plotting and conspiring, and how any charge against a Jesuit wasalways taken as proven scarcely before it was stated; and that not bycommon men only, but by educated gentlemen too, who should know better. For their talk was of nothing but of the most harmless and Christianmatters, and of such simplicity that no man who heard them could doubttheir sincerity. It is true that they spoke of such things as theconversion of England, and of the progress that the Faith was making;and they told many wonderful stories of the religion of the commonpeople in country places, and how a priest was received by them as anangel of God, and of their marvellous goodness and constancy under thebitterest trials; but so, I take it, would the Apostles themselves havespoken in Rome and Asia and Jerusalem. But as to the disloyalty that wasafterwards charged against them, still less of any hatred or murderousdesigns, there was not one such thought that passed through any of theirminds. 

It was a plain but well-furnished chamber in which we sat. Beneath thewindows folks came and went continually. There were hangings on thewall; and a press full of books and papers, and two or three tables; butthere was no concealment of anything, nor thought of it. Through thedoor I saw Mr. Grove laying for dinner. 

"But you will surely stay for dinner, " said Father Fenwick, when I saidthat I must be gone presently. 

I told him that I was to ride to Waltham Cross with my cousins, and thatI was to meet them for dinner first at the coffee-house beside theMaypole in the Strand. 

"And to Hare Street to-morrow, then, " said Father Whitbread--or Mr. White as he was called sometimes. 

I told him, Yes; and that I did not know how long I should be there. 

"The King will be at Windsor next month, I think, " he said; "but he willbe back again for August. You had best be within call then, if he shouldsend for you. " (For I had told them all freely what had passed betweenmyself and His Majesty, and what His Holiness had said to me too. )

"You can command any of us at any time, " he added, "if we can be ofservice to you. There are so many folks of all kinds, here, there andeverywhere, that it is near impossible for a stranger to take stock ofthem all; and it may be that our experience may be of use to you, toknow whom to trust and of whom to beware. But the most safe rule inthese days is, Trust no man till you know him, and not entirely eventhen. There are men in this City who would sell their souls gladly ifany could be found to give them anything for it; how much more then, ifthey could turn a penny or two by selling you or me or another in theirstead!"

I thanked him for his warning; and told him that I would indeed be onmy guard. 

"Least of all, " he said, "would I trust those of my own household. Iknow your cousin for a Catholic, Mr. Mallock, but you will forgive mefor saying that it is from Catholics that we have to fear the most. I donot mean by that that Mr. Jermyn is not excellent and sincere; for Iknow nothing of him except what you have told me yourself. But zealwithout discretion is a very firebrand; and prudence without zeal maybecome something very like cowardice; and either of these two things mayinjure the Catholic cause irreparably in the days that are coming. St. Peter's was the one, and Judas', I take it, was the other; for I holdJudas to have been by far the greater coward of the two. "

 * * * * *

When I came out into the passage with him, I kneeled down and asked hisblessing; for I knew that this was of a truth a man of God. 

CHAPTER IV

It was a little after noon next day that first we saw the Norman churchupon the hill, and then the roofs of Hare Street. 

I had been astonished at the badness of the roads from London, coming asI had from Rome, where paved ways go out in every direction. We came outby Bishopsgate, by the Ware road, and arrived at Waltham Cross a littlebefore sunset, riding through heavy dust that had hardly been laid atall by the recent rains. We rode armed, with four servants, besides myCousin Dorothy's maid, for fear of the highwaymen who had robbed a coachonly last week between Ware and London. My Cousin Dorothy rode a whitemare named Jenny which mightily became her. We lay at the _Four Swans_at Waltham Cross, and went out before supper to see the Cross which waserected where Queen Eleanor's body had lain--of which the last was atCharing Cross--and I was astonished that the Puritans had not moremutilated it. The beds were pretty comfortable, and the ale excellent, so that once more my Cousin Tom drank too much of it. And so, early inthe morning we took horse again, and rode through Puckeridge, where weleft for the first time the road by which the King went to Newmarket, when he went through Royston; and we found the track very badthenceforward. My Cousin Tom carried with him, though for no purposeexcept for show, a map by John Ogilby which shows all the way fromLondon to King's Lynn, very ingeniously, and which was made after theRestoration to encourage road traffic again; but it was pleasant for meto look at it from time to time and see what progress we made towardsHormead Magna which is the parish in which Hare Street lies. 

Now it was very pleasant for me to ride, as I did a good deal, with myCousin Dorothy; for her father, for a great part, rode with the men andcracked stories with them. For journeying with a person sets up a greatdeal of intimacy; and acquaintance progresses at least as swiftly asthe journey itself. She spoke to me very freely of her father, thoughnever as a daughter should not; and told me how distressed she wassometimes at the quantity of ale and strong waters that he drank. Shetold me also how seldom it was that a Catholic could hear mass at HareStreet: sometimes, she said, a priest would lie there, and say mass inthe attic; but not very often; and sometimes if a priest were in theneighbourhood they would ride over and hear mass wherever he happened tobe. The house, she said, lay near upon the road, so that they would heara good deal of news in this way. But she told me nothing of anothermatter--for indeed she could not--which distressed her; though Ipresently guessed it for myself, as will appear in the course of thistale. 

My horse, Peter (as I had named him after the Apostle when I bought himat Dover), was pretty weary as we came in sight of the church of HormeadParva; for I had given him plenty to do while I was in London; and hestumbled three or four times. 

"We are nearly home, " said my Cousin Dorothy; and pointed with her whip. 

"It is pleasant to hear such a word, " I said: "for, as for me, I havenone. "

She said nothing to that; and I was a little ashamed to have said it;for nothing is easier than to touch a maid's heart by playing Othello toher Desdemona. 

"I have no business to have said that, cousin, " I went on presently:"for England is all home to me just now. "

"I hope you will find it so, cousin, " she said. 

The country was pretty enough through which we rode; though in no wayswonderful. It was pasture-land for the most part, with woods here andthere; and plenty of hollow ways (all of which were marked upon the mapwith great accuracy), by which drovers brought their sheep to thehighway. I saw also a good many fields of corn. The hills were lowish, and ran in lines, with long valleys between; and there was one such onthe right as we came to Hare Street, through which flowed a littlestream, nearly dry in the summer. 

The house itself was the greatest house in the village, and lay at thefurther end of it upon the right; sheltered from the road by limes, inthe midst of which was the gateway, and the house twenty yards within. My Cousin Tom came up with us as we entered the village, and shewed mewith a great deal of pride his new iron gate just set up, with a twistedtop. 

"It is the finest little gate for ten miles round, " he said, "and costme near twenty pound. "

We rode past the gate, however, into the yard just beyond; and herethere was a great barking of dogs set up; and two or three men ran out. I helped my Cousin Dorothy from her horse; and then all three of us wentthrough a side-door to the front of the house. 

The house without was of timber and plaster, very solidly built, but inno way pretentious; and the plaster was stamped, in panels, with a kindof comb-pattern in half circles, peculiar, my cousin told me, to thatpart of the country. Within, it was very pleasant. There was a littlepassage as we came in, and to right and left lay the Great Chamber (asit was called), and the dining-room. Beyond the little passage was thestaircase, panelled all the way up, with the instruments of the Passionand other emblems carved on a row of the panels; and at the foot of thestaircase on the right lay a little parlour, very pretty, with hangingspresenting the knights of the Holy Grail riding upon their Quest. Uponthe left of the staircase, lay a paved hall, with a little pantry underthe stairs, to the left, and the kitchens running out to the back; andopposite to them, enclosing a little grassed court, the brewhouse andthe bakehouse. Behind all lay the kitchen gardens; and behind thebrewhouse a row of old yews and a part of the lawn, that also ran beforethe house. The house was of three stories high, and contained abouttwenty rooms with the attics. 

It is strange how some houses, upon a first acquaintance with them, seemlike old friends; and how others, though one may have lived in themfifty years are never familiar to those who live in them. Now HareStreet House was one of the first kind. This very day that I first seteyes on it, it was as if I had lived there as a child. The sunlightstreamed into the Great Chamber, and past the yews into the parlour; andupon the lawns outside; and the noise of the bees in the limes was as ifan organ played softly; and it was all to me as if I had known it ahundred years. 

My Cousin Tom carried me upstairs presently to the Guest-chamber--agreat panelled room, with a wide fire-place, above the dining-room--thatI might wash my hands and face before dinner; and my heart smote me alittle for all my thoughts of him, for, when all was said, he hadreceived me very hospitably, and was now bidding me welcome again, andthat I must live there as long as I would, and think of it as my home. 

"And here, " he said, opening a door at the foot of the bed, "is a littlecloset where your man can hang your clothes; it looks out upon the yard;and my room is beyond it, over the kitchen. "

I thanked him again and again for his kindness; and so he left me. 

 * * * * *

We dined below presently, very excellently. The room was hung withgreen, with panels of another pattern upon it; and the dishes were putin through a little hatch from the kitchen passage. My man James waitedwith the rest, and acquitted himself very well. Then after dinner, whenthe servants were gone away, my Cousin Tom carried me out, with amysterious air, to the foot of the stairs. 

"Now look well round you, Cousin Roger, " he said, when he had mestanding there; "and see if there be anything that would draw yourattention. "

I looked this way and that but saw nothing; and said so. 

"Have you ever heard of Master Owen, " he said, "of glorious memory?"

"Why, yes, " I said, "he was a Jesuit lay-brother, martyred underElizabeth: and he made hiding-holes, did he not?"

"Well; he hath been at work here. Look again, Cousin Roger. "

I turned and saw my Cousin Dorothy smiling--(and it was a very prettysight too!)--but there was nothing else to be seen. I beat with my foot;and it rang a little hollow. 

"No, no; those are the cellars, " said my Cousin Tom. 

I beat then upon the walls, here and there; but to no purpose; and thenupon the stairs. 

"That is the sloping roof of the pantry, only, " said my Cousin Tom. 

I confessed myself outwitted; and then with great mirth he shewed mehow, over the door into the paved hall, there was a space large enoughto hold three or four men; and how the panels opened on this side, aswell as into the kitchen passage on the other. 

"A priest or suchlike might very well lie here a week or two, might henot?" asked my Cousin Tom delightedly; "and if the sentry was at the oneside, he might be fed from the other. It is cunningly contrived, is itnot? A man has but to leap up here from a chair; and he is safe. "

I praised it very highly, to please him; and indeed it was very curiousand ingenious. 

"But those days are done, " I said. 

"Who can tell that?" he cried--(though a week ago he had told me thesame himself). "Some priest might very well be flying for his life alongthis road, and turn in here. Who knows whether it may not be so again?"

I said no more then on that point; though I did not believe him. 

"And there is one more matter I must shew you in your own chamber; ifyou have any private papers and suchlike. "

Then he shewed me in my own room, by the head of the bed that stoodalong the wall, how one of the panels slid back from its place, discovering a little space behind where a man might very well keep hispapers or his money. 

"Not a living soul, " he said, "knows of that, besides Dolly and myself. You are at liberty to use that, Cousin Roger, if you like. "

I thanked him; and said I would do so. 

The rest of that day I spent in going about the house, and acquaintingmyself with it all. My Cousin Dorothy shewed me the rooms. Her own was alittle one at the head of the stairs; and she told me, smiling, that aghost was said to walk there. 

"But I have never been troubled with it, " she said. "It is a tall old, woman, they say, who comes up the stairs and into the room; but she doesno harm to anyone. "

Next her room, along the front of the house, lay two other greaterrooms, one with a fire-place and one without: then was my chamber, andthen her father's: and upstairs were the attics where the men lay. Themaids lay in two little rooms above the kitchen. 

It was mighty pleasant to me to be with my Cousin Dorothy. She hadchanged her riding clothes into others more suitable for a countrymaid--with a white starched neckerchief that came down upon hershoulders, and a grey dress and petticoat below that. Her sleeves wereshort, as the custom is in the country, with great linen cuffs foldedback upon them, so as to leave her hands and arms to the elbow free forher occupations. But most of all I loved her simplicity and herquietness and her discretion. Her father bade her expressly to shew meall the house; or she would not have done it, for she was very maidenlyand modest; but as soon as he said that, she did it without affectation. She shewed me the parlour too, with the hangings upon the walls, and thechapel of the Grail, with the Grail itself upon an altar within, flankedby two candlesticks, that was represented over the fire-place. She cameout with me too to shew me the bakehouse where the baking was alreadybegun, and the brewhouse--both of which too were all built of timber andplaster; and there my Cousin Tom came upon us, and carried me off to seehis garden and his pasture; for he farmed a few acres about here, andmade a good profit out of it: and it was while I walked with him thatfor the first time I understood what his intention was towards me. 

He was speaking, as he very often did, of his daughter Dorothy--which Ihad taken to be a father's affection only. (We were walking at the timeup and down in the pasture below the garden; and the house lay visibleamong the gardens, very fair and peaceful with the sunlight upon it. )

"She will be something of an heiress, " he said; "and when I say that, Ido not mean that she will have as many acres as yourself. But she willhave near a thousand pound a year so soon as poor Tom Jermyn dies: and Imay die any day, for I am short in the neck, and might very well betaken with an apoplexy. I wish above all things then, to see her safelymarried before I go--to some solid man who will care for her. There is aplenty of Protestants about here that would have her; for she is awonderful housewife, and as pure as Diana too. "

He paused at that; and looked at me in that cunning way of his that Imisliked so much. Yet even now I did not see what he would be at; forgentlemen do not usually fling their daughters at the head of any man;and he knew nothing of me but that I was pretty rich and would be moreso one day. But I suppose that that was enough for him. 

"I had thought at one time, " he went on, "of sending her to Court. Icould get her in, under the protection of my Lady Arlington. But theCourt is no place for a maiden who knows nothing of the world. Whatwould you advise, Cousin Roger? I would not have her marry a Protestant, if I could help it. "

And with that he looked at me again. 

Then, all of a sudden I saw his meaning; and my heart stood still; fornot only did his words reveal him to me, but myself also; and Iunderstood why he had questioned me so closely in town, as to myfortune. I cannot say at this time that I loved my Cousin Dolly--for Ihad not known that I loved her--but his words were very effective. Indeed I had not thought to marry, though I was free to do so; for anovice does not quickly shake off his monkishness. I had thought farmore of the mission I was come to England upon, and what I couldaccomplish, with God's blessing, for Christ and His Church. But, as Isay, my heart stood still when my cousin said that to me; for, as in avision, I saw myself here as her husband, and her as my wife, in thishouse among its gardens. Here we might live a life which even the angelsmight envy--harmless, innocent, separate from sinners, as the Apostlesays--not accomplishing, maybe, any great things, but at leastrefraining from the hindering of God's Kingdom. The summers would comeand go, and we still be here, with our children growing about us, toinherit the place and the name, such as it was. And no harm done, novows broken, no offence to any. Such thoughts as these did not as yetshew any very great ardour of love in me; and indeed I had not got thisyet; but she was the first maid I had ever had any acquaintance with, atleast for some while; and this no doubt, had its effect upon me. Allthis came upon me of a sudden; and as I lifted my eyes I saw my CousinDolly's sunbonnet going among the herbs of the garden; and saw her in mymind's eye too as I had seen her just now, cool and innocent and good, with that touch of hidden fire in her eyes that draws a man's heart. Neither had she looked unkindly on me: our intimacy had made wonderfulprogress, though I had known her scarcely more than a week: she hadspoken to me of her father, too, as one would speak only to a friend. Yet I could not say one word of this to him; for he had not saidanything explicit to me: and I knew, too, that I must give myself time;for a man does not, if he is wise, change the course of his life on aninstant's thought. Yet I must not say No outright, and thereby, maybe, bang the door on my new hopes. 

"I could not advise you at present, " I said. "I do not know my cousinwell enough to advise anything. I am one with you so far as concerns theCourt: I cannot think that any Catholic father should send his daughterinto such a den of lions--and worse. And I am one with you as concernsmarrying her to a Protestant. Yet I can say no more at present. "

And at that my Cousin Tom looked at me in such a manner as near to ruinhis own scheme; for his eyes said, if his mouth did not, that now weunderstood one another; and were upon the same side, or at least notopposed; and to think that I was leagued with him against her made myheart hot with anger. 

"Very well, " he said; "we will say no more at present. " And he bade meobserve an old ram that was regarding us, with a face not unlike CousinTom's own: but I suppose that he did not know this. 

 * * * * *

In this manner, then, began our life at Hare Street; for I was there sixweeks before I went back again to London in the way I shall relatepresently. The days were passed for the most time, from rising untildinner, upon the farm, or in hunting; for we rode out now and again withthe neighbours after a stag who had come from the woods. But we did not, because of the Papistry of the house, see a great deal of theneighbours, or they of us. The parson of Hormead came to see us now andagain, and behaved very civilly: but during those six weeks we had nosight of a priest, except once when we rode to Standon to hear mass. After dinner, I gave myself up to writing; for I thought that I couldbest serve His Holiness in this way, making my diary each day inshorthand (as I had learned from an Italian); and it is from that verydiary that this narrative is composed; and I wrote too a report or two, apologizing for the poverty of it, which I determined to send to theCardinal Secretary as soon as I had an opportunity. I read too a littleItalian or Spanish or French every day; and thus, for the most part keptto my chamber. But all my papers I put away each afternoon in the littlehiding-place in my chamber; and made excuse for keeping my room on thescore of my practice in languages. 

We supped at five o'clock--which was the country hour; and after that, to me, came the best part of the day. 

For my Cousin Dorothy, I had learned, was an extraordinary finemusician. We had, of course, no music such as was possible in town; butshe had taught a maid to play upon a fiddle, and herself played upon thebass-viol; and the two together would play in the Great Chamber aftersupper for an hour or two, when the dishes were washed. In this mannerwe had many a corrant and saraband; and I was able to prick down forthem too some Italian music I remembered, which she set for the twoinstruments. Sometimes, too, when Cousin Tom was not too drowsy afterhis day and his ale, the three would sing and I would listen; for myCousin Tom sang a plump bass very well when he was in the mood for it. As for me, I had but a monk's voice, that is very well when all thechoir is a-cry together, but not of much use under other circumstances. In this way then I made acquaintance with a number of songs--such as Mr. Wise's "It is not that I love you less" and his duet "Go, perjured man!"of which the words are taken from Herrick's "Hesperides, " and of whichthe music was made by Mr. Wise (who was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal)at His Majesty's express wish. 

 * * * * *

I have many very pleasant memories of Hare Street, but I think none morepleasant than of the music in the Great Chamber. I would sit near thewindow, and see them in the evening light, with their faces turned tome; or, when it grew late with the candlelight upon them and theirdresses or sometimes when the evening was fair and warm I would sit outupon the lawn, and they at the window, and listen to the singing comingout of the candlelight, and see them move against it. My Cousin Dorothywould make herself fine in the evening--not, I mean, like a Court lady, for these dresses of hers were put away in lavender--but with a laceneckerchief on her throat and shoulders, and lace ruffles at her wrists. 

Yet all this while I made no progress with her or even with myself; forevery time that I was alone with her, or when her father was asleep inhis chair, a remembrance of what he had said came over me with a kind ofsickness, and I could not say one word that might seem to set me on hisside against her; and so I was torn two ways, and the very thing bywhich he had hoped to encourage me, (or rather to help himself) had thecontrary effect, and silenced me when I might have spoken. 

For I understood very well by now what was in his mind. He saw noprospect of marrying Dolly to a Protestant--or I take it, if I know theman, he would have leapt at it; neither was there any hope of marryingher to a Catholic; and as for his talk about my Lady Arlington I did notbelieve one word of it. Therefore, since I was at hand, and would be awealthy man some day, and indeed even now did very well on my French_rentes_, he had set his heart on this. It was not wholly evil; yet thecold-bloodedness of it affected me like a stink. .. . 

 * * * * *

The matter ended, for the time, on the evening of the thirteenth ofAugust, in the following manner, when my adventures, of which my life, ever since my audience with our Most Holy Lord the Pope, had been but aprelude, properly began--those adventures for whose sake I have begunthis transcript from my diary, and this adventure was pre-shadowed, as Ithink now, by one or two curious happenings. 

On the morning of the thirteenth of August, two days before the Feast ofthe Assumption (on which we had intended to hear mass again at Standon)my Cousin Dorothy came down a little late, and found us already over ouroatbread and small beer which we were accustomed to take uponrising--and which was called our "morning. "

"I slept very ill, " she said; and no more then. 

Afterwards, however, as I was lighting my pipe in the little court atthe back of the house, she came out and beckoned me in; and I saw thatsomething was amiss. I went after her into the little hung parlour andwe sat down. 

"I slept very ill, cousin, " she said again; and I observed again thather eyes looked hollow. "And I dare not tell my father my fancies, " shesaid, "for he is terrified at such things; and has forbade the servantsto speak of such things. "

"The tall old woman, then?" I said; for I had not forgotten what she hadtold me before. 

"Yes, " she said, smiling a little painfully--"and yet I was not at allafraid when she came; or when I thought that she did. "

"Tell me the whole tale, " I said. 

"I awakened about one o'clock this morning, " she said, "and knew that mysleep was gone from me altogether. Yet I did not feel afraid orrestless; but lay there content enough, expecting something, but what itwould be I did not know. The cocks were crowing as I awakened; and thenwere silent; and it appeared to me as if all the world were listening. After a while--I should say it was ten minutes or thereabouts--I turnedover with my face to the wall; and as I did so, I heard a soft stepcoming up the stairs. One of the maids, thought I, late abed or earlyrising, for sickness. When the steps came to my door they ceased; and ahand was laid upon the latch; and at that I made to move; but could not. Yet it was not fear that held me there, though it was like a gentlepricking all over me. Then the latch was lifted, and still I could notmove, not even my eyes; and a person came in, and across the floor to mybed. And even then I could not move nor cry out. Presently the personspoke; but I do not know what she said, though it was only a word ortwo: but the voice came from high up, as almost from the canopy of thebed, and it was the voice of an old woman, speaking in a kind ofwhisper. I said nothing; for I could not: and then again the steps movedacross the floor, and out of the door; and I heard the latch shut again;and then they passed away down the stairs. "

My Cousin Dorothy was pale as death by this time; and her blue eyes wereset wide open. I made to take her by the hand; but I did not. 

"You were dreaming, " I said; "it was the memory of the tale you haveheard. "

She shook her head; but she said nothing. 

"You have never had it before?" I asked. 

"Never, " she said. 

"You must lie in another chamber for a week or two, and forget it. "

"I cannot do that, " she said. "My father would know of it. " And shespoke so courageously that I was reassured. 

"Well; you must cry out if it comes again. You can have your maid tosleep with you. "

"I might do that, " she said; and then--

"Cousin Roger; doth God permit these things to provide us against somedanger?"

"It may be so, " I said, to quiet her; "but be sure that no harm can comeof it. "

At that we heard her father calling her; and she stood up. 

"I have told you as a secret, Cousin Roger; there must be no word to myfather. "

I pledged myself to that; for I could see what a spirit she had; and wesaid no more about it then. 

As the day passed on, the sky grew heavy--or rather the air; for the skywas still blue overhead; only on the horizon to the south the cloudsthat are called _cumuli_ began to gather. The air was so hot too that Icould scarcely bear to work, for I had set myself to take someplant-cuttings in a little glass-house that was in the garden againstthe south wall; and by noon the sky was overcast. 

After dinner I went up to my chamber; and a great heaviness fell uponme, till I looked out of the window and saw that beyond the limes theclouds spewed a reddish tint that marked the approach of thunder; and atthat grew reassured again; and not only for myself but for my CousinDorothy, whose tale had lain close on my heart through the morning: forthis thought I, is the explanation of it all: the maid was oppressed bythe heat and the approaching storm, and fancied all the rest. 

I fell asleep in my chair, over my Italian; and when I awakened it wasnear supper-time, and the heaviness was upon me again, like lead; and mydiary not written. 

After supper and some talk, I made excuse to do my writing; and as itwas growing dark, and I was finishing, I heard music from the GreatChamber beneath. They were singing together a song I had not heardbefore; and I listened, well pleased, promising myself the pleasure tooof going downstairs presently and hearing it. 

Between two of the verses, I heard on a sudden, over the hill-top beyondthe village, the beat of a horse's hoofs, galloping; but I thought nomore of it. At the end of the next verse, even before it was finished, Iheard the hoofs again, through the music; I ran to the window to see whorode so fast; and was barely in time to see a courier, in a blue coat, dash past the new iron gate, pulling at his horse as he did so; aninstant later, I heard the horse turn in at the yard gate, andimmediately the singing ceased. 

As I came down the stairs, I saw my Cousin Dolly run out into the innerlobby, and her face, in the dusk, was as white as paper; and the sameinstant there came a hammering at the hall door. 

"What is it? What is it?" cried she; and clung to me as I came down. 

I saw, through the inner door, my Cousin Tom unbolting the outer one; hehad taken down a pistol that hung upon the wall, for the highwaymenwaxed very bold sometimes; then when he opened the door, I heard myname. 

I went forward, and received from the courier, a sealed letter; andthere, in the twilight I opened and read it. It was from Mr. Chiffinch, bidding me come to town at once on King's business. 

"I must ride to town, " I said. "Cousin Tom, will you order my horse forme; and another for this man? I do not know when I shall be back again. "

And, as I said these words, I saw my Cousin Dorothy's face looking at mefrom the dusk of the inner hall, and knew what was in her mind; and thatit was the matter of the tall old woman in her room. 

CHAPTER V

The storm was broken before we could set out, and the ride so far asHoddesdon was such as I shall never forget; for the wind was violentagainst us; and it was pitchy dark before we came even to Puckeridge;the thunder was as if great guns were shot off, or bags of marblesdashed on an oak floor overhead; and the countryside was as light as dayunder the flashes, so that we could see the trees and their shadows, and, I think, sometimes the green colour of them too. We wore, all threeof us--the courier, I and my man James--horse-men's cloaks, but thesewere saturated within half an hour. We had no fear of highwaymen, evenhad we not been armed, for the artillery of heaven had long ago drivenall other within doors. 

The hardest part of the journey was that I knew, no more than thedead--indeed not so much--why it was that Mr. Chiffinch had sent for me. He had said nothing in his letter, save that His Majesty wished mypresence at once; and on the outside of the letter was written the word"Haste, " three times over. I thought of a hundred matters that it mightbe, but none of them satisfied me. 

It is near forty miles from Hare Street to Whitehall; but so bad was theway that, though we changed horses at Waltham Cross--at the _FourSwans_--we did not come to London until eight o'clock in the morning;and it was half-past eight before we rode up to Whitehall. The last partof the journey was pretty pleasant, for the rain held off; and it wasstrange to see the white hard light of the clouded dawn upon the fieldsand the trees. But by the time we came to London it was long ago broadday--by three or four hours at the least; and all the folks were abroadin the streets. 

I went straight to Mr. Chiffinch's lodgings, sending my man to thelodging in Covent Garden, to bestow the horses and to come again to theguard-house to await my orders. Mr. Chiffinch was not within, for hehad not expected me so early, a servant told me; but he had looked formy coming about eleven or twelve o'clock, and had given orders that Iwas to be taken to a closet to change my clothes if I needed it. This Idid; and then was set down to break my fast; and while I was at it, Mr. Chiffinch himself came in. 

He told me that I had done very well to come so swiftly; but he smiled alittle as he said it. 

"His Majesty is closeted with one or two more until ten o'clock. I willsend to let him know you are come. "

I did not ask him for what business I had been sent for; since he didnot choose to tell me himself; and he went out again. But he waspresently back once more; and told me that His Majesty would see me atonce. 

My mind was all perturbed as I went with him in the rain across thepassages: I felt as if some great evil threatened, but I could make noconjecture as to what it was about; or how it could be anything that wasat once so sudden and that demanded my presence. We went straight up thestairs, and across the same ante-room; and Mr. Chiffinch flung open thedoor of the same little closet where I had spoken with the King, speaking my name as he did so. 

His Majesty was sitting in the very same place where he sat before, withhis chair wheeled about, so that he faced three men. One of them I knewat once, for my cousin had pointed him out to me in the park--my LordDanby, who was Lord Treasurer at this time--and he was sitting at theend of the great table, nearest to the King: on the other side of thetable, nearer to me as I entered, were two men, upon whom I had neverset eyes before--one of them, a little man in the dress of an apothecaryor attorney; and the other a foolish-looking minister in his cassock andbands. All four turned their eyes upon me as I came in, and then the twowho were standing, turned them back again towards His Majesty. There wasa heap of papers on the table below my Lord Danby's hand. 

His Majesty made a little inclination of his head to me, but saidnothing, putting out his hand; and when I had kissed it, and stood backwith the other two, he continued speaking as if I were not there. Hisface had a look, as if he were a little _ennuyé_, and yet a little merrytoo. 

"Continue, my Lord, " he said. 

"Now, doctor, " said my Lord, in a patient kind of voice as if heencouraged the other, "you tell us that all these papers were thrustunder your door. By whom were they thrust, do you think?"

"My Lord, I have my suspicions, " said the minister; "but I do not know. "

"Can you verify these suspicions of yours, do you think?"

"My Lord, I can try. "

"And under how many heads are they ranged?" asked the King, drawling alittle in his speech. 

"Sir; they are under forty-three heads. "

The King rolled his eyes, as if in a droll kind of despair; but he saidnothing. 

"And you tell me--" began my Lord; but His Majesty broke in:

"_Mon Dieu_!" he said; "and here is good Mr. Mallock, come herehot-foot, and knows not a word of the proceedings. Mr. Mallock, thesegood gentlemen--Doctor Tonge, a very worthy divine and a physician ofthe soul, and Mr. Kirby, a very worthy chymist, and a physician of thebody--are come to tell me of a plot against my life on the part of someof my faithful lieges, whereby they would thrust me swiftly down tohell--body and soul together. So that, I take it is why God Almightyhath raised up these physicians to save me. I wish you to hear theirevidence. That is why I sent for you. Continue, my Lord. "

My Lord looked a little displeased, pursing up his mouth, at the mannerin which the King told the tale; but he said nothing on that point. 

"Grove and Pickering, then, it appears, were to shoot His Majesty; andWakeman to poison him--"

("They will take no risks you see, Mr. Mallock, " put in the King. )

"Yes, my Lord, " said Tonge. "They were to have screwed pistols, withsilver bullets, champed, that the wounds may not heal. "

("Prudent! prudent!" cried the King. )

Then my Lord Danby lost his patience; and pushed the papers togetherwith a sweep of his arm. 

"Sir, " he said, "I think we may let these worthy gentlemen go for thepresent, until the papers are examined. "

"With all my heart, " said the King. "But not Mr. Mallock. I wish tospeak privately with Mr. Mallock. "

So the two were dismissed; but I noticed that the King did not give themhis hand to kiss. They appeared to me a pair of silly folks, rather thanwicked as others thought them afterwards, who themselves partlybelieved, at any rate, the foolish tale that they told. Mr. Kirby was alittle man, as I have said, with a sparrow-like kind of air; and DoctorTonge had no great distinction of any kind, except his look offoolishness. 

When they were gone, my Lord Danby turned to the King, with a kind ofindignation. 

"Your Majesty may be pleased to make a mock of it all; but your lovingsubjects cannot. I have permission then to examine these papers, andreport to Your Majesty?"

"Why, yes, " said the King, "so you do not inflict the forty-three headsupon me. I have one of my own which I must care for. "

My Lord said no more; he gathered his papers without a word, saluted theKing at a distance, still without speaking, and went out, giving me asharp glance as he went. 

"Now, Mr. Mallock, " said His Majesty, "sit you down and listen to me. "

I sat down; but I was all bewildered as to why I had been sent for. Whathad I to do with such affairs as these?

"Do you know of a man called Grove?" the King asked me suddenly. 

Now the name had meant nothing to me when I had heard it just now; butwhen it was put to me in this way I remembered. I was about to speak, when he spoke again. 

"Or Pickering?" he said. 

"Sir; a man called Grove is known to me; but no Pickering. "

"Ha! then there is a man called Grove--if it be the same. He is aPapist?"

"Sir, he is a lay-brother of the Society of Jesus, and dwells--"

The King held up his hand. 

"I wish to know nothing more than I am obliged. Pickering is some sortof Religious, too, they tell me. And what kind of a man is Grove?"

"He is a modest kind of man, Sir. He opened the door to me, and I sawhim a-laying of the table for dinner. I know no more of him than that. "

Then the King drew himself up in his chair suddenly, as I had seen himdo before, and his mocking manner left him. It was as if another man satthere. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, shaking his finger at me with great solemnity, "listen to me. I had thought for a long time that an attempt would bemade against the Catholics. There is a great deal of feeling in thecountry, now that my brother is one of them, and I myself am known notto be disinclined towards them. And I make no doubt at all that this issuch an attempt. They have begun with the Jesuits; for that will be themost popular cry; and they have added in Sir George Wakeman's name, HerMajesty's physician, to give colour to it all. By and by they will addother names; (you will see if it be not so), until not a Jesuit, andscarce a Catholic is left who is not embroiled in it. I do not know whois behind this matter; it may be my Lord Danby himself, or Shaftesbury, or a score of others. Or it may be some discontented fellow who willmake his fortune over it; for all know that such a cry as this will be apopular one. But this I know for a verity--that there is not one word oftruth in the tale from beginning to end; and it will appear sopresently, no doubt. Yet meanwhile a great deal of mischief may be done;and my brother, may be, and even Her Majesty, may suffer for it, if weare not very prudent. Now, Mr. Mallock, I sent for you, for I did notknow who else to send for. You are not known in England, or scarcely:you come commended to me by the Holy Father himself; you are neitherpriest nor Jesuit. What, then, you must do for me is this. First, youmust speak not one word of the matter to any living soul--not even yourconfessor; for if we can quash the whole matter privately, so much thebetter. I had you in just now, that Danby and the others might see thatyou had my confidence; but I said nothing of who you were nor where youcame from; and, if they inquire, they will know nothing but that youcome commended by the ambassadors. Very well then; you must go aboutfreely amongst the Jesuits, and rake together any evidence that you canthat may be of use to them if the affair should ever be made public; andyet they must know nothing of the reason--I lay that upon you. And youmust mix freely in taverns and coffee-houses, especially among thesmaller gentry, and hear what you can--as to whether the plot hath yetleaked out--(for it is no less)--and what they think of it; and if not, what it is that they say of the Catholics. You understand me, Mr. Mallock?"

I said, Yes: but my heart had grown sick during the King's speech to me;for all that I had ever thought in Rome, of England, seemed on the pointof fulfilment. His Majesty too had spoken with an extraordinaryvehemence, that was like a fire for heat. But I must have commanded mycountenance well; for he commended me on my behaviour. 

"Your manner is excellent, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "both just now and afew minutes ago. You take it very well. And I have your word upon itthat you will observe secrecy?"

"My word on it, Sir, " I said. 

Then His Majesty leaned back again and relaxed a little. 

"That is very well, " he said; "and I think I have chosen my man well. You need not fear, Mr. Mallock, that any harm will come to the goodFathers, or to Grove or Pickering either. They cannot lay a finger uponthem without my consent; and that they shall never have. It is toprevent rather the scandal of the whole matter that I am anxious; andto save the Queen and my brother from any trouble. You do not know yet, I think, all the feeling that there is upon the Catholics. "

I said nothing: it was my business to listen rather, and indeed what HisMajesty said next was worth hearing. 

"There be three kinds of religion in my realm, " he said. "ThePresbyterian and Independent and that kind--for I count those all one;and that is no religion for a gentleman. And there is the Church ofEngland, of which I am the head, which numbers many gentlemen, but is noreligion for a Christian; and there is the Catholic, which is the onlyreligion (so far as I am acquainted with any), suited for both gentlemenand Christians. That is my view of the matter, Mr. Mallock. "

The merry look was back in his eyes, melancholy though they always were, as he said this. For myself, it was on the tip of my tongue to ask HisMajesty why, if he thought so, he did not act upon it. But I did not, thinking it too bold on so short an acquaintance; and I think I wasright in that; for he put it immediately into words himself. 

"I know what you are thinking, Mr. Mallock. Well; I am not yet a goodenough Christian for that. "

I knew very well what His Majesty meant when he said that: he wasthinking of his women to whom as yet he could not say good-bye; and thecompassion surged up in me again at the thought that a man so noble asthis, and who knew so much (as his speeches had shewed me), could be soignoble too--so tied and bound by his sins; and it affected me somuch--here in his presence that had so strange a fascination in it--thatit was as if a hand had squeezed my throat, so that I could not speak, even if I would. 

"Well, sir, " he said, "I must thank you for coming so quickly when Isent for you. Mr. Chiffinch knows why you are come; but no one else; andeven to him you must not say one word. You will do well and discreetly;of that I am sure. I will send for you again presently; and you may cometo me when you will. "

He gave me his hand to kiss; and I went out, promising that no painsshould be spared. 

 * * * * *

It was indeed a difficult task that His Majesty had laid upon me. I wasto speak freely to the priests, yet not freely; and how to collect theevidence that was required I knew not; since I knew nothing at all ofwhen the conspiring was said to be done, nor what would be of avail toprotect them; and all the way to my lodgings with my man James, I wasthinking of what was best to do. My man had ordered that all thingsshould be ready for my entertainment, and I found the rooms prepared, and the beds laid; and the first thing I did after dinner was to go tobed, after I had written to my Cousin Tom at Hare Street, and sleepuntil the evening. 

 * * * * *

When I was dressed and had had supper in the coffee-house, listening aswell as I could to the talk, but hearing nothing pertinent, I went backagain to Drury Lane, to Mr. Fenwick's lodging, to lay the foundation ofmy plan. For I had determined, between sleeping and waking, that thebest thing to be done, was to shew myself as forward and friendly as Icould, so that I might mix with the Fathers freely, in the hope that Imight light on something; and it so fell out, that although my smalladventures that evening had no use in them in the event, yet they werestrangely relevant to what took place afterwards. 

The first small adventure was as follows:

I was walking swiftly up Drury Lane, scanning the houses, for it wasfalling dark, and the oil-lights that burned, one before every tenthhouse, cast but a poor illumination, when just beyond one of the lightsI knocked against a fellow who was coming out suddenly from a littlepassage at the side, just, as it chanced, opposite to Mr. Fenwick'shouse. I turned, to beg his pardon, for it was more my fault than his, that we had come together; and I set my eyes upon the most strange andvillainous face that I have ever seen. The fellow was dressed in a darksuit, and wore a crowned hat, and carried a club in his hand, and heappeared to be one of the vagrom-men as they are called, who are at thebottom of all riots and such like things. He was a smallish man in hisheight, but his face was the strangest thing about him; and in the lightfrom the lamp I thought at first that he had some kind of deformity init. For his mouth was, as it were in the very midst of his face; therewas a little forehead above, with eyes set close beneath it, and alittle nose, and then his mouth, turned up at the corners as if hesmiled, and beneath that a vast chin, as large as the rest of his face. 

He cried out "Lard!" as I ran against him; by which I understood him tosay "Lord!"

I asked his pardon. 

"O Lard!" he said again, "'tis nothing, sir. My apologies to you, sir. "

I bowed to him civilly again, and passed on; but as I knocked upon Mr. Fenwick's door, I saw that he was staring after me, from the entrance tothat same passage from which he had come. 

 * * * * *

My second adventure was that, upon coming upstairs, I found that in thechamber with Mr. Fenwick were the mother and sister of Mr. Ireland, waiting for him to come and take them back to their lodging. They werequiet folks enough--a little shy, it appeared to me, of strange company. But I did my best to be civil, and they grew more talkative. Mrs. Ireland would be near sixty years old, I would take it, dressed in abrown sac, such as had been fashionable ten years back, and herdaughter, I should think about thirty years old. They told me that theyhad been to supper, and to the play in the Duke's Playhouse, where Mr. Shirley's tragi-comedy _The Young Admiral_ had been done; and that Mr. Ireland was to come for them here, as presently he did, for it wasscarce safe for ladies to be abroad at such an hour in the streetswithout an escort, so wild were the pranks played (and worse thanpranks), by even the King's gentlemen themselves, as well as by theriff-raff. 

We sat and talked a good while; and Mr. Grove brought chocolate up forthe ladies. But for myself, I had such a variety of thoughts, as Italked with them all, knowing what I did, and they knowing nothing, thatI could scarce command my voice and manner sometimes. For here werethese innocent folk--with Mr. Grove smiling upon them with thechocolate--talking of the play and what-not, and of which of the actorspleased them and which did not--and I noticed that the ladies, asalways, were very severe upon the women--and the good fathers, too, pleased that they were pleased, and rallying them upon theirgaiety--(for it appeared that these ladies did not go often intocompany); and here sat I, with my secret upon my heart, knowing--orguessing at least--that a plot was afoot to ruin them all and turn theirmerriment into mourning. 

But I think that I acquitted myself pretty well; and that none guessedthat anything was amiss with me; for I spoke of the plays I had seen inRome, before that I was a novice, and of the singers that I heard there;and I listened, too, to their own speeches, gathering this and that, ofwhat they did and where they went, if by chance I might gather somethingto their own advantage thereafter. 

It was pretty to see, too, how courteous and gallant Mr. Ireland waswith his mother and sister; and how he put their cloaks about them atthe door, and feigned that he was a constable to carry them off toprison--(at which my heart failed me again)--for frequenting the companyof suspected persons; and how he gave an arm to each of them, as theyset off into the dark. 

 * * * * *

That night too, as I lay abed, I thought much of all this again. I hadestablished a great friendliness with the Fathers by now, telling them Iwas come up again to London, as Mr. Whitbread had recommended me, untilthe Court should go again to Windsor, and that perhaps I should go withit thither. They had told me at that, that one of their Fathers wasthere, named Mr. Bedingfeld (who was of the Oxburgh family, I think), and that he was confessor to the Duke of York, and that they wouldrecommend me to him if I should go. But all through my anxiety Icomforted myself with the assurance the King had given to me, that, whatever else might ensue, not a hair of their heads should be touched, for I had great confidence in His Majesty's word, given so solemnly. 

CHAPTER VI

Now begins in earnest that chapter of horrors that will be with me tillI die; and the learning of that lesson that I might have learned longbefore from one that was himself a Prince, and knew what he was talkingof--I mean King David, who bids us in his psalm to "put no trust inprinces nor in any child of man. "

For several days all passed peacefully enough. I waited upon Mr. Chiffinch, and asked whether the King had spoken of me again, and wastold he had not; so I went about my business, which was to haunt thetaverns and to frequent the company of the Jesuits. 

I made an acquaintance or two in the taverns at this time, which servedme later, though not in the particular manner that I had wished; but forthe most part matters seemed quiet enough. Men did not speak a greatdeal of the Catholics; and I always fenced off questions by beginning, in every company that I found myself in, by speaking of some Church ofEngland divine with a great deal of admiration, soon earning for myself, I fear, the name of a pious and grave fellow, but at the same time, of asafe man in matters of Church and State. 

One of these acquaintances was a Mr. Rumbald, a maltster (which was allI thought him then), who frequented the Mitre tavern, without Aldgate, where I went one day, dressed in one of my sober country suits, wearingmy hat at a somewhat rakish cock, that I might seem to be a simplefellow that aped town-ways. 

The tavern was full when I came to it, and called for dinner; but I madesuch a to-do that the maid went to an inner room, and presentlyreturning, told me I might have my dinner there. It was a little parlourshe spewed me to, with old steel caps upon the wall, and strewed rushesunder foot; and there were three or four men there who had just donedinner, all but one. This one was a ruddy man, with red hair goinggrey, dressed very plain, but well, with a hard kind of look about him;and he had had as much to drink as a man should have, and was in themerry stage of his drink. Here, thought I, is the very man for me. He isof both country and town; here is a chamber of which he seems lord--forhe ordered the maid about royally, and cursed her once or twice--and itis a chamber apart from the rest. So I thought this a very proper placeto hear some talk in, and a very proper fellow to hear it from. For awhile I thought he had something of the look of an old soldier abouthim; but then I thought no more of it. 

When the others were gone out, and there was a little delay, I too--(Godforgive me!)--cursed the poor maid for a slut once or twice, and badeher make haste with my dinner; and my manner had its effect, for thefellow warmed to me presently and told me that he was Mr. Rumbald, and Isaid on my part that my name was Mallock; and we shook hands upon it, for that was the mood of the ale that was in him. (But he had othermoods, too, I learned later, when he was very repentant for his drink. )

I began then, to speak of Hare Street, and said that I lodged theresometimes; and then began to speak of the parson there, and of what aChurchman he was. 

"Of Hare Street, eh?" said he. "Why I am not far from there myself. I amof Hoddesdon, or near to it. Where have you lodged in Hare Street, andwhat is your business?"

I was in a quandary at that, for it seemed to me then (though it was notin reality), a piece of bad fortune that he should come fromthereabouts. 

"I am Jack-of-all-trades, " I said. "I did some garden work there for Mr. Jermyn, the Papist. "

"The Papist, eh?" cried Mr. Rumbald. 

"I would work for the Devil, " said I, "if he would pay me enough. "

The words appeared to Mr. Rumbald very witty, though God knows why: Isuppose it was the ale in him: for he laughed aloud and beat on his leg. 

"I'll be bound you would, " he said. 

And it was these words of mine which (under God's Providence, as I thinknow) established my reputation with Mr. Rumbald as a dare-devil kind offellow that would do anything for money. He began, too, at that (whichpleased me better at the time), to speak of precisely those matters ofwhich I wished to hear. It was not treasonable talk, for the ale had notdriven all the sense out of him; but it was as near treasonable as mightbe; and it was above all against the Catholics that he raged. I wouldnot defile this page by writing down all that he said; but neither HerMajesty nor the Duke of York escaped his venom; there appeared nothingtoo bad to be said of them; and he spoke of other names, too, of theDuchess of Portsmouth whom he called by vile names (yet not viler thanshe had rightfully earned) and the Duchess of Cleveland; and he beganupon the King, but stopped himself. 

"But you are a Church of England man?" he said. "Well, so am I now, atleast I call myself so, though I should be a Presbyterian; but--" And hestopped again. 

Now all this was mighty interesting to me; for it was worse thananything I had heard before; and yet he said it all as if it was commontalk among his kind, where he came from; and it was very consonant withwhat the King had set me to do, which was to hear what the common peoplehad to say. My gorge rose at the man again and again; but I was atolerable actor in those days, and restrained myself very well. When hewent at last he clapped me on the back, as if it were I who had done allthe bragging. 

"You are the right kind of fellow, " he said, "and, by God, I wish therewere more of us. You will remember my name--Mr. Rumbald the maltster--Iam to be heard of here at any time, for I come up on my business everyweek--though I was not always a maltster. "

I promised I would remember him: and indeed after a while all Englandhas remembered him ever since. 

 * * * * *

It was that same evening, I think (for my diary is confused at thistime, and no wonder), that when I came back to my lodgings aboutsupper-time, I found that a man had been from Mr. Chiffinch to bid mecome to Whitehall as soon as I returned; but the messenger had notseemed greatly perturbed, James told me; so I changed my clothes and hadmy supper and set out. 

It would be about half-past seven o'clock when I came to Mr. Chiffinch's; and when I tapped I had no answer. I tapped again; and thena servant of Mr. Chiffinch's came running up the stairs (who had lefthis post, I suspect) and asked me what I wanted there. When I told himhe seemed surprised, and he said that Mr. Chiffinch had company in hisinner closet; but that he would speak with him. So he left me standingthere; and went through, and I heard a door shut within. Presently hecame out again in something of a hurry, and bade me come in; and, to myastonishment we went through the first room that was empty, and outagain beyond and down a dark passage. I heard voices as I went, talkingrapidly somewhere, but there was no one to be seen. Then he knockedsoftly upon a door at the end of the passage; a voice cried to us tocome in; and I entered; and, to my astonishment, not only was the littlecloset half full of persons, but these persons were somewhatexceptional. 

At the end of the table that was opposite me, sat His Majesty, tiltinghis chair back a little as if he were weary of the talk; but his facewas flushed as if with anger. Upon his right sat the Duke, with hisperiwig pushed a little back, and his face more flushed even than theKing's. Opposite to the Duke sat two men, whom I took to be priests bytheir faces--one fair, the other dark--(and I presently proved to beright)--and beside him Mr. Chiffinch, very eager-looking, and lean, talking at a great speed, with his hands clasped upon the table. Finally, my Lord Danby sat next to the Duke, opposite to Mr. Chiffinch, with a sullen look upon his face. There was a great heap of papers, again, upon the table, between the five men. All these persons turnedtheir eyes upon me as I came in and bowed low to the company; and thenMr. Chiffinch jerked back a chair that was beside him, and beckoned tome to sit down in it. The room appeared to me a secret kind of place, with curtains pulled across the windows, where a man might be veryprivate if he wished. Mr. Chiffinch ended speaking as I came in, and allsat silent. 

His Majesty broke the silence. 

"You are very late, Mr. Mallock, " he said--no more than that; but I feltthe reproof very keenly. "Tell him, Chiffinch. "

Then Mr. Chiffinch related to me an extraordinary story; and he told itvery well, balancing the two sides of it, so that I could not tell whathe thought. 

It appeared that a day or two ago, Doctor Tonge had come to my LordDanby, in pursuance of the tale he had told before, saying that he hadreceived further information, from the very man whom he had suspected, and now had certified, to be the writer of the first information underforty-three heads, to the effect that a packet of letters was on its wayto Windsor, to that very Mr. Bedingfeld (of whom Mr. Whitbread hadspoken to me), on the matter of the plot to murder the King, and theDuke too unless he would consent to the affair. My Lord Danby postedimmediately to Windsor that he might intercept these letters and examinethem for himself; but found that not only had Mr. Bedingfeld receivedthem, but had taken them to the Duke, saying that he did not understandone word that was written in them. Those letters purported to have beenwritten from a number of Jesuits, and others--amongst whom were a Mr. Coleman, an agent of the Duke's, and Mr. Langhorn, a lawyer; and relatedto a supposed plot, not only to murder the King, and his brother, too, perhaps, but to re-establish the Popish domination, to burn Westminster, as they had already burned the City; and that the new positions in theState had already been designed to certain persons, whose names were allmentioned in the letters, by the Holy Father himself. The matter thatwas now being discussed in this little chamber was, What was best to bedone?

Mr. Chiffinch told me this, as shortly almost as I have written itdown, glancing at His Majesty once or twice, and at the Duke, as if hewished to know whether he were telling it properly; and as soon as heended His Majesty began:

"That is where we stand now, Mr. Mallock. As for me, I do not believeone word of the tale, as I have said before: and I say that it is bestto destroy the letters, to tell Doctor Tonge that he is a damned fool, if not worse, so to be cozened, and to say no more of it. I would nothave this made public for a thousand pounds. It is as I said before: Iknew that the matter would grow. "

"And I say, Sir, " put in the Duke savagely, "that Your Majesty forgetswho it is who are implicated--that it is these good Jesuit Fathers, andmy own confessor, too"--(he bowed slightly to the fair man, who returnedit)--"and that if the matter be not probed to the bottom, the names ofall will suffer, in the long run. "

"Brother, brother, " said Charles, "I entreat you not to speak soviolently. We all know how good the Fathers are, and do not suspect anyone of them. It is to save their name--"

"And I tell you, " burst in James again, "that mine is the only way to doit! Do you think, Sir, that these folks who are behind it all will letthe matter rest? It will grow and grow, as Your Majesty said; and weshall have half the kingdom involved. "

Here was a very pretty dispute, with sense on both sides, and yet thereappeared to me that there was more on His Majesty's than on the other. If even then Dr. Tonge had been sent for and soundly rated, and made toproduce his informant, and the matter sifted, I believe we should haveheard no more of it. But it was not ordained so. They all spoke a gooddeal, appealing to the two priests--Mr. Bedingfeld and Mr. Young--andthey both gave their opinions. 

Presently Charles was silent; letting his chair come forward again on toits four legs, and putting his head in his hands over the table. I hadnever seen him so perturbed before. Then I ventured on a question. 

"Sir, may I ask who is Doctor Tonge's informant?"

His Majesty glanced up at me as if he saw me for the first time. 

"Tell him, Chiffinch, " he said. 

"His name is Doctor Oates, " said the page. "He was a Papist once, and isturned informer, he says. He still feigns secretly to be friends withone or two of the Jesuits, he says. "

"But every word you hear here is _sub sigillo_, Mr. Mallock, " added theKing. 

I knew no such name; and said no more. I had never heard of the man. 

"Have you anything to say, Mr. Mallock?" asked the King presently. 

"I have some reports to hand in, Sir, " I said, "but they do not beardirectly upon this matter. "

The King lifted his heavy eyes and let them fall again. He appearedweary and dispirited. 

 * * * * *

When we broke up at last, nothing was decided. On the one hand theletters were not destroyed, and the Duke was still unforbidden to pursuehis researches; and, on the other there was no permission for a publicinquiry to be held. The counsels, in short, were divided; and that isthe worst state of all. The Duke said nothing to me, either at the tableor before he went out with Mr. Bedingfeld--or Mr. Mumford as he wasusually called: he appeared to consider me too young to be of anyimportance, and to tolerate me only because the King wished it. I handedto Mr. Chiffinch the reports of what folks had said to me in taverns andelsewhere: and went away. 

The days went by; and nothing of any importance appeared further. Istill frequented the company of the Jesuit Fathers, and the taverns asbefore; but no more was heard, until a few days before the end ofSeptember. On that day I was passing through the Court of Whitehall tosee if there were anything for me at Mr. Chiffinch's--for the King wasat Windsor again--when I saw Father Whitbread and Father Ireland, comingswiftly out from the way that led to the Duke's lodgings--for he stayedhere a good deal during these days. They were talking together, and didnot see me till I was close upon them. When I greeted them, they stoppedall of a sudden. 

"The very man!" said Mr. Whitbread. 

Then he asked me whether I would come with them to the lodgings of Mr. Fenwick, for they had something to say to me; and I went with them verywillingly, for it appeared to me that perhaps they had heard of thematter which I had found so hard to keep from them. We said nothing atall on the way; and when we got within, Mr. Whitbread told Mr. Grove tostand at the foot of the stairs that no one might come up without hisknowledge. They bolted the door also, when we were within the chamber. Then we all sat down. 

"Now, Mr. Mallock, " said Father Whitbread, "we know all that you know;and why you have been with us so much; and we thank you for yourtrouble. "

I said nothing; but I bowed to them a little. But I knew that I had beenof little service as yet. 

"It is all out, " said the priest, "or will be in a day or two. Mr. Oateshath been to Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey, the Westminster magistrate, withthe whole of his pretended information--his forty-three heads to whichhe hath added now thirty-eight more, and he will be had before theCouncil to-morrow. Sir Edmund hath told Mr. Coleman his friend, and theDuke's agent, all that hath been sworn to before him; Mr. Coleman hathtold the Duke and hath fled from town to-night; and the Duke hasprevailed with the King to have the whole affair before the Council. Ithink that His Majesty's way with it would have been the better; but itis too late for that now. Now the matter must all come out; and SirEdmund hath said sufficient to shew us that it will largely turn upon aconsult that our Fathers held here in London, last April, at the WhiteHorse Tavern; for Oates hath mingled truth and falsehood in a veryingenious fashion. He was at St. Omer's, you know, as a student; and wasexpelled for an unspeakable crime, as he was expelled from our othercollege at Valladolid also, for the same cause: so he knows a good dealof our ways. He feigns, too, to be a Doctor of Divinity in SalamancaUniversity; but that is another of his lies, as I know for a truth. Whatwe wish to know, however, is how he knows so much of our movementsduring these last months; for not one of us has seen him. You have beento and fro to our lodgings a great deal, Mr. Mallock. Have you everseen, hanging about the streets outside any of them, a fellow with adeformed kind of face--so that his mouth--"

And at that I broke in: for I had never forgotten the man's face, against whom I had knocked one night in Drury Lane. 

"I have seen the very man, " I cried. "He is of middle stature; with alittle forehead and nose and a great chin. "

"That is the man, " said Mr. Whitbread. "When did you see him?"

I told them that it was on the night that I found Mrs. Ireland and herdaughter come from the play. 

"He was standing in the mouth of the passage opposite, " I said, "andwatched me as I went in. "

"He will have been watching many nights, I think, " said Mr. Whitbread, "here, and in Duke Street, and at my own lodgings too. "

I asked what he would do that for, if he had his tale already. 

"That he may have more truth to stir up with his lies, " said Mr. Whitbread. "He will say who he has seen go in and out; and we shall notbe able to deny it. "

He said this very quietly, without any sign of perturbation; and Mr. Ireland was the same. They seemed a little thoughtful only. 

"But no harm can come to you, " I cried. "His Majesty hath promised it. "

"Yes: His Majesty hath promised it, " said Mr. Whitbread in such a mannerthat my heart turned cold; but I said no more on the point. 

"Now, Mr. Mallock, " said the priest, "we must consider what is best tobe done. When the case comes on, as it surely will, the question for usis what you must do. I doubt not that you could give evidence that youhave found us harmless folk"--(he smiled as he said this)--"but I do notknow that you will be able to add much to what other of our witnesseswill be able to say. I am not at all sure but that it may not be bestfor you to keep away from the case at first at any rate. You have theKing's ear, which is worth more to us than any testimony you couldgive. "

"Why do you not fly the country?" I cried. 

He smiled again. 

"Because that, " he said, "would be as much as to say that we wereguilty; and so the whole Society would be thought guilty, and the Churchtoo. No, Mr. Mallock, we must see the matter out, and trust to whatjustice we can get. But I do not think we shall get a great deal. "

So it was decided then, that I would not give testimony unless there wassome call for it; and I took my leave, marvelling at the constancy ofthese men, who preferred to imperil life itself, sooner than reputation. 

 * * * * *

Well; all went forward as Mr. Whitbread had said it would. On thetwenty-eighth day of September Dr. Oates appeared before the Council togive his testimony; and it was to the same effect as was that which Ihad heard Mr. Chiffinch relate before, as to the Jesuit plot to murderthe King, and if need be, the Duke too, and to establish Catholicdomination in England. 

I went into a gallery in the Council room for a little, to confirm withmy own eyes whether it were Dr. Titus Oates himself against whom I hadknocked in Drury Lane; and it was the man without doubt, though helooked very different in his minister's dress. It was not a very greatroom, and only those were admitted who had permission. His Majestyhimself was there upon the second day; and sat in the midst of thetable, at the upper end, with the Duke beside him, and the greatofficers round about; amongst whom I marked my Lord Shaftesbury, who Iwas beginning to think knew more of the plot than had appeared; Dr. Oates stood in a little pew at one side, so that when he turned to speakI could see his face. Dr. Tonge and Mr. Kirby and others sat on a seatbehind him. 

He was dressed as a minister--for he had been one, before his pretendedreconciliation to the Catholic Church--in gown and bands and wore agreat periwig; and not his face only--which no man could forget who hadonce set eyes on it--but the strange accent with which he spoke, confirmed me that it was the man I had seen. 

My Lord Danby, I think it was, questioned him a good deal, as well asothers: and he repeated the same tale with great fluency, with manygibes and aphorisms such as that the Jesuits had laid a wager that ifCarolus Rex would not become R. C. --which is Roman Catholic--he shouldnot much longer remain C. R. He said too that he had been reconciled tothe Church on Ash Wednesday of last year; but that "he took God and Hisholy angels to witness that he had never changed the religion in hisheart, " but that it was all a pretence to spy out Papistical plots. 

His Royal Highness broke out, when he had done, declaring the wholematter a bundle of lies; and when one or two asked Oates for anywritings or letters that he had--since he had been so long amongst theJesuits, and was so much trusted by them--he said that he had none; butcould get them easily enough if warrants and officers were given him. Isuppose the truth was that he had not wit enough to write them as yet, but had thought the Windsor letters (as I may call them) would beenough. (These questions had also been put to him on the day before, butwere repeated now for the King's benefit. )

His Majesty himself, I think, proved the shrewdest examiner of them all. 

"You said that you met Don Juan, the Spaniard, in your travels, DoctorOates. Pray, what is he like in face and figure?"

"My Lard--Your Majesty, " said Oates, "he is a tall black thin faylow, with swatthy features"--(for so he pronounced his words. )

"Eh?" asked the King. 

Dr. Oates repeated his words; and the King turned, nodding and smiling, to His Royal Highness; for the Spanish bastard is far more Austrian thanSpanish, and is fair and fat and of small stature. 

"Excellent, Doctor Oates, " said the King. "And now there is anothersmall matter. You told these gentlemen yesterday that you saw--with yourown eyes--the bribe of ten thousand pound paid down by the French King'sconfessor. Pray, where was this money paid?"

"In the Jesuits' house in Paris, your Majesty, " said the man. 

"And where is that?"

"That--Your Majesty--that house is--is near the King's own house. " (Buthe spoke hesitatingly. )

Then the King broke out in indignation; and beat his hand on the table. 

"Man!" he cried. "The Jesuits have no house within one mile of theLouvre!"

It pleased me to hear the King say that; for I was a little uneasy atFather Whitbread's manner when he had spoken of the King's promise; butI was less pleased a day or two afterwards to hear that His Majesty wasgone to Newmarket, to the races, and had left the Council to do as bestit could; and that the Jesuits had been taken that samenight--Michaelmas eve--after Oates had been had before the Council. There had been a great to-do at the taking of Father Whitbread, for theSpanish soldiers had been called out to save the Ambassador's house, sogreat was the mob that went to see him taken. 

 * * * * *

The next public event in the whole affair was the last and worst of allthe links that were being forged so swiftly: and the news of it came tome as follows. 

I had gone to sup in Aldgate, where I had listened to a good deal oftalk from some small gentry, as to the Papist plot; and had been happyto hear three or four of them declare that they believed there wasnothing in it, and even the rest of them were far from positive on thematter; and I had stayed late over my pipe with them, so that it waslong after my usual time when I returned towards my lodgings, walkingalone, for I said good-bye to the last of my companions in the City. 

As I came up into the Strand, I saw before me what appeared to be thetail of a great concourse of people, and heard the murmur of theirvoices; and, mending my pace a little, I soon came up with them. I wentalong for a little, trying to hear what they were saying upon theaffair, and to learn what the matter was; for by now the street was onepack of folk all moving together. Little by little, then, I began tohear that someone had been strangled, and that "he was found with hisneck broken, " and then that "his own sword was run through his heart, "and words of that kind. 

Now I had heard talk before that Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey was run awaywith a woman, and to avoid the payment of his debts, which, if it weretrue, were certainly a very strange happening at such a time, since hewas the magistrate before whom Oates had laid his information; but sixdays were gone by, and I had not thought very much of it, for hisrunning away could not now in any way affect the information that hadbeen laid. He was a very gentle man, though melancholy; and, though agood Protestant, troubled no man that was of another religion thanhimself--neither Papist nor Independent. 

But when I heard the people about me speaking in this manner, the nameof Sir Edmund came to my mind; and I asked a fellow that was trampingnear me, who it was that was strangled and where the body was. But heturned on me with such a burst of oaths, that I thought it best to drawno more attention to myself, and presently slipped away. Then I thoughtmyself of a little rising ground, a good bit in advance, whence, perhapsI might be able to see something of what was passing; and I made my wayacross the street, to a lane that led round on the north. As I cameacross, in the fringes of the crowd, I saw a minister walking, in hiscassock; so I saluted him courteously, and asked what the matter was. 

He looked at me with an agitated face, and said nothing: his lipsworked, and he was very pale, yet it seemed to me with anger: so I askedhim again; and this time he answered. 

"Sir, I do not know who you are, " he said. "But it is Sir Edmund BerryGodfrey who has been foully murdered by the Papists. He hath been foundon Primrose Hill, and we are taking him to his house. I do not know, sir--"

But I was gone; and up the lane as fast as I could run. All that I hadheard, all that I had feared, all even that I had dreamed, was beingfulfilled. The links were forging swiftly. I do not know, even now as Iwrite, how it was that Sir Edmund met his end, whether he had killedhimself, as I think--for he was of a melancholiac disposition, as washis father and his grandfather before him--or whether, as indeed I thinkpossible, he was murdered by the very man who swore so many Catholiclives away, by way of giving colour to his own designs--for if a manwill swear away twenty lives, what should hinder him from taking one?One thing only I know, that no Catholic, whether old or young, Jesuit ornot, saint or sinner, had any act or part in it; and on that I would laydown my own life. 

By the time that I arrived at the rising mound--for a force mightierthan prudence drove me to see the end--the head of the great concoursewas beginning to arrive. Across the street from side to side stretchedthe company, all tramping together and murmuring like the sound of thesea. It was as if all London town was gone mad: for I do not believethere were above twenty men in that great mob, who were not persuadedthat here was the corroboration of all that had been said upon thematter of the plot; and that the guilt of the Papists was made plain. Some roared, as they came, threats and curses upon the Pope, theJesuits, and every Catholic that drew breath; but the most part marchedsilently, and more terribly, as it appeared to me. The street wasbecoming as light as day, for torches were being kindled as they came;and, at the last, came the great coach, swaying upon its swings, inwhich the body was borne. 

I craned my head this way and that to see; and, as the coach passedbeneath me, I saw into its interior, and how there lay there, supportedby two men, the figure of another man whose face was covered with awhite cloth. 

CHAPTER VII

It would occupy too much space, were I to set down in detail all thatpassed between the finding of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey's body, and thebeing brought to trial of the Jesuit Fathers. But a brief summary mustbe given. 

The funeral of Sir Edmund was held three or four days later in St. Martin's, and the sermon was preached by Dr. Lloyd, his friend, whospoke from a pulpit guarded by two other thumping divines, lest heshould be murdered by the Papists as he did it. There was a concourse ofpeople that cannot be imagined; and seventy-two ministers walked incanonicals at the head of the procession. Dr. Lloyd spoke of the deadman as a martyr to the Protestant religion. 

By the strangest stroke of ill-fortune Parliament met ten days beforethe funeral, which happened on the thirty-first of October; so that theexcitement of the people--greatly increased by the exhibition of thedead body of Sir Godfrey--was ratified by their rulers--I say theirrulers, since His Majesty, it appeared, could do nothing to stem thetide. It was my Lord Danby who opened the matter in the House of Peersthat he might get what popularity he could to protect him against thedisgrace that he foresaw would come upon him presently for the Frenchbusiness; and every violent word that he spoke was applauded to theecho. The House of Commons took up the cry; a solemn fast was appointedfor the appeasing of God Almighty's wrath; guards were set in all thestreets, and chains drawn across them, to prevent any sudden rising ofthe Papists; and all Catholic householders were bidden to withdraw tenmiles from London. (This I did not comply with; for I was nohouseholder. ) Besides all this, both men and women went armedcontinually--the men with the "Protestants' flails, " and ladies withlittle pistols hidden in their muffs. Workmen, too, were set to searchand dig everywhere for "Tewkesbury mustard-balls, " as they werecalled--or fire-balls, with which it was thought that the Catholicswould set London a-fire, as Oates had said they would--or vast treasureswhich the Jesuits were thought to have buried in the Savoy and otherplaces. Folks took alarm at the leastest matters; once my Lord Treasurerhimself rode into London crying that the French army was already landed, when all that he had seen were some horses in the mist; once it wasthought, from the noise of digging that some fat-head heard, that thePapists were mining to blow up Westminster. The King, whom I dared notgo to see in all this uproar, and who did not send for me, went to andfro even in Whitehall, guarded everywhere--in private, as I heard, pouring scorn upon the plot, yet in public concealing his opinion; andupon the ninth of November he made a speech in the House of Lords, confirming all my fears, thanking his subjects for their devotion, andurging them to deal effectually with the Popish recusants that were sucha danger to the kingdom! In October, too, five Catholic Lords--the Earlof Powis, Viscount Stafford, my Lord Petre, my Lord Arundell of Wardour, and my Lord Bellasis were committed to the Tower on a charge of treason. 

I saw Dr. Oates more than once during these days, coming out ofWhitehall with the guards that were given to protect him, carryinghimself very high, in his minister's dress; and no wonder, for the manwas the darling of the nation and was called its "Saviour, " and had hada great pension voted to him of twelve hundred pounds a year. He did notthink then, I warrant, of the day when he would be whipped from Newgateto Tyburn at a cart's tail; and again, laid upon a sled and whippedagain through the City, for that he could not stand by reason of hisfirst punishment. Another fellow too had come forward, named Bedloe, once a stable-boy to my Lord Bellasis, who had given himself up atBristol, with "information, " as he called it, as to Sir Edmund's murder, which he said had been done in Somerset House itself, by the priests andothers, saying that the wax that was found upon the dead man's breechescame from the candles of the altar that the priests had held over himwhile they did it! Presently too, at the trial and even before it, Bedloe made his evidence to concur with Oates', though at the firstthere was no sign of it. Even before the trial, however, the audacity ofthe two villains waxed so great, as even to seek to embroil Her Majestyherself in the matter, and to make her privy to the whole plot; and thisOates did, at the bar of the House of Commons. But the King was so wrathat this, that little more was heard of it. 

The Duke of York, during these proceedings, saved himself very well. When the Bill for the disabling of Papists from the holding of office orof sitting in either House of Parliament, had passed through theCommons, he made a speech upon it in the House of Lords, speaking sowell that others as well as he were moved to tears by it. He said thathis religion should be a matter between his soul and God only; andshould never affect his public conduct; and this with so much weightthat the decision was given in his favour, since he was the King'sbrother. I should never have thought that he could have done so well. 

Mr. Coleman was the first to be brought to trial, at the beginning ofDecember, for he came back and gave himself up the day after he had atfirst fled. He was already pre-judged; for so violent was the feelingagainst the Papists that my Lord Lucas said in the House of Lords thatif he could have his way, he "would not have even a Popish cat to mewand purr about the King. " Coleman, I say, was the first of those who hadbefore been accused; but a Mr. Stayley, a Catholic banker (who had hishouse not far from me in Covent Garden), was even before him judged andexecuted, on account of some words that a lying Scotsman had said he hadheard him use in the tavern in the same place. 

I did not go to the trial of Mr. Coleman; for that I had nothing to sayfor him; and indeed Mr. Coleman's own letters--written three or fouryears ago--were the severest witnesses against him, in which he hadwritten to Father La Chaise--(whom Oates at first called Father LeShee)--the French King's confessor, and others, that if he could layhands on a good sum of money, he could accomplish a great project hehad for the restoration of the Catholic religion in England. (Theseletters were found in a drawer he had forgotten, when he had burned allthe rest; and proved very unfortunate for him. ) He meant by this, I haveno doubt, the bribing of many Parliament-men to win toleration, and toget His Royal Highness restored as Lord High Admiral. He said this washis meaning; and I see no reason to doubt it, for he was a pragmaticalkind of man, full of great affairs; but Chief Justice Scroggs waved itall away; and it was made to appear exactly consonant with all thatOates and Bedloe had said as to the project of killing the King. Sogreat was the excitement, not of the common people only, but of thosewho should have known better, and so shrewd were these who tookadvantage of it, that my Lord Shaftesbury, who was waxing very hot uponthe supposed Plot, for his own ends, was heard to say that any man thatthrew doubt on the plot must be treated as an enemy. Mr. Coleman wasexecuted at Tyburn on the third day of December. 

 * * * * *

The trial of Father Ireland, Mr. Grove and Mr. Pickering--who was aBenedictine lay-brother--was opened on the seventeenth day of December, in the Sessions House at Justice Hall in the Old Bailey. 

I was in the Court early, before the trial began, carrying a letter withme which Mr. Chiffinch got for me from my Lord Peterborough, that Imight have a good place; and I had a very good one; for it was in alittle gallery that looked down into the well of the court, so that Icould see all that I wished, and the faces of all the prisoners, judgesand witnesses, and yet by leaning back could avoid observation--for Ihad no wish, for others' sake, if not for my own, to be recognized byany of the witnesses. The seats for my Lords were on the left, under astate, with their desks before them; the place for the prisoners on theright, facing the judges; and for the witnesses opposite to me. The jurywas beneath; and the counsels in front of them with their backs to me. 

When the Court was full to bursting, my Lords came in, with the ChiefJustice--that is Sir William Scroggs--in the midst. I had never seen himbefore, though I knew how hot he was against Catholics, and I looked tosee what he was like. It was a dark morning, and the candles werelighted on my Lords' desks; and I could see his face pretty well intheir light. He was in scarlet, and wore his great wig; and he talkedbehind his hand, with what seemed a great deal of merriment to Mr. Justice Bertue, who sat on one side of him, and the Recorder Jeffreyswho sat upon the other. He had very heavy brows; his face wasclean-shaven, and his mouth was like a trap when he shut it, and lookedgrave, as he did so soon as the clerk had done his formalities. He was astrong man, I thought, who would brook no opposition, and would have hisway--as indeed he did; and the rest of my Lords had little or no say inthe proceedings; and least of all had the jury, except to do what theLord Chief Justice bid them. 

The three prisoners--for Mr. Whitbread and Mr. Fenwick were presentlywithdrawn to be tried later, since they could not get two falsewitnesses against them at that time--were Mr. Ireland, Mr. Grove and Mr. Pickering, and I looked upon them with infinite compassion, to see howthey would bear themselves. Mr. Pickering I had never seen before; so Icould not tell whether or no he bore himself as usual. But the twoothers I had seen again and again; yet, with respect to them both Iremembered principally that occasion when Mr. Ireland had entertainedhis mother and sister in Mr. Fenwick's lodging on that one night he wasin town, and gone off with them into the dark so merrily; and Mr. Grovehad brought up the chocolate in white cups, and we had all been merrytogether. Now they stood here in the dock together, and answered totheir names cheerfully and courageously; and I could see that neitheranguish of heart nor the fear of death had availed to change theircountenances in the leastest degree. They stood there, scarcely moving, except once or twice to whisper to one another, while Dr. Oates told hislying tale. 

It was now for the first time that I understood how shrewdly, and yethow clumsily now and then, the man had weaved together his information. He spoke with an abundance of detail that astonished me; he spoke ofnames and places with the greatest precision; he related how himself hadbeen sent from St. Omer's with fifty pounds promised him, to kill Dr. Tonge who had lately translated a book from the French named "TheJesuits' Morals"; he spoke of a chapel in Mrs. Sanders' house, atWild-House, where he had been present, he said, at a piece ofconspiring; and so forth continually, interlarding his tale with burstsof adjuration and piety and indignation, so evidently feigned--thoughwith something of the Puritan manner in it--that I marvelled that anyman could be deceived who did not wish to be; and all with his vileaccent. He spoke much also, as Mr. Whitbread had told me that he would, of the consult of the Fathers--of all that is, who had the _jussuffragii_ in England--that had been held at the White Horse Tavern inthe Strand, in April; pretending that at this the murder of the King wasagain decided upon, and designed too, in all particulars; how Mr. Pickering and Mr. Grove had been deputed to do the killing in St. James'Park with screwed pistols, as His Majesty walked there, or if not there, at Newmarket or Windsor; and how commissions had been given to variouspersons (whom he named), which they were to hold in the army that was tobe raised, when His Majesty had been murdered, and the French King Louislet in with his troops. Worst of all, however, was the assertion whichhe made again and again that no Catholic's oath, even in Court, could betaken to be worth anything, since the Pope gave them all dispensationsto swear falsely; for such an assertion as this deprives an accused manof all favour with the jury and destroys the testimonies of all Catholicwitnesses. And, what amazed me most of all was that Chief JusticeScroggs supported him in this, and repeated it to the jury again andagain. He said so first to Mr. Whitbread, before he was withdrawn. 

"If you have a religion, " he said, "that can give a dispensation foroaths, sacraments, protestations and falsehoods, how can you expect thatwe should believe you?"

"I know no such thing, " said Mr. Whitbread very tranquilly. 

Bedloe, too, told the same tale as he had told before, but with manyembellishments; and was treated by my Lords with as much respect, verynearly, as Oates himself; and they were both given refreshment by theChief Justice's order. 

 * * * * *

I could have found it in my heart to kill that man--Oates, I mean--as hestood there in his gown and bands and periwig, with his guards behindhim, swearing away those good men's lives; now standing upright, nowleaning on the rail before him, and now reposing himself on a stool thatwas brought for him. His monstrous countenance was as the face of adevil; he feigned now to weep, now to be merry. But most of all I hatedthe man, when the piteous sight was seen of the entrance of Mrs. Irelandand her daughter, who came to testify that Mr. Ireland was not in Londonat all on those days in August when Oates had sworn that he had spokenwith him there. They stood there, as gallant women as might be, turningtheir eyes now and again upon the priest who was all the world to themby ties both of nature and grace; but all their testimony went fornothing, since, first my Lord had told the jury that a Catholic's oathwas worth nothing, and next the prisoners had had no opportunity to knowwhat charges precisely they were that were to be brought against them, and had had therefore no time to get their witnesses together. Theycomplained very sharply of this; but my Lord puffed it all away, andwould scarcely allow them to finish one sentence without interruption. 

Mr. Ireland said upon one occasion that though he had no witnesses, forhe had had no time to get them, yet he could get witnesses that therewere witnesses. 

"I know, " said the Chief Justice, "what your way of arguing is; that isvery pretty. You have witnesses that can prove you have witnesses, andthose witnesses can prove that you have more witnesses, and so _ininfinitum_. And thus you argue in everything you do. "

It was growing dark when the evidence (for so it was called) was done;and the end was drawing near; and the candles which had been put outlong ago were lighted again by an usher, who came in with a taper whenthe Lord Chief Justice called for lights. But the candles burned verybadly, by reason of the closeness of the Court in which so many personshad been gathered for so long; and shed but a poor illumination. My eyeswere weary too with staring upon the people--now upon the monstrous faceof Oates, that was like a nightmare for terror, now upon the prisonersso patient in the dock, and now upon my Lords on their high seatsbeneath the state, and especially upon that hard and bitter face ofChief Justice Scroggs who, if ever a man murdered innocent folk, wasmurdering to-day the three men before him, by the direction which hegave to the jury, and the manner he conducted the case. I could, by now, see the faces only one by one, as each leant into the light of thecandles; and it appeared to me, again and again, that these were mockingdemons and not men, and Oates the lord of them all and of hell itselffrom which they all came, and to which they must return. I closed myeyes sometimes, both to rest them, and that I might pray for barejustice to be done; but my prayers were to me like the lifting ofweights too great for my strength. One hope only remained to me, andthat lay in His Majesty; for, although he had permitted the deaths ofColeman and of Stayley, these might indeed have appeared guilty to onewho knew nothing of them; but I could not find it in my heart to believethat he would suffer these Jesuits to die, of whom he had sworn to methat not a hair of their heads should be injured. I had determined, too, to go to His Majesty, so soon as the trial was done, and the verdictgiven as I knew it would be, and hear from his own lips that he wouldkeep his word, at whatever cost to himself. 

It was dark then, by the time that all the evidence had been given, andthe Chief Justice had done his directing of the jury. The Court, crowdedthough it was with the people, was as still as death, so soon as thejury came back after a very short recess. I could hear only thebreathing of the folks on all hands. A woman sat beside me, who hadbeen as early as myself that morning; but she had roared and clappedwith the rest, at the earlier stages, when the Chief Justice hadsilenced the prisoners or thrown doubt upon what they said. She wasquiet now, however, and I wondered how the evidence had affected her. 

When the jury were ready to give their verdict, the talking that hadbroken out a little, grew silent again; but when the verdict of Guiltywas given, it broke out once more into a storm of shouting; so that therafters rang with it. The woman beside me--for I sat at the end of abench and had nothing but the wall beyond me--appeared to awaken at thetumult and join her voice to it, beating with her hand at the edge ofthe gallery in front of her. As for me I looked at the prisoners. Theywere all upright in their places, Mr. Ireland in the midst of the three;and were as still as if nothing were the matter. They were looking atthe Lord Chief Justice, at whom I too turned my eyes, and saw he wasgrinning and talking behind his hand to the Recorder. It was a verytravesty of justice that I was looking at, and no true trial at all. There were a thousand points of dissonance that I had remarkedmyself--as to how it was, for instance, that one fellow had beenpromised twenty guineas for killing the King and another fifteen hundredpounds; as to how it was that Oates, who professed himself so loyal, hadpermitted four ruffians to go to Windsor (as he said), with intent tomurder the King, and that he had said nothing of it at the time. But allwas passed over in this lust for the Jesuits' blood. 

I knew that my Lord would make a great speech on the affair, before hewould make an end and give sentence; for this was a great opportunityfor him to curry favour not only with the people, but with men like myLord Shaftesbury who was behind him in all the matter; and as I had nowish to hear what he would have to say (for I knew it all by heartalready) and, still less to hear the terrible words of the sentence forHigh Treason passed upon these three good men in the dock, I rose upquietly from my place, and slipped out of the door by which I had comein. As I was about to close the door behind me I heard silence made, andmy Lord Justice Scroggs beginning his speech--and these were the wordswhich first he addressed to the jury. 

"Gentlemen, " he said, "you have done like very good subjects and verygood Christians; that is to say like very good Protestants; and now muchgood may their thirty thousand masses do them!" When he said this, hewas referring to a piece of Dr. Oates' lying evidence as to a part ofthe reward that they should get for killing the King. But I closed thedoor; for I could bear to hear no more. But afterwards I heard that theythen adjourned for an hour or two, and that it was the Recorder--SirGeorge Jeffreys--that gave sentence. 

When I presented myself, half an hour later, at Mr. Chiffinch'slodgings, I had very nearly persuaded myself that all would yet be well. For I thought it impossible that any man to whom the report of the trialshould be brought, could ever think that justice had been done; least ofall the King who is the fount of it, under God. I knew very well thatHis Majesty would have to bear the brunt of some unpopularity if herefused to sign the warrants for their death; but he appeared to me tocare not very much for popularity--since he outraged it often enough inworse ways than in maintaining the right. He had said to me, too, soexpressly that no harm should come to the Fathers or to Mr. Grove andMr. Pickering either; and he had said so, I was informed, even moreforcibly to the Duke and those that were with him--saying that his righthand should rot off if ever he took the pen into his hand for such apurpose. I remembered these things, even while the plaudits of the crowdstill rang in my ears, and the bitter cruelty of my Lord Chief Justice'swords to the jury. His Majesty, I said to myself, is above all theselesser folk, and will see that no wrong is done. And, besides all this, he is half a Catholic himself and he knows against what kind of menthese charges have been made. 

I was pretty reassured then, when I knocked upon the door of Mr. Chiffinch's lodgings, and told the man who opened to me that I must seehis master. 

He took me through immediately into the little passage I had been inbefore, and himself tapped upon the door of the inner parlour; then heopened it, and let me through: for Mr. Chiffinch was accustomed by nowto receive me at any hour. 

He rose civilly enough, and asked me what I wished with him, so soon asthe door was shut. 

"The verdict is given, " I said. "I must see His Majesty. "

He screwed up his lips in a way he had. 

"It is Guilty, I suppose, " he said. 

I told him Yes;

"And I have never seen, " I said, "such a travesty of justice. "

He looked down upon the table, considering, drumming his fingers uponit. 

"That is as may be, " he said. "But as for His Majesty--"

I broke out on him at that: for I was fiercely excited. 

"Man, " I cried, "there is no question about that. I must see His Majestyinstantly. "

He looked at me again, as if considering. 

"Well, " he said. "What must be, must. I will see His Majesty. He is notyet gone to supper. "

At the door he turned again. 

"The verdict was Guilty?" he said. "You were there and heard it?"

I told him Yes; for I was all impatient. 

"And how was that verdict received in court?"

"It was applauded, " I said shortly. 

He still waited an instant. Then he went out. 

 * * * * *

I was all in a fever till he came back; for his manner and hishesitation had renewed my terrors. Yet still I would not let myselfdoubt. I went up and down the room, and looked at the pictures in it. There was a little one by Lely, not finished, of my Lady Castlemaine, done before she was made Duchess, which I suppose the King had given tohim; but I remembered afterwards nothing else that I saw at that time. 

In about half an hour he came back again; but he shut the door behindhim before he spoke. 

"His Majesty will see you in a few minutes, " he said, "but he goes tosupper presently; and must not be detained. And there is something elsethat I must ask you first. "

I was all impatient to be gone; but impatience would not help me at all. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, sitting down, "did you see any man following youfrom the Court? Or at the doors of the Palace?"

My heart stood still when he said that; for though I had done my best atall times for the last month or two to pass unnoticed so far as I could, I had known well enough that having been so much with the Jesuits as Ihad, it was not impossible that I had been marked by some spy or other, or even by Oates himself, since he had seen me go into Mr. Fenwick'slodgings. But I had fancied of late that I must have escaped notice, andhad been more bold lately, as in going to the Court to-day. 

"Followed?" I said. "What do you mean, Mr. Chiffinch?"

"You saw no fellow after you, or loitering near, at the gates, as youcame in?"

"I saw no one, " I said. 

"The gates were barred, as usual?"

"Yes, " I said. "And the guard fetched a lieutenant before he would letme in. "

(For ever since the late alarms extraordinary precautions had been takenin keeping the great gates of the Palace always guarded. )

"And you saw no one after you?"

"No one, " I said. 

"Well, " said Mr. Chiffinch, "a fellow was after you. For when you weregone in he came up to the guard and asked who you were, and by whatright you had entered. The lieutenant sent a mail to tell me so, and Imet him in the passage as I went out. "

"Who was the fellow?"

"Oh! a man called Dangerfield. The lieutenant very prudently detainedhim; and I went across and questioned him before I went to His Majesty. I know nothing of the man, except that he hath been convicted, for I sawthe branding in his hand when we examined him. We let him go againimmediately. "

"He knows my name?"

Mr. Chiffinch smiled. 

"We are not so foolish as that, Mr. Mallock. He thinks you have someplace at Court; but we did not satisfy him as to your name. "

I said nothing; for there was nothing to say. 

"You had best be very careful, Mr. Mallock, " went on the page, standingup again. "You have been mixing a great deal with unpopular folks. Youwill be of no service to His Majesty at all if you fall under suspicion. You had best go back by water to the Temple Stairs. "

He spoke a little coldly; and I perceived that he thought I had beenindiscreet. 

"Well, " he said, "we had best be going to His Majesty's lodgings. "

I had flattered myself, up to the present, that I knew His Majesty'scapacities tolerably well. I thought him to be an easily read man, withboth virtues and vices uppermost, wearing his heart on his sleeve, asthe saying is--indolent, witty, lacking all self-control--yet not, as Imight say, a deep man. I was to learn the truth, or rather begin tolearn it, on this very night. 

 * * * * *

When I entered his private closet he was sitting not where I had seenhim before, but at the great table in the midst of the floor, with hispapers about him, and an appearance of great industry. He did not domore than look up for an instant, and then down again; and I stoodthere before him, after I had bowed and been taken no notice of, as itwere a scholar waiting to be whipped. 

He was all ready for supper, in his lace, with his hat on his head; andhe was writing a letter, with a pair of candles burning before him insilver candlesticks. His face wore a very heavy and preoccupied look;and I was astonished that he paid me no attention. 

He finished at last, threw sand on the paper from the pounce-box, andpushed it aside. Then he leaned his cheeks in his hands, and his elbowson the table, and looked at me. But he did not speak unkindly. 

"Here you are then, " he said. "And I hear you bring news from the OldBailey?"

"I came from there half an hour ago, Sir. "

"Ah! And the verdict was Guilty, Mr. Chiffinch tells me?"

"Yes, Sir. "

"How did the people take it?"

"They applauded a great deal, Sir. "

"They applauded, you say. At the end only, or all the while?"

"They applauded, Sir, whenever any of my Lords made a hit against theCatholics. "

"Were there any who did otherwise?"

"Not one, Sir, that I could hear. "

"The Chief Justice. What did he say?"

"He made many protestations of devotion to your Majesty, Sir, and to theProtestant Religion. He beat down the Catholics at every point. Hepermitted none of their witnesses to speak freely. "

The King was silent a moment. Then he went on again. 

"And the prisoners. How did they bear themselves?"

"They bore themselves like gallant gentlemen, Sir. They fought everypoint, so far as the Chief Justice would permit them. "

"Did they shew any fear when the verdict was brought in?"

"None, Sir. They relied upon your Majesty's protection, no doubt. "

Again His Majesty was silent. I still stood on the other side of thetable from him, waiting to say what I had to say. The King shewed nosign of having heard what I had last said. 

Then, to my astonishment he turned on me again very sharply. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "I have a fault to find with you. Mr. Chiffinchtells me that you were followed from the Court, and that a fellow wasasking after you at the gate. You say that you wish to serve me. Well, those who serve me must be very discreet and very shrewd. Plainly, youhave not been so in this instance. You are a very young man; and I donot wish to be severe. But you must remember, Mr. Mallock, that such athing as this must not happen any more. "

My mouth was gone suddenly dry at this attack of His Majesty upon me. Ilicked my lips with my tongue in readiness to answer; but before I couldspeak, the King went on again. 

"Now I had a little business to entrust to you; but I am not sure if itbe not best to give it to another hand. "

He took up from the table before him a newly sealed little packet that Ihad not noticed before; and sat weighing it in his hand, as ifconsidering, while his eyes searched my face. 

"Sir--" I began. 

"Yes, Mr. Mallock, I know what you would say. That is all very well; butmy servants must not make mistakes such as you have made. It was theheight of madness for you to go to the Court at all to-day. I have nodoubt that you were seen there, and followed; and you could have been ofno service to your friends there, in any case. Mr. Chiffinch tells me hewill provide a wherry for you immediately, that you may go back withoutobservation. You must do this. The question before my mind is as towhether you shall take this packet with you, or not. What do you say, Mr. Mallock?"

All the while he had been speaking, I had been in a torment of misery. As yet I had done little or nothing for His Majesty, after all mycommissioning from Rome; and now that the first piece of work was onhand, it was doubtful whether I had not forfeited it by my clumsiness. For the moment I forgot what I had come for. I was all set on acquittingmyself well. I was but twenty-one years old!

"Sir, " I cried, "if your Majesty will entrust that to me, you shallnever repent it. "

He smiled; but his face went back again to its heaviness. "It is a verydifficult commission, " he said. "And, what is of more importance thanall else is that the packet should fall into no hand other than the onethat should have it. For this reason, there is no name written upon it. But I have sealed it with a private signet of my own, both within andwithout; and you must bear the packet with you until you can deliverit. "

"I understand, Sir. "

"I can send no courier with it, for the reasons of which I have spoken. No man, Mr. Mallock, but you and I must know of its very existence. Neither can I tell you now to whom the packet must be given. You mustbear it with you, sir, until you have a message from me, signed with thesame seal as that which it bears, telling you where you must take it, and to whom. You understand?"

"I understand, Sir. "

"You must leave London immediately until your face is forgotten, anduntil this storm is over. You have a cousin in the country?"

"Yes, Sir; Mr. Jermyn at Hare Street. "

"You had best lie there for the present; and I can send to you there, sosoon as I have an opportunity. Meanwhile you must have this always athand, and be ready to set out with it, so soon as you hear where youmust go with it. That is all plain, Mr. Mallock?"

"I understand, Sir. "

The King rose abruptly, pushing back his chair; and as he rose I heardthe trumpets for supper, in the Court outside. 

"Then you had best be gone. Take it, Mr. Mallock. "

I came round and received the packet; and I kissed the King's handwhich he had not given to me as I had come in. My heart was overjoyed atthe confidence which he shewed me; and I slipped the packet immediatelywithin my waistcoat. It was square and flat and lay there easily in alittle pocket which the tailor had contrived there. Then, as I stood upagain, the memory of what I had come for flashed back on me again. 

"Sir, " I said, "there is one other matter. "

His Majesty was already turning away; but he stopped and looked over hisshoulder. 

"Eh?" he said. 

"Sir, it is with regard to the Jesuits who were condemned to-day. "

He jerked his hand impatiently in a way he had. 

"I have no time for that, " he said, "no time. "

Then he was gone out at the other door, and I heard him goingdownstairs. 

Now as I came downstairs again the further way, and heard the trumpetsgo, to shew that the King was come out, I had no suspicion of anythingbut my own foolishness in not speaking of what I had come about. But, bythe time that I was at the Temple Stairs, I wondered whether or no theKing had not had that very design, to put me off from which I wished tosay. And at the present time I am certain of it--that His Majesty wishedto hear from me at once of the proceedings at the trial, and then spokeimmediately of that other matter of the packet, and of my being followedto the Palace Gates, with the express purpose of hindering me fromsaying anything; for I am sure that at this time he had not yet made uphis mind as to what he would do when the warrants were brought to him, and did not wish to speak of it. 

CHAPTER VIII

The first thing that I did when I got home was to call for my man James, and bid him shut the door. (My man was about forty years old, and he hadbeen got for me in Rome, having fallen ill there in the service of myLord Stafford--being himself a Catholic, and a very good one, for hewent to the sacraments three or four times in the year, wherever he was. He was a clean-shaven fellow, and very sturdy and quick, and a good handat cut and thrust and the quarter-staff, as I had seen for myself atHare Street on the summer evenings. I had found him always discreet andsilent, though I had not as yet given him any great confidence. )

"James, " I said to him with great solemnity, "I have something to say toyou which must go no further. "

He stood waiting on my word. 

"A fellow hath been after me to-day--named Dangerfield--a very brownman, with no hair on his face" (for so Mr. Chiffinch had told me). "Hehath been branded on the hand for some conviction. I tell you this thatyou may know him if you see him again. I take him to be a Protestantspy: but I do not know for certain. "

He still stood waiting. He knew very well, I think, that I was on somebusiness, and that therefore I was in some danger too at such a time;though I had never spoken to him of it. 

"And another thing that I have to say to you is that we must ride forHare Street to-morrow, and arrive there by to-morrow night--withoutlying anywhere on the road. You must have the horses here, and allready, by seven o'clock in the morning. And you must tell no one wherewe are going to, to hinder any from following us, if we can help it. Wemust lie at Hare Street a good while. 

"And the third thing I have to say is this; that you must watch out veryshrewdly for any signs that we are known or suspected of anything. Itell you plainly that both you and I may be in some danger for a while;so if you have no taste for that, you had best begone. You will keepquiet, I know very well. "

"Sir, I will stay with you, if you please, " said James, as the last wordwas out of my mouth. 

I gave him a look of pleasure; but no more; and he understood me verywell. 

"Then that is all that I have to say. You may bring supper in as soon asyou like. "

Before I lay down that night I had transferred His Majesty's packet to abelt that I put next to my skin; and so I went to bed. 

 * * * * *

It was still pretty dark when we came out upon the Ware road upon thenext morning. I did not call James up to ride with me; for I had a greatnumber of things to think about; and first amongst them was thecommission which His Majesty had given me. What then could such abusiness be?--a packet that I must carry with me, and deliver to a manwhose name should be given me afterwards! Why, then, was it entrusted tome so soon? And why could not the name be given to me immediately? Butto such riddles there was no answer; and I left it presently alone. 

The second thing that I had to think of was the matter of the men whom Ihad seen condemned yesterday; and even of that I did not know much morethan of the packet. His Majesty had not spoken of them, except to askquestions at the beginning; and this seemed as a bad omen to me. Yet Ihad the King's word on it that they should not suffer; and, when Iconsidered, there was no obligation or even any reason at all that heshould talk out the matter with myself. Yet, though I presently put thisaffair too from my mind, since I had no certain knowledge of what wouldhappen, it came back to me again and again--that memory of Mr. Irelandand Mr. Grove in the lodgings in Drury Lane, so harmless and so merry, and again as I had seen them yesterday in the dock, with Mr. Pickering, so helpless and yet so courageous in face of the injustice that wasbeing done on them. 

The third thing that I had to think upon was Hare Street to which I wasgoing as fast as I could, and of those who would greet me there, andmost of all, I need not say, of my Cousin Dolly. Her father had writtento me two or three times during the four months that I had been away;and his last had been the letter of a very much frightened man, whatwith the news that had come to him of the proceedings in London and thefeeling against the Catholics. But I had written back to him thatnothing was to be feared if he would but stay still and hold his tongue;and that I myself would be with him presently, I hoped, and wouldreassure him; for in spite of the hot feeling in London the countryCatholics suffered from it little or not at all, so long as they mindedtheir own business. But it was principally of my Cousin Dolly that Ithought; for the memory of her had been with me a great deal during thefour months I had lived in London; but I was determined to do nothing ina hurry, since the remembrance of her father's words to me, and, evenmore, of his manner and look in speaking, stuck in my throat andhindered me from seeing clearly. I knew very well, however, that myprincipal reason why I urged Peter on over the bad roads, was that Imight see her the more quickly. 

Nothing of any importance happened to us on the way. At Hoddesdon thememory of Mr. Rumbald came back to my mind, and I wondered where it wasin Hoddesdon or near it that he had his malt-houses; and before that westayed again for dinner at the _Four Swans_ in Waltham Cross, where thehost knew me again and asked how matters were in London; and we came atlast in sight of the old church at Hormead Parva, just as the sun wasgoing down upon our left. Peter, my horse, knew where he was then, andneeded no more urging, for he knew that his stable was not far away. 

They knew of course nothing of my coming; and when I dismounted in theyard there was not a man to be seen. I left my horse with James; andwent along the flagged path that led to the door, and beat upon thedoor. The house seemed all dark and deserted; and it was not till I hadbeaten once more at the door that I saw a light shewing beneath it. Presently a very unsteady voice cried out to know who was there; and Iknew it for my Cousin Tom's; so I roared at him that it was myself. There followed a great to-do of unlocking and unbarring--for they hadthe house--as I found presently--fortified as it were a castle; and whenthe door was undone there was my Cousin Tom with a great blunderbuss andtwo men with swords behind him. 

"Why, whatever is forward?" I said sharply; for I was impatient with thelong waiting and the cold, for a frost was beginning as the sun set. 

"Why, Cousin Roger, we knew nothing of your coming, " said my Cousin Tom, looking a little foolish, I thought. "We did not know who was at thedoor. "

"I only knew myself of my coming yesterday, " I said. "And whatever isthe house fortified for?"

My cousin was putting up the bolts again as I spoke; (the two men weregone away into the back of the house);--and, as soon as he had done, hesaid:

"Why, there are dangerous folks about, Cousin Roger. And it is aCatholic house, you see. "

I smiled at that; but said no more; for at that moment my Cousin Dollycame through from the back of the house where she had been sent by herfather for safety; and at that sight I thought no more of the door. 

I saluted her as a cousin should; and she me. She looked mighty prettyto me, in her dark dress, with her lace on, for supper was just on thetable; and I cannot but think she was pleased to see me, for she was allsmiling and flushed. 

"So it is you, Cousin Roger, " she said. "I thought it might very wellbe. We looked for you before Christmas. "

 * * * * *

At supper, and afterwards, I learned in what a panic poor Cousin Tom hadlived since the news of the plot, and, above all, of Sir Edmund BerryGodfrey's death; and what he said to me made me determine to speak tohim of my own small peril, for he had the right to know, and to forbidme his house, if he wished. But I hoped that he would not. It appearedthat when the news of Sir Edmund's death had come, there had beensomething of a to-do in the village, of no great signification; for itwas no more than a few young men who marched up and down shoutingtogether--as such yokels will, upon the smallest excuse; and one of themhad cried out at the gate of Hare Street House. At Barkway there hadbeen more of a business; for there they had burnt an effigy of the Popein the churchyard; and the parson--who was a stout Churchman--had made aspeech upon it. However, this had played upon Cousin Tom's fears, and hehad fortified the house with bolts, and slept with a pistol by his bed. 

I told him that same night--not indeed all that happened to me; butenough of it to satisfy him. I said that I had been a good deal at theJesuits' lodgings; and at the trial of the three; and that a fellow hadattempted to follow me home; but that I had thrown him off. 

Cousin Tom had the pipe from his mouth and was holding it in his hand, by the time I had done. 

"Now, Cousin, " I said, "if you think I am anything of a danger to thehouse, you have but to say the word, and I will be off. On the otherhand, I and my man might be of some small service to you if it came to abrawl. "

"You threw him off?" asked Cousin Tom. 

"It was at Whitehall--" I began; and then I stopped: for I had notintended to speak of the King. 

"Oho!" said Cousin Tom. "Then you have been at Whitehall again?"

"Why, yes, " I said, trying to pass it off. "I have been there andeverywhere. "

Cousin Tom put the pipe back again into his mouth. 

"And there is another matter, " I said (for Hare Street suited me verywell as a lodging, and I had named it as such to His Majesty). "It isnot right, Cousin Tom, that you should keep me here for nothing. Let mepay something each month--" (And I named a suitable sum. )

That determined Cousin Tom altogether. My speaking of Whitehall hadgreatly reassured him; and now this offer of mine made up his mind; forhe was something of a skinflint in some respects. (For all that I didfor him when I was here, in the fields and at the farm, more than repaidhim for the expense of my living there. ) He protested a little, and saidthat between kinsfolk no such question should enter in; but he protestedwith a very poor grace; and so the matter was settled, and we bothsatisfied. 

 * * * * *

So, once more, the time began to pass very agreeably for me. Here was I, safe from all the embroilments of town, in the same house with my CousinDorothy, and with plenty of leisure for my languages again. Yet mysatisfaction was greatly broken up when I heard, on the last day ofJanuary that all that I had feared was come about, and that of the threemen whom I had seen condemned at the Old Bailey, two--Mr. Ireland andMr. Grove--had been executed seven days before: (Mr. Pickering was keptback on some excuse, and not put to death until May). The way I heard ofit was in this manner. 

I was in Puckeridge one day, on a matter which I do not now remember, and was going to the stable of the _White Hart_ inn to get my horse toride back again, when I ran into Mr. Rumbald who was there on the sameerrand. I was in my country suit, and very much splashed; and it wasgoing on for evening, so he noticed nothing of me but my face. 

"Why, Mallock, " he cried--"It is Mr. Mallock, is it not?"

I told him yes. 

He exchanged a few words with me, for he was one of those fellows whowhen they have once made up their minds to a thing, do not easily changeit, and he was persuaded that I was of his kind and something of adaredevil too, which was what he liked. Then at the end he saidsomething which made me question him as to what he meant. 

"Have you not heard?" he cried. "Why the Popish dogs were hanged a weekago--Ireland and Grove, I mean. And there be three or four moremen--accused by Bedloe of Godfrey's murder, and will be triedpresently. "

I need not say what a horror it was to me to hear that; for I had hadmore hope in my heart than I had thought. But I was collected enough tosay something that satisfied him; and, as again he had been drinking, hewas not very quick. 

"And those three or four?" I asked. "Are they Jesuits too?"

"No, " said Rumbald, "but there will be another batch presently, I makeno doubt. "

I got rid of him at last; and rode homewards; but it was with a veryheavy heart. Not once yet had the King exercised his prerogative ofmercy; and if he yielded at the first, and that against the Jesuits whomhe had sworn to protect, was there anything in which he would resist?

My Cousin Dorothy saw in my face as I came in that something was thematter; so I told her the truth. 

"May they rest in peace, " she said; and blessed herself. 

 * * * * *

From time to time news reached us in this kind of manner. Though we werenot a great distance from London we were in a very solitary place, awayfrom the high-road that ran to Cambridge; and few came our way. Even inPuckeridge it was not known, I think, who I was, nor that I was cousinto Mr. Jermyn; so I had no fear of Mr. Rumbald suspecting me. Green, Berry, and Hill were all convicted of Sir Edmund's murder, through thetestimony of Bedloe, who said that he had himself seen the body atSomerset House, and that Sir Edmund had been strangled there by priestsand others and conveyed later to the ditch in Primrose Hill where he wasfound. Another fellow, too, named Miles Prance, a silversmith in PrincesStreet (out of Drury Lane), who was said by Bedloe to have been privy tothe murder, in the fear of his life, and after inhuman treatment inprison, did corroborate the story and add to it, under promise ofpardon, which he got. Green, Berry, and Hill, then, were hanged on thetenth day of February, on the testimonies of these two; and were asinnocent as unborn babes. It was remarked how strangely their nameswent with the name of the murdered man and of the place he was found in. 

For a while after that, matters were more quiet. A man named SamuelAtkins was tried presently, but was acquitted; and then a NathanielReading was tried for suppressing evidence, and was punished for it. Butour minds, rather, were fixed upon the approaching trial of the "FiveJesuits" as they were called, who still awaited it in prison--Whitbread, Fenwick, Harcourt, Gavan and Turner--all priests. But I had not a greatdeal of hope for these, when I thought of what had happened to the rest;and, indeed, at the end of May, Mr. Pickering himself was executed. Atthe beginning of May too, we heard of the bloody murder of Dr. Sharpe, the Protestant Archbishop in Scotland, by the old Covenanters, drivenmad by the persecution this man had put them to; but this did notgreatly affect our fortunes either way. One of the most bitter thoughtsof all was that a secular priest named Serjeant, who, with another namedMorris, was of Gallican views, had given evidence in public courtagainst the Jesuits' casuistry. 

Meanwhile, in other matters, we were quiet enough. Still I hesitated inpushing my suit with my Cousin Dolly, until I could see whether she wasbeing forced to it or not. But my Cousin Tom had more wits than I hadthought; for he said no more to me on the point, nor I to him; and Ithink I should have spoken to her that summer, had not an interruptioncome to my plans that set all aside for the present. During those monthsof spring and early summer we had no religious consolation at all; forwe were too near London, and at the same time too solitary for anypriest to come to us. 

The interruption came in this manner. 

I had sent my man over to Waltham Cross on an affair of a horse that wasto be sold there on the nineteenth day of June (as I very well remember, from what happened afterwards); and when he came back he asked if hemight speak with me privately. When I had him alone in my room he toldme he had news from a Catholic ostler at the _Four Swans_, with whom hehad spoken, that a party had been asking after me there that verymorning. 

"I said to him, sir, What kind of a party was it? And he told me thatthere were four men; and that they went in to drink first and to dine, for they came there about noon. I asked him then if any of them had anymark by which he could be known; and he laughed at that; and said thatone of them was branded in the hand, for he was pulling his glove onwhen he came into the yard afterwards, so that it was seen. "

I said nothing for a moment, when James said that, for I was consideringwhether so small a business of so many months ago was worth thinking of. 

"And what then?" I said. 

"Well, sir; as I was riding back I kept my eyes about me; and especiallyin the villages where it might be easy to miss them; and in Puckeridge, as I came by the inn I looked into the yard, and saw there four horsesall tied up together. "

"Did you ask after them?" I said. 

"No, sir; I thought it best not. But I pushed on as quickly as I could. "

"Did the ostler at Waltham Cross tell you what answer was given to theinquiries?"

"No, sir--he heard your name only from the parlour window as he wentthrough the yard. "

Now here was I in a quandary. On the one hand this was a very smallaffair, and not much evidence either way, and I did not wish to alarm myCousin Tom if I need not; and, on the other if they were after me I hadbest be gone as soon as I could. It was six months since the fellowDangerfield had asked after me at Whitehall, and no harm had followed. Yet here was the tale of the branded hand--and, although there were manybranded hands in England, the consonance of this with what had happened, misliked me a little. 

"And was there any more news?" I asked. 

"Why, yes, sir; I had forgot. The man told me too that the five Jesuitswere cast six days ago, and Mr. Langhorn a day later, and that they wereall sentenced together. " (Mr. Langhorn was a lawyer, a very hot anddevout Catholic; but his wife was as hot a Protestant. )

Now on hearing that I was a little more perturbed. Here were Mr. Whitbread and Mr. Fenwick, in whose company I had often been seen inpublic before the late troubles, condemned and awaiting sentence; andhere was a fellow with a branded hand asking after me in Waltham Cross. Oates and Bedloe and Tonge and Kirby and a score of others were evidencethat any man who sought his fortune might very well do so in Popishplots and accusations; and it was quite believable that Dangerfield wasone more of them, and that after these new events he was after me. Yet, still, I did not wish to alarm my Cousin Tom; for he was a man who couldnot hide his feelings, I thought. 

It was growing dark now; for it was after nine o'clock, and cloudy, withno moon to rise; and all would soon be gone to bed; so what I did I mustdo at once. I sat still in my chair, thinking that if I were hunted outof Hare Street I had nowhere to go; and then on a sudden I rememberedthe King's packet which he had given me, and which I still carried, asalways, wrapped in oil-cloth next to my skin, since no word had comefrom him as to what I was to do with it. And at that remembrance Idetermined that I must undergo no risks. 

"James, " I said, "I think that we must be ready to go away if we arethreatened in any way. Go down to the stables and saddle a fresh horsefor you, and my own. Then come up here again and pack a pair of valises. I do not know as yet whether we must go or not; but we must be ready forit. Then take the valises and the horses down to the meadow, through thegarden, and tie all up there, under the shadow of the trees from whereyou can see the house. And you must remain there yourself till twelveo'clock to-night. At twelve o'clock, as near as I can tell it, if all isquiet I will show a light three times from the garret window; and whenyou see that you can come back again and go to bed. If they are after usat all they will come when they think we are all asleep; and it will bebefore twelve o'clock. Do you understand it all?"

(I was very glib in all this; for I had thought it out all beforehand, if ever there should be an alarm of this kind. )

My man said that he understood very well, and went away, and I down tothe Great Chamber where I had left my cousins. 

As I came in at the door, my Cousin Tom woke up with a great snuffle;and stared at me as if amazed, as folks do when suddenly awakened. 

"Well; to bed, " he said. "I am half there already. "

My Cousin Dorothy looked up from her sewing; and I think she knew thatsomething was forward; for she continued to look at me. 

"Not to bed yet, Cousin Tom, " I said. "There is a matter I must speak offirst. "

Well; I sat down and told him as gently as I could--all the affair, except of the King's packet; and by the time I was done he was no longerat all drowsy. I told him too of the design I had formed, and that Jameswas gone to carry it out. 

"Had you not best be gone at once?" he said; and I saw the terror in hiseyes, lest he too should be embroiled. But my Cousin Dorothy looked atme, unafraid; only there was a spot of colour on either cheek. 

"Well, " I said, "I can ride out into the fields and wait there, if youwish it, until morning: if you will send for me then if all be quiet. "

But I explained to him again that I was in two minds as to whether Ishould go at all, so very small was the evidence of danger. 

He looked foolish at that; but I could see that he wanted me gone: so Istood up. 

"Well, Cousin, " I said, "I see that you will be easier if I go. I willbegone first and see whether James has the horses out; and you had bestmeanwhile go to my chamber and put away all that can incriminate you--inone of your hiding-holes. "

I was half-way to the kitchen when I heard my Cousin Dorothy come afterme; and I could see that she was in a great way. 

"Cousin, " she said, "I am ashamed that my father should speak like that. If I were mistress--"

"My dear Cousin, " I said lightly, "if you were mistress, I should not behere at all. "

"It is a shame, " she said again, paying no attention, as her way waswhen she liked. "It is a shame that you should spend all night in thefields for nothing. "

As she was speaking I heard James come downstairs with the valises. Ashe went past he told me he already had the horses tied under the trees. I nodded to him, and bade him go on, and he went out into the yard andso through the stables. 

"I had best go help your father put the things away, " I said. "They willnot be here, at any rate, until the lights of the house are all out. "

We went upstairs together and found my Cousin Tom already busy: he hadmy clothes all in a great heap, ready to carry down to the hiding-holeabove the door; my papers he already had put away into the little recessbehind the bed, and the books, most of which had not my name in them, hedesigned to carry to his own chamber. 

We worked hard at all this--my Cousin Tom in a kind of fever, rollinghis eyes at every sound; and, at the last, we had all put away, and wereabout to close the door of the hiding-hole. Then my Cousin Dorothy heldup her hand. 

"Hush!" she said; and then, "There was a step on the paved walk. "

CHAPTER IX

When my Cousin Dorothy said that, we all became upon the instant asstill as mice; and I saw my Cousin Tom's mouth suddenly hang open andhis eyes to become fixed. For myself, I cannot say precisely what Ifelt; but it would be foolish to say that I was not at all frightened. For to be crept upon in the dark, when all is quiet, in a solitarycountry place; and to know, as I did, that behind all the silence thereis the roar of a mob--(as it is called)--for blood, and the Lord ChiefJustice's face of iron and his bitter murderous tongue, and the scaffoldand the knife--this is daunting to any man. I made no mistake upon thematter. If this were Dangerfield himself, my life was ended; he wouldnot have come here, so far, and with such caution; he would not havebeen at the pains to smell me out at all, unless he were sure of hisend; and, indeed, my companying so much with the Jesuits and myencounter with Oates, and my seeking service with the King, and for nopay too--all this, in such days, was evidence enough to hang an angelfrom heaven. 

This passed through my mind like a picture; and then I remembered thatit was no more than a step on a paved path. 

"If it is they, " I whispered, "they will be round the house by now. Wehad best look from a dark window. "

But my Cousin Tom seized me suddenly by the arm in so fierce a grip thatI winced and all but cried out; and so we stood. 

"If you have brought ruin on me--" he began presently in a horrid kindof whisper; and then he gripped me again; for again, so that no mancould mistake it, came a single step on the paved path; and in my mind Isaw how two men had crossed from lawn to lawn, to get all round thehouse, each stepping once upon the stones. They must have entered fromthe yard. 

In those moments there came to me too a knowledge, of the truth ofwhich I neither had nor have any doubt at all, that my Cousin Tom wasconsidering whether he might save himself or no by handing me forthwithto the searchers. But I suppose he thought not; for presently his handrelaxed. 

"In with you, " he whispered; and made a back for me to climb up into thehiding-hole. I looked at my Cousin Dolly, and she nodded at me ever sogently; so I set my foot on my Cousin Tom's broad back, and my hands tothe ledge, and raised myself up. It was a pretty wide space within, sufficient to hold three or four men, though my clothes and a few bookscovered most of the floor; but the only light I had was from the candlethat my Cousin Dolly carried in her hand. As I turned to the door again, I caught a sight of her face, very pretty and very pale, looking up atme: I remember even now the shadow on her eyes and beneath her hair; andthen the door was put to quickly, and I was all in the dark. 

 * * * * *

It was a very strange experience to lie there and to hear all that wenton in the house, scarcely a hand's-breadth away. 

I lay there, I should think, ten minutes or a quarter of an hour beforethe assault was made; and during that time too I could tell pretty wellall that went on. There remained for a minute or thereabouts, a line oflight upon the roof of my little chamber from the candle that my CousinDolly carried; (and that line of light was as a star to me); then Iheard a little whispering; the light went out; and I heard soft stepsgoing upstairs. Then I heard first the door of my Cousin Dolly's chamberclose, and then another door which was my Cousin Tom's. Then followedcomplete silence; and I knew that the two would go to bed, and be foundthere, as if ignorant of everything. 

The assault was made on two doors at once, at front and back. They hadanother man or two, I have no doubt, in the stable-yard; and morebeneath the windows everywhere, so that I could not escape any way. There came on a sudden loud hammerings and voices shouting altogether;but I could not tell what it was that they cried; but I suppose it musthave been, "Open in the King's name!"

Then the house awakened, all, that is, that were asleep; and the restfeigned to do so. I heard steps run down the stairs, and voiceseverywhere; as the maids over the kitchen awakened and screamed as maidswill, and the men awakened and ran down from the garret. Then, overhead, across the lobby I heard my Cousin Tom's footsteps, and I nearly laughedto myself at the thought of the part that he must play, and of how illhe would play it. And all the while the beating on the doors went on;and I heard voices through the lath and plaster from the back-hall; andthen the sound of unbolting, and the knocking ceased on that side, though it still went on upon the, other. 

My hiding-hole, as I have said, was in the very centre of the house; oneside faced upon the back-hall; and the opposite down the front passage;and, of the other two, one upon the stairs and one upon the kitchenpassage, and these two had the doors in them. Above me was the lobby;and beneath me, first the little way into the back-hall, and beneaththat the cellars. It was strange how prominent the place was, and yethow well concealed. One might live ten years in the house withoutsuspecting its presence. 

Presently the whole house was full of talking; and the front door wasopened; and I heard a gentleman's voice speaking. He was Mr. Harris, Ilearned afterwards, a Justice of the Peace from Puckeridge, whomDangerfield had brought with him. 

Much of what was said I could not hear; but I heard enough to understandwhy I was being looked for, and what would be the charges against me. Now the voices came muffled; and now clear; so that I would hear half asentence and no more, as the speaker moved on. 

"I tell you he left for Rome to-night, " I heard my Cousin Tom say (whichwas an adroit lie indeed, as no one could tell whether I had or no), "and he hath taken his man with him. "

"That is very well--" began the gentleman's voice; and then no more. 

Presently I heard one of the men of the house, named Dick--a good friendof mine, ask what they were after me for; and some fellow, as he wentby, answered:

"--Consorting with the Jesuits, and conspiring--" and no more. 

So, then, I lay and listened. Much that I heard had no relevance at all, for it was the protesting of maids and such-like. The footsteps wentcontinually up and down; sometimes voices rose in anger; sometimes itwas only a whisper that went by. I heard presses open and shut; and onceor twice the noise of hammering overhead; and then silence again; but nosilence was for long. 

Here again I find it very hard to say all that I felt during thatsearch. My thoughts came and went like pictures upon the dark. Now myheart would so beat that it sickened me, of sheer terror that I shouldbe found; and this especially when a man would stay for a while talkingon the stairs within an arm's length of where I lay: now it was as Imight say, more of the intellect; and I pondered on what I heard myCousin Tom say, and marvelled at his shrewdness; for fear, if it doesnot drive away wits, sharpens them wonderfully. He had, of course, putme in greater peril, by saying that I was gone to Rome; but he had savedhimself very adroitly, for no witness in the house could tell that I hadnot done so; for here was my chamber empty, and I and my man and myclothes and my books and my horses all vanished away. At one time, then, I was all eyes and ears in the muffled dark, hearing my heart thump asit had been another's; at another time I would be looking within andcontemplating my own fear. 

Again and again, however, I thought of my Cousin Dorothy and wonderedwhere she was and what she was at. I had not heard her voice all thattime; and, on a sudden, after the men had been in the house near an hourI should say, I heard her sob suddenly, close to me, in a terrified kindof voice. 

"Keep them, Nancy, keep them here as long as you can. It will givehim--"

"Eh?" said a man's voice suddenly beneath. "What was that?"

"I said nothing, " stammered my Cousin Dolly's voice. 

Well; there was a to-do. The fellow beneath called out to Mr. Harris, who was upstairs; and I heard him come down. My Cousin Dolly was sobbingand crying out, and so was the maid Nancy to whom she had spoken. Atfirst I could make nothing of it, nor why she had said what she had; andthen, as I heard them all go into the parlour together, I understoodthat if my Cousin Tom had been shrewd, his daughter had been shrewder;and had said what she had, knowing that a man was within earshot. 

But there was nothing for me to do but to lie there still; for I couldhear nothing from the parlour but a confused sound of voices, now threeor four speaking at once, now a man's voice (which I took to be themagistrate's), and now, I thought my Cousin Dolly's. I heard, too, aboveme, my Cousin Tom speaking very angrily, and understood that he was keptfrom his daughter--which was the best thing in the world for me, sincehe might very well have spoiled the whole design. At last I heard Dollycry out very loud; then I heard the parlour-door open and three or fourmen came tumbling out, who ran beneath my hiding-hole and out throughthe kitchen passage to the stable. I was all a-tremble now, especiallyat my cousin's cry; but I gave her credit for being as shrewd still as Ihad heard her to be on the stairs; and I proved right in the event; foralmost immediately after that my Cousin Tom was let come downstairs, andI heard every word, of the colloquy. 

"Well, Mr. Jermyn, " said the gentleman's voice, immediately without mylittle door, "I am sorry indeed to have troubled you in this way; but Iam the King's justice of the peace and I must do my duty. Which way didyou say Mr. Mallock was gone?"

"By. .. By Puckeridge, " stammered poor Tom. 

"Ah! indeed, " said the other voice, with something of a sneer in it. "Why Mistress Dorothy here says it was by Barkway and so to Harwich; andof the two versions I prefer the lady's. For, first, we should have seenhim if he had come by Puckeridge, since we have been lying there sincethree o'clock this afternoon; and second, no such man in his senseswould go to Rome by London. I am sorry I cannot commend yourtruthfulness, Mr. Jermyn, as much as your professions of loyalty. "

"I tell you--" began my Cousin Tom, angrily enough. 

"I need no telling, Mr. Jermyn. Your cousin is gone by Barkway; and mymen are gone to get the horses out to follow him. We shall catch himbefore Newmarket, I make no doubt. "

Then I heard Dolly's sobbing as she clung to her father. 

"Oh! father! father!" she mourned. "The gentleman forced it out of me. Icould not help it. I could not help it!"

(As for me, I smiled near from ear to ear in the dark, to hear how wellshe feigned grief; and I think I loved my Cousin Dolly then as neverbefore. It would have made a cat laugh, too, to hear the gentleman'schivalry in return. )

"Mistress Dorothy, " he said, "I grieve to have troubled you like this. But you have done your duty as an English maid should; and set yourloyalty to His Majesty before all else. "

Mistress Dorothy sobbed so admirably in return that my own eyes filledwith tears to hear her; and I was a little sorry for the poor gentlemantoo. He was so stupid, and yet so well mannered too now that he had gotall that he wanted, or thought he had. 

"Well, mistress, and Mr. Jermyn, I must not delay any longer. The horseswill be ready. "

They moved away still talking, all except my Cousin Dolly who sank uponthe stairs still sobbing. She cried out after Mr. Harris to have mercy;and then fell a-crying again. When the door of the kitchen passageshut--for they were all gone out by now--her crying ceased mighty soon;and then I heard her laugh very softly to herself, and break off again, as if she had put her hand over her mouth. But I dared not speak to heryet. 

I listened very carefully--for all the house was still now--for thesound of the horses' feet; and presently I heard them, and reckoned thata dozen at least must have come after me; and I heard the voices of themen too as they rode away, grow faint and cease. Then I heard my CousinDolly slip through the door beneath me, and she gave me one little rapto the floor of my hiding-hole as she went beneath it. 

I did not hear her come back; for Cousin Tom's footsteps were loud inthe kitchen passage; and the men too were tramping in and upstairs, while the maids went back to bed through the kitchen; and then, when allwas quiet again I heard her voice speak suddenly in a whisper. 

"You can open now, Cousin Roger, they be all gone away. " I unbolted andpushed open the little door quickly enough then; and though I was dazedwith the candlelight the first thing that I saw was Dolly's face, hereyes as bright as stars with merriment and laughter, and her cheeksflushed to rose, looking up at me. 

CHAPTER X

That ride of mine all night to London was such as I shall never forget, not from any outward incident that happened, but for the thoughts thatwent continually through my heart and brain; and I do not suppose that Ispoke twenty words to James all night, until we saw about seven o'clockthe smoke and spires of London against the morning sky. 

 * * * * *

So soon as the coast was clear, and the last sound of the horses wasdied away on the hill beyond the Castle Inn--for the men rode fast andhard to catch me--I was out and away in the opposite direction, toPuckeridge; but first we brought the horses back as softly as we could, with James (who, like a good servant had not stirred an inch from hisorders through all the tumult which he had heard plainly enough from themeadow), round to the head of the little lane that leads from HormeadMagna into Hare Street. There we waited, I say, all four of us insilence, until we heard the hoofs no more; and then James and I mountedon our horses. 

I had said scarcely a word to Dorothy, nor she to me; for we both felt, I think, that there was no great need of words after such an adventure, and that it had knit us closer together than any words could do; and, besides, that was no place to talk. Yet it was not all pure joy; forhere was the knowledge which we both had, that I must go away, and thatGod only knew when I should get back again; and, whatever that knowledgewas to Dorothy, it was as a sword for pain to me. As for my Cousin Tom, he was no better than a dummy; for he was still terrified at all thathad happened, and at the magistrate's words to him. I told them both, while we were still in the house, that I must go to London, partly forthat that was the last place in the world that any would look for me in, and partly--(but this I told neither of them)--for that I must returnthe packet to His Majesty: and I said that from London I would go toFrance for a little, until it seemed safe for me to get back again. Butthere, waiting in the dark, I said nothing at all; but before I mountedI kissed Dorothy on the cheek; and her cheek was wet, but whether withthe feigned tears she had shed in the house, or with tears even dearerto me than those, I do not know. But I dared not delay any longer, forfear that when Mr. Harris came to Barkway, which was five miles away, hemight learn that no one that could be James and I had passed that way, and so return to search again. 

 * * * * *

The clouds had rolled away by now; and it was a clear night of starsuntil they began to pale about two o'clock in the morning; and I thinkthat for a lover who desires to be alone with his thoughts, there is nolight of sun or moon or candle so sweet as the light of stars; and bythat time we were beyond Ware and coming out of the valley. 

It was solemn to me to watch that dawn coming up, for it was, I thought, the last dawn that I should see in England for a while, since I wasdetermined but to see the King in London, and push straight on to Doverand take the packet there: and it was a solemn dawn too, in another way, for it was the first I had seen since I had been certain not only that Iloved my Cousin Dolly as I had my own heart, but that she loved me also;and that is a great day for a lover. 

To see the King then, and to push on to Dover, was all that I hadrehearsed to myself; but Providence had one more adventure for me first, that was one of the saddest I have ever had in all my life, and yet notall sad. 

 * * * * *

My road took me in through the City and down Gracechurch Street; buthere I took a fancy to turn to the right up Leadenhall and Cornhill, which were all crowded with folks, though at first I did not think why, that I might go by Newgate where the Jesuits lay, and see at least thewalls that enclosed those saints of God; for I was pretty bold here, knowing that Mr. Dangerfield who was my chief peril, was off to Harwichto find me; and even if they found that I was not gone through Barkway, I did not think that they could catch me, for their horses were tiredand ours fresh; and you do not easily get a change of a dozen horses, oranywhere near it, in Hertfordshire villages. So I went very boldly, andmade no pretence not to look folks in the face. 

After we had passed up Cheapside it appeared to me that the streets werestrangely full, and that all the folk were going the same way; and soastonished was I at this--for no suspicion of the truth came to me--thatI bid my man ask someone what the matter was. When he came up with meagain I could see that something was the matter indeed; and so it was. 

"Sir, " he said in a low voice, so that none else could hear, "they aretaking the prisoners to execution this morning. "

Then there came upon me a kind of madness--for, although by God'sblessing it brought no harm to me--yet it was nothing else; and Idetermined to go to Newgate as I had intended, and at least see thembrought out. For here was to be a martyrdom indeed--five men, allpriests, all Religious--suffering, in God's eyes at least, for nothingin the world but the Catholic religion; yes, and in men's too, if theyhad known all, for I remembered how Mr. Whitbread had refused to escape, while he had yet a whole day for it, for fear of seeming to confess hisguilt and so bringing scandal upon the Church and his order. From such amartyrdom, then, so near to me, how could I turn away? and I determined, if I could, to speak with Father Whitbread, and get his blessing. 

When I got near Newgate the press grew greater every instant; but as wewere on horseback and the greater number of the folks on foot, we gotthrough them at last, and so came to the foot of the stairs by thechapel, where the sleds were laid ready with a pair of horses to each. Ihad never before seen an execution done in England, so I observed verycarefully everything that was to be seen. The sleds were three innumber, and were each made flat of strong wood with runners about aninch high; and there was a pair of horses harnessed to each, with a manto guide them. I got close to these, next behind the line of yellowtrainbandmen who kept the way open, as well as the stairs. We were inthe shadow here, in a little court of which the gates were set open, butthe people were all crowded in behind the trainbandmen as well as in thestreet outside, and from them rose a great murmuring of talk, of which Idid not hear a word spoken in sympathy, for I suppose that the Catholicsthere held their tongues. 

We had not very long to wait; for, by the appointment of God, I was comejust to time; and very soon the door at the head of the stairs wasopened and men began to come out. I saw Mr. Sheriff How among them, whowas to see execution done; but I did not observe these very closely, since I was looking for the Jesuits. 

Mr. Harcourt came first into the sunlight that was at the head of thesteps; and at the sight of him I was moved very deeply; for he was anold man with short white hair, very thick, and walked with a stick withhis other hand in some fellow's arm. A great rustle of talk began whenhe appeared, and swelled into a roar, but he paid no attention to it, and came down, smiling and looking to his steps. Next came Mr. Whitbread; and at the sight of him I was as much affected as by the oldman; for I had spoken with him so often. He too walked cheerfully, firstlooking about him resolutely as he came out at all the faces turned upto his; and at him too was even a greater roaring, for the peoplethought him to be at the head of all the conspiracy. He was pinionedloosely with cords, but not so that he could not lift his hands (and sowere the other three that followed), and a fellow held the other end ofthe cord in his hand. Mr. Turner and Mr. Gavan, who came next, I hadnever seen before--(Mr. Gavan was he that was taken in the stables ofthe Imperial Ambassador--Count Wallinstein)--they came one behind theother, and paid no more attention than the others to the noise thatgreeted them; and last of all came Mr. Fenwick who had entertained me sooften in Drury Lane, looking pinched, I thought, with his imprisonment, yet as courageous as any. Behind him came a minister and then the tailof the guard. 

As I saw Mr. Fenwick come out I put into execution a design I had formedjust now; and slipping from my horse I got out a guinea and begged in alow voice the fellow before me--for I was just by the sled on which Mr. Harcourt and Mr. Whitbread would be bound--to let me through enough tospeak a word with him; and at the same time I pressed the guinea intohis hand: so he stood aside a little and let me through, on my knees, enough to speak to Mr. Whitbread. Mr. Harcourt was already laid down onthe sled, on the further side from me, and Mr. Whitbread was getting tohis knees for the same end. As he turned and sat himself on the sled hesaw me, and frowned ever so little. Then he smiled as I made the sign ofthe cross on myself and he made it too at me, and I saw his lips move ashe blessed me. He was not an arm's length from me. That was enough forme; and I stepped back again and mounted my horse once more. The fellowwho had let me through looked at me over his shoulder once or twice, butsaid nothing; for he had my guinea; and, as for myself I sat content, though my eyes pricked with tears, for I had had the last blessing (orvery nearly) which that martyr of God would ever give in this world. 

 * * * * *

When they were all ready, and the five were bound on the sleds, withtheir beads to the horses' heels, I looked to see how I could bestfollow; and it appeared to me that it was best for me to keep close atthe tail, rather than to attempt to go before. When the word was given, the whips cracked, and the sled nearest me, with Mr. Whitbread and Mr. Harcourt upon it, began to move. Then came Mr. Turner and Mr. Gavan, andlast Mr. Fenwick all by himself. The minister whose name was SamuelSmith, as I learned later, and who was the Ordinary of Newgate, followedon foot, and behind him came the guards to close them all in. 

My fellow in front, whom I had bribed, seemed to understand what Iwanted; for in the confusion he let me through, and my man James forcedhis way after me; so that we found ourselves with three or four othergentlemen, riding immediately behind the guards, as we came out of thecourt into the street outside; and so we followed, all the way toTyburn. 

That adventure of mine was I think the most observable I have ever had, and, too, the greatest privilege to my soul: for here was I, if ever anyman did, following the Cross of Christ in the passion of Hisservants--such a _Via Crucis_ as I have never made in any church--forhere was the very road along which so many hundreds of the Catholicmartyrs had passed before; and at the end was waiting the very death bywhich they had died. I know that the martyrdom of these five was not soevident an one as that of others before them, since those died for theFaith directly, and these for an alleged conspiracy; yet before God, Ithink, they died no less for Religion, since it was in virtue of theirReligion that they were accused. So, then, I followed them. 

All the way along Holborn we went, and High Holborn and St. Giles, andat last out into the Oxford Road that ran then between fields andgardens; and all the way we went the crowds went with us, booing androaring from time to time, and others, too, from the windows of thehouses, joined in the din that was made. At first the way was nastyenough, with the pails that folks had emptied out of doors into thegutter; but by the time we reached the Oxford Road the way was dustyonly; so that the five on the sleds were first nastied, and then thedust fell on them from the horses' heels. I could see only Mr. Fenwick'sface from time to time; he kept his eyes closed the most of the way, andwas praying, I think. Of the rest I could see nothing. 

It was a terrible sight to me when we came out at last and saw thegallows--the "Deadly Nevergreen" as it was called--the three posts withthe beams connecting them--against the western sky. The ropes were inplace all in one line; and a cart was there beneath them. A cauldron, too, sent up its smoke a little distance away beside the brook. All thisspace was kept clear again by guards; and there were some of the newgrenadiers among them, in their piebald livery, with furred caps; andwithout the guards there was a great crowd of people. Here, then, wasthe place of the Passion. 

The confusion was so great as the sleds went within the line of guards, and the people surged this way and that, that I was forced, somewhat, out of the place I had hoped to get, and found myself at last a good wayoff, with a press of people between me and the gallows; so that I couldsee nothing of the unbinding; and, when they spoke later could not hearall that they said. 

It was not long before they were all in the cart together, with theropes about their necks, and the hangman down again upon the ground; andas soon as that was done, a great silence fell everywhere. I had seenMr. Gavan say something to the hangman, and he answered again; but Icould not hear what it was. 

Then, when the silence fell, I heard Mr. Whitbread begin; and the firstsentence was clear enough, though his voice sounded thin at thatdistance. 

"I suppose, " he said, "it is expected I should speak something to thematter I am condemned for, and brought hither to suffer. "

Then he went on to say how he was wholly guiltless of any plot againstHis Majesty, and that in saying so he renounced and repudiated anypretended pardons or dispensations that were thought to have been givenhim to swear falsely. He prayed God to bless His Majesty, and deniedthat it was any part of Catholic teaching that a king might be killed asit was said had been designed by the alleged plot; and he ended byrecommending his soul into the hands of his blessed Redeemer by whoseonly merits and passion he hoped for salvation. He spoke very clearly, with a kind of coldness. 

Father Harcourt's voice was not so clear, as he was an old man; but Iheard Mr. Sheriff How presently interrupt him. (He was upon horsebackclose beside the gallows. )

"Or of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey's death?" he asked. 

"Did you not write that letter concerning the dispatch of Sir EdmundBerry Godfrey?"

"No, sir, " cried the old man very loud. "These are the words of a dyingman. I would not do it for a thousand worlds. "

He went on to affirm his innocence of all laid to his charge; and heended by begging the prayers of all in the communion of the Roman Churchin which he himself died. 

When Mr. Anthony Turner had spoke a while, again Sheriff How interruptedhim. 

"You do only justify yourselves here, " he said. "We will not believe aword that you say. Spend your time in prayer, and we will not think yourtime too long. "

But Mr. Turner went on as before, affirming his entire innocence; and, at the end he prayed aloud, and I heard every word of it. 

"O my dear Saviour and Redeemer, " he cried, lifting up his eyes, and hishands too as well as he could for the cords, "I return Thee immortalthanks for all Thou hast pleased to do for me in the whole course of mylife, and now in the hour of my death, with a firm belief of all thingsThou hast revealed, and a stedfast hope of obtaining everlasting bliss. I cheerfully cast myself into the arms of Thy mercy, whose arms werestretched on the Cross for my redemption. Sweet Jesus, receive myspirit. "

Then Mr. Gavan spoke to the same effect as the rest, but he argued alittle more, and theologically too, being a young man; and spoke ofMariana the Jesuit who had seemed to teach a king-killing doctrine; butthis sense on his words he repudiated altogether. He too, at the end, commended his soul into the hands of God, and said that he was ready todie for Jesus as Jesus had died for him. 

Mr. Fenwick had scarcely begun before Mr. Sheriff How broke in on him, and argued with him concerning the murder of Sir Edmund. 

"As for Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey, " cried Mr. Fenwick, "I protest beforeGod that I never saw the man in my life. "

"For my part, " said the Sheriff, "I am of opinion that you had a handin it. "

"Now that I am a dying man, " said the priest, "do you think that I wouldgo and damn my soul?"

"I wish you all the good that I can, " said Mr. How, "but I assure you Ibelieve never a word you say. "

Well; he let him alone after that; and Mr. Fenwick finished, once moredenying and renouncing the part that had been assigned to him, andmaintaining his innocence. 

There followed after that a very long silence, of half an hour, I shouldthink. The five men stood in the cart together, with their eyes castdown; and each, I think, absolved his neighbour. The crowd about keptpretty quiet, only murmuring together; and cried no more insults atthem. I, too, did my best to pray with them and for them; but my horsewas restless, and I had some ado to keep him quiet. After a good while, Mr. Sheriff How spoke to them again. 

"Pray aloud, gentlemen, that we may join with you. We shall do you nohurt if we do you no good. "

They said nothing to that; and he spoke again, with some sharpness. 

"Are you ashamed of your prayers?"

Still they did not speak; and he turned on Father Gavan. 

"Why, Mr. Gavan, " he said, "it is reported that you did preach in theQuakers' meeting-house. "

The priest opened his eyes. 

"No, sir, " he said, "I never did preach there in all my life. "

It was very solemn and dreadful to wait there while they prayed; forthey were at it again for twenty minutes, I should judge, and no moreinterruptions from Mr. How, who, I think, was a shade uneasy. It was aclear June day, beginning to be hot; and the birds were chirping in thetrees about the place--for at times the silence was so great that onecould hear a pin fall, as they say. Now I felt on the brink of hell--atthe thought of the pains that were waiting for my friends, at the memoryof that great effusion of blood that had been poured out and of themore that was to follow. There was something shocking in the quietnessand the glory of the day--such a day as many that I had spent in themeadows of Hare Street, or in the high woods--faced as it was with thisdreadful thing against the blue sky, and the five figures beneath it, like figures in a frieze, and the smoke of the cauldron that drifted upcontinually or brought a reek of tar to my nostrils. And, again, allthis would pass; and I would feel that it was not hell but heaven thatwaited; and that all was but as a thin veil, a little shadow of death, that hung between me and the unimaginable glories; and that at a wordall would dissolve away and Christ come and this world be ended. So, then, the minutes passed for me: I said my _Paternoster_ and _Ave_ and_Credo_ and _De Profundis_, over and over again; praying that thepassage of those men might be easy, and that their deaths might be assacrifices both for themselves and for the country. I was beyond fearingfor myself now; I was in a kind of madness of pity and longing. And, atthe last I saw Mr. Whitbread raise his head and look at the Sheriff. 

There rose then, as he made a sign, a great murmur from all the crowd. Ihad thought that they would have been impatient, but they were not; andhad kept silence very well; and I think that this spectacle of the fivemen praying had touched many hearts there. Now, however, when the endapproached, they seemed to awaken again, and to look for it; and theybegan to move their heads about to see what was done, so that the crowdwas like a field of wheat when the wind goes over it. 

Then fell a horrible thing. 

There broke out suddenly a cry, that was like a trumpet suddenlysounding after drums--of a different kind altogether from the murmuringthat was before. I turned my head whence it came, and saw a greatconfusion break out in the outskirts of the crowd. Then I saw a horse'shead, and a man's bare head behind it, whisk out from the trees in thedirection of the park, and come like a streak across the open ground. As the galloper came nearer, I could see that he was spurring as if forlife. Then once more a great roar broke out everywhere--

"A pardon! a pardon!" And so it was. 

The crowd opened out to let the man through; and immediately he was atthe gallows, and handing the paper to the sheriff. A roar was going upnow on all sides; but as in dumb play I could see that Mr. How wasspeaking to the priests who still stood as before. Mr. Whitbread shookhis head in answer and so did the others. Then I saw Mr. How make asign; the hangman came forward again (for he had stepped back just now);and the roar died suddenly to silence. 

Then I understood that the pardon was offered only on conditions whichthese men could not accept--and indeed they turned out afterwards to bethat they should confess their guilt--and my anger at that bittermockery swelled up so that I could scarcely hold myself in. But I didso. 

Then the hangman climbed once more into the cart, and, one by one witheach, he adjusted the rope, and then pulled down the caps over theirfaces, beginning with Father Whitbread and ending with Father Fenwick. Then he got down from the cart again; and the murmur rose once more to aroar. 

I kept my eyes fixed upon the five, caring for nothing else; and even inthat horrible instant my lips moved in the _De Profundis_ for theirsouls' easy passage. Then I saw old Father Harcourt suddenly stagger, and then the rest staggered; and I saw that the cart was being pulledaway. And then all five of them were in the air together, beginning totwist to and fro; and I shut my eyes, for I could bear no more. 

CHAPTER XI

It was not till we were coming down St. Martin's Lane on the way toWhitehall, that my thoughts ran clear again, and I could think upon thedesigns I had formed. Until then, it seemed to me that I rode as in adream, seeing my thoughts before me, but having no power to look withinor consider myself. One thing too moved before me whenever I closed myeyes; and that was the slow twisting frieze of the five figures againstthe blue sky. 

 * * * * *

I spoke suddenly to James as we went. 

"You will leave me, " I said, "at the Whitehall gate; and go back to mylodgings. Procure a pair of good horses at the Covent Garden inn; andsay we will leave them at any place they name on the Dover Road. "

He answered that he would do so, and it was the first word he had spokensince we had left Tyburn. At the palace-doors I found no difficulty inadmittance, for it was the hour for changing guard, and a lieutenantthat was known to me let me in at once; so I went straight in and acrossthe court, just as I was, in my dusty clothes and boots, carryingnothing but my riding-whip. My mind now seethed with bitter thoughts andwords, now fell into a stupor, and I rehearsed nothing of what I shouldsay to His Majesty, except that I was done with his service and was thengoing to France for a little, unless it pleased him to have me arrestedand hanged too for nothing. Then I would give him back his papers andbegone. 

 * * * * *

I came up the stairs to Mr. Chiffinch's lodgings, just as himself cameout; and he fell back a step when he saw me. 

"Why, where do you come from?" he asked. 

"They are after me, " I said briefly. "But that is not all. "

"Why, what else?" said he, staring at me. 

"I am come from seeing the martyrdoms, " I said. 

"For God's sake!--" he cried; and caught me by the arm and drew me in. 

"Now have you dined?" he said, when he had me in a chair. 

"Not yet. "

He looked at me, fingering his lip. 

"I suppose you have come to see His Majesty?" he said. 

I told him, Yes: no more. 

"And what if His Majesty will not see you?" he asked, trying me. 

"His Majesty will see me, " I said. "I have something for him. "

Again he hesitated. I think for a minute or two he thought it might be apistol or a knife that I had for the King. 

"If I bring you to him, " he said, "will you give me your word to remainhere till I come for you?"

"Yes; I will do that, " I said. "But I must see him immediately. "

"Well--" said Mr. Chiffinch. And then without a word he wheeled and wentout of the room. 

I do not know how long I sat there; but it may have been half an hour. Isat like a dazed man; for I had had no sleep, and what I had seen droveaway all desire for it. I sat there, staring, and pondering round andround in circles, like a wheel turning. Now it was of Dorothy; now ofthe Jesuits; now of His Majesty and Mr. Chiffinch; now again, of theroad to Dover, and of what I should do in France. 

There came at last a step on the stairs, and Mr. Chiffinch came in. Atthe door he turned, and took from a man in the passage, as I suppose, acovered dish, with a spoon in it. Then he shut the door with his heel, and came forward and set the dish down. 

"Dinner first--" he said. 

"I must see His Majesty, " I repeated. 

"Why you are an obstinate fellow, Mr. Mallock, " he said, smiling. "HaveI not given you my word you shall see him?"

"Directly?"

He leaned his hands on the table and looked at me. 

"Mr. Mallock; His Majesty will be here in ten minutes' time. I told himyou must eat something first; and he said he would wait till then. "

 * * * * *

The stew he had brought me was very savoury: and I ate it all up; for Ihad had nothing to eat since supper last night; and, by the time I haddone, and had told him very briefly what had passed at Hare Street, Ifelt some of my bewilderment was gone. It is marvellous how food canchange the moods of the immortal soul herself; but I was none the lessdetermined, I thought, to leave the King's service; for I could notserve any man, I thought, whose hands were as red as his in the blood ofinnocents. 

I had hardly done, and was blessing myself, when Mr. Chiffinch went outsuddenly, and had returned before I had stood up, to hold the door openfor the King. 

He came in, that great Prince, --(for in spite of all I still count himto be that, _in posse_ if not _in esse_)--as airy and as easy as ifnothing in the world was the matter. He was but just come from dinner, and his face was flushed a little under its brown, with wine; and hismelancholy eyes were alight. He was in one of his fine suits too, forto-day was Saturday; and as it was hot weather his suit was all of thinsilk, puce-coloured, with yellow lace; and he carried a long cane in hisringed hand. He might not have had a care in the world, to allappearances; and he smiled at me, as if I were but just come back from aday in the country. 

"Well, Mr. Mallock"--he said; and put out his hand to be kissed. 

Now I had determined not to kiss his hand--whatever the consequencesmight be; but when I saw him like that I could do no otherwise; for mylove and my pity for him--(if I may use such a word of a subject towardshis Sovereign)--surged up again, which I thought were dead for ever; soI was on my knees in an instant, and I kissed his brown hand and smelledthe faint violet essence which he used. Then, before I could sayanything, he had me down in a chair, and himself in another, and wasbeginning to talk. (Mr. Chiffinch was gone out; but I had not seen himgo. )

"It is a bloody business, " he said sorrowfully--"a very bloody business. But what else could be done? If I had not consented, I would be nolonger King; but off on my travels again; and all England in confusion. However; that is as it may be. What do you want to see me for, Mr. Mallock?"

He spoke so kindly to me, and with such feeling too, and hiscondescension seemed to me so infinite in his coming here to wait uponme--(though this was very often his custom, I think, when he wished tosee a man or a woman in private)--that I determined to put off myannouncement to him that I could no longer be in his service. So first Idrew out from my waistcoat the packet I had taken from under my shirt, and put there, while Mr. Chiffinch was away. 

"Sir;" I said, "I have brought your packet back again. I have had noword from you as to its delivery; and as I must go abroad to-day I darekeep it no longer. Your Majesty, I fear, must find another messenger. "

His face darkened for an instant as if he could not remember something;but it lightened again as he took the packet from me, and turned itover. 

"Why; I remember, " he said. "It was sealed within and without, was itnot?"

That seemed to me a strangely irrelevant thing to say but I told him, Yes it was. 

"And you were to deliver to--eh? what was his name?"

"Your Majesty told me that the name would be sent to me. "

"Why, so I did, " said the King, smiling. "Well; let us open the packetand see what is within. "

He took up a little ivory knife that was on the table by his elbow, andslipped it beneath the folds of the paper, so as to burst open theseals; and when he had done that, there was another wrapper, alsosealed. This seal he also scrutinized, still smiling a little; and thenhe burst that; and when he had taken off that covering, a folded pieceof paper fell out. This he unfolded, and spread flat with his fingers;and there was nothing written on that side; then he turned it over, andshewed me how there was nothing written on that either. So the message Ihad borne about me, was nothing in the world but a piece of blank paper. 

I drew a long breath when I saw that; for my anger surged up at the wayI had been fooled; but before I could think of anything to say, the Kingspoke. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "you have done very well. You understand it now, eh?"

"No, Sir; I do not, " I said. 

"Why; it is a very old trick;" went on His Majesty, "to see if amessenger will be faithful. Your folks did it first, I think, in QueenBess her reign; so as to risk nothing. And you have kept it all thiswhile!"

"I obeyed Your Majesty's commands, " I said. 

"Well; and you have delivered it to the right person. " (He tossed thepapers altogether upon the table and turned to me again. ) "Now, sir; Ihad no real doubt of you; but others were not so sure; and I consentedto this to please them; so now that all has been done, I can use youmore freely, if you will: I have more than one mission which must bedone for me; and if you like it, Mr. Mallock, you may have the first. "

"Sir; I must go to France immediately. The hunt is up, after me, too. "

"What do you mean by that?" he said sharply. "The hunt! What is that?"

"I would not weary Your Majesty with it all; but the truth is that thefellow Dangerfield, who came after me here, came yesterday with amagistrate and near a dozen men, to Hare Street to take me. I eludedthem, and came to London. "

"You eluded them! How was that?"

Well; I told him as shortly as I could; and he laughed outright when Icame to my Cousin Dolly's part in it. 

"Why: that was very wittily done!" he said. "The minx!"

I did not much like that; but I could not find fault with the King. 

"And I was at Tyburn this morning, Sir. "

"What! At Tyburn!"

"At Tyburn, Sir; and I was so sick at heart at what I saw there--five ofYour Majesty's most faithful servants murdered in the name of justice, that I would not have cared greatly if I had been hanged with them. "

His face darkened a little; but not with anger at me. 

"It is a bloody business, as I have said, " he said gently. "Butcome!--it is to France that you go. "

"There is as good as any other place, " I said, "so I be out of thekingdom. I have estates there, too. "

"But to France will suit very well, " said the King. "For it is to Francethat I designed to send you. I have plenty of couriers who can takewritten messages, and I have plenty of men who can talk--some think, toomuch; but I have no one at hand at this moment whom I can send to Court, and who will acquit himself well there, and that can take a messagetoo--none, that is, that is not occupied. What do you say, Mr. Mallock?Would a couple of months there please you?"

Here then was the time for my announcement; for I knew that if I did notmake it then I should make it never. 

I stood up; and my heart beat thickly. 

"Sir, " I said. "Six months ago I would have run anywhere to serve you. But in six months many things have happened; and I cannot serve a Princeany more who cannot keep his word even to save the innocent. I had bestbe gone again to Rome, I think, and see what they can give me there. Iam sick of England, which I once loved so much. "

It was those very words--or others very like them that I said. I do notknow where I got the courage to say them, for my life lay altogether inthe King's hand: a word from him, or even silence, and I should havekicked my heels that night in Newgate, and a week or two later in theair, on a charge of being in with the Jesuits in their plot. Yet I saidthem; for I could say nothing else. 

His Majesty's face turned black as thunder as I began; and when I wasdone it was all stiff with pride. 

"That is your mind, Mr. Mallock, then?" he said. 

"That is my mind, Sir, " I answered him. 

And then a change went over his face once more. God knows why herelented; I think it may have been that he had somewhat of a fancy forme, and remembered how I had pleased him and tried to serve him. Andwhen he spoke, it was very gently indeed. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "those are very brave words. But I think theyare not worthy of a man of your parts. For consider; were you not senthere by the Holy Father to help a poor sinner who had need of it? And isit Catholic charity to leave the sinner because of his sins?"

I said nothing to that; for I was all confounded at his mildness. Isuppose I had braced myself for something very different. 

"It is true I am not a Catholic; but were you not sent here, in answerto my entreaty, that you might help to make it easy for me to becomeone? Is it apostolic, then, to run away so soon--"

"If Your Majesty, " I burst out, "would but shew some signs--"

He lifted his eyebrows at that. 

"Signs! In these days?" he said. "Why, I should hang, myself, in aweek's time! Are these the days, think you, to shew Catholicism? Why; doyou not think that my own heart is not near broken with all I have hadto do?"

He spoke with extraordinary passion; for that was his way when he wasvery deeply moved (which, to tell the truth, however, was not veryoften). But I have never known a man so careless and indolent on thesurface, who had a softer heart than His Sacred Majesty, if it could butbe touched. 

"The blood of God's priests, " he cried, holding the arms of his chair sothat it shook--"their blood cries from the ground against me! Do youthink I do not know that? Yet what can I do? I am tied and bound bycircumstance. I could not save them; and in the attempt I could onlylose my own life or throne as well. The people are mad for their blood!Why Scroggs himself said in public at one of the trials, that even theKing's Mercy could not come between them and death. And it is at thismoment, then, that the servants to whom I had looked to help me, leaveme! Go if you will, Mr. Mallock, and save your own soul. You shall havea safe passage to France; but never again speak to me of Catholiccharity. "

Every word that he said rang true in my heart. It was true indeed, as hesaid, that no effort of his could have saved the men, and he could onlyhave perished himself. There were scores of men, even among his ownguards, I have no doubt, who would have killed him if he had shewn atthis time the least mercy, or the least inclination towards Catholicism. His back was to the wall; he fought not for himself only, but forMonarchy itself in England. There would have been an end of all, and weback again under the tyranny of the Commonwealth if he had actedotherwise; or as I had thought that he would. 

He had scarcely finished when I was on my knees before him. 

"Sir, " I cried, "I am heartily ashamed of myself. I ask pardon for allthat I have said. I will go to France or to anywhere else; and willthink myself honoured by it, and by the forgiveness of Your Majesty. Sir; let me be your servant once more. "

The passion was gone from his face as he looked down on me there; and hewas, as before, the great Prince, with his easy manner and hisunimaginable charm. 

"Why that is very well said, " he answered me. "And I shall be glad tohave your services, Mr. Mallock. Mr. Chiffinch will give you allinstructions. "

 * * * * *

"That was a very bold speech, " said Mr. Chiffinch presently, when theKing was gone away again--"which you made to His Majesty. "

"Why, did you hear it?" I cried. 

He smiled at me. 

"Why, yes, " he said. "I was behind the open door just within the furtherchamber. I was not sure of you, Mr. Mallock, neither was the King forthat matter. "

"Sure of me?"

"I thought perhaps we might have a real threatener of the King's life, at last, " he said. "You had a very wild look when you came in, Mr. Mallock. "

"Yet His Majesty came; and unarmed!" I cried: "and as happy as--as aKing!"

"Why, what else?" asked Mr. Chiffinch. 

Our eyes met; and for the first time I understood how even a man likethis, with his pandering to the King's pleasures, and his own evil life, could have as much love and admiration for such a man, as I myself had. 

PART II

CHAPTER I

I do not mean to set down in this volume all that befell me during theyears that I was in the King's service, partly because that would maketoo large a book, but chiefly because there were committed to me affairsof which this French one was the first, of which I took my oath never tospeak without leave. Up to the present in England nothing had been saidto me which would be private twenty years afterwards; I take no shame atall at revealing what little I was able to do for the King personally inEngland--(except perhaps in one or two points which must not be spokenof)--nor of my adventures and my endeavours to be of service to thosewho were one with me in religion; but of the rest, the least said thesoonest mended. So the best plan which I can think of is to leave out onevery occasion all that passed, or very nearly all, when I was out of mycountry, both in France and Rome, for I went away--on what I may callsecret service--three times altogether between my first coming and theKing's death. It is enough to say that this time I was in Paris aboutthree months, and in Normandy one; and that I had acquitted myself, sofar, to His Majesty's satisfaction. [A]

[Footnote A: Plainly this business of Mr. Mallock had some connectionwith Charles' perpetual intrigues with France, for Louis' support ofhim. At this time Charles' intrigues were a little unsuccessful; so itmay be supposed that without Mr. Mallock they would have been evenworse. ]

I returned to London then on the night of the sixteenth of November, ofthe same year; and I brought with me a letter to the King from a certainpersonage in France. 

Now to one living in a Catholic country the rumours that come fromothers not so happy, are either greatly swollen and exaggerated in hismind, or thought nothing of. It was the latter case with me. I was inhigh favour on both sides of the Channel; and this, I suppose made methink little of the troubles in my own country: so when I and Jamesreached London late in the evening, after riding up from Kent, I wentstraight to Whitehall, as bold as brass to demand to see Mr. Chiffinch. We had ridden fast, and had talked with but very few folks, and theseignorant; so that I knew nothing of what impended, and was astonishedthat the sentinels at the gate eyed me so suspiciously. 

"Yes, sir, " said the younger, to whom I had addressed myself, "and whatmight your business with Mr. Chiffinch be?"

I had learned by now not to quack gossip or to parley with underlings;so I answered him very shortly. 

"Then fetch the lieutenant, " I said; and sat back on my horse like agreat person. 

When the lieutenant came he was one I had never seen before, nor he me;and he too asked me what I wanted with Mr. Chiffinch. 

"Lord, man!" I cried, for I was weary with my journey, and a littleimpatient. "Do you think I shall blurt out private business for all theworld to hear? Send me under guard if you will--a man on each side--soyou send me. "

He did not do that (for I think he thought that I might be someimportant personage from my way with him), but he would not let Jamescome in too; and he said a man must go with me to show me the way. 

"Or I, him, " I said. "However; let it be so;" and I told James to rideon to the lodgings, and make all ready for me there. 

Now I had heard in France of the events in the kingdom; but as they hadnot greatly affected Catholics, and, if anything, had even helped them, I was in no great state of mind. Within a week of my getting to Paristhe news came of how the Duke of Monmouth had been sent with an army toScotland and had trounced the Highlanders (who prayed and preached whenthey should have fought) at Bothwell Bridge on the river Clyde; and ofthe punishment he inflicted on them afterwards; though this was nothingto what Dr. Sharpe (who had been killed by them in May) or Lauderdalewould have done to them. Of Catholic fortunes there was not a greatdeal of bad news, and some good: Sir George Wakeman, with threeBenedictines, was acquitted of any design to murder the King; and Mr. Kerne, a priest, had been acquitted at Hereford of the charge under 27Elizabeth--that famous statute, still in force, that forbade any priestthat had received Orders beyond the seas, to reside in England. On theother hand, in the provinces, a few had suffered; of whom I remember, onthe Feast of the Assumption a Franciscan named Johnson, a man of family, had been condemned at Worcester; and Mr. Will Plessington at Chester:and these were executed. Since then, no deaths that I had heard of, hadtaken place in England for such causes: and affairs seemed pretty quiet. 

I was all unprepared then for the news I had from Mr. Chiffinch, as soonas he had greeted me, and paid me compliments on the way I had done myFrench business. 

"You are come just in time, " he said ruefully. "We are to have a greatto-do to-morrow, I hear. "

I asked him what that might be, lolling in my chair, for I was stiffwith riding. 

"Why it is your old friend Dangerfield, I hear, who is the thorn in ourpillow now. He hath first feigned to discover a Covenanting plot againstHis Majesty; and then turned it into a Popish one. There has been muchfoolish talk about a meal-tub, and papers hidden in it, and such-like:and now there is to be a great procession of malcontents to-morrow, toburn the Pope and the Devil and Sir George Jeffreys, and God knows who, at Temple Bar. But that is not all. "

"Why, what else?" I asked. "And why is not the procession forbidden?"

"Who do you think is behind it all?" he said. "Why; no one less than myLord Shaftesbury himself. Dangerfield is but one of his tools. And thatis not all. "

"Lord!" said I. "What a troublous country!" (I spoke lightly, for I didnot understand the weight of all these events. ) "What else is thematter?"

"It is the Duke of Monmouth, " he said, "who is the pawn inShaftesbury's game. My Lord would give the world to have the Dukedeclared legitimate, and so oust James. His Grace of Monmouth issomething of a popular hero now, after his doings in Scotland, and mostof all since he stands for the Protestant Religion. He hath dared tostrike out the bar sinister from his arms too; and goeth about thecountry as if he were truly royal. So His Royal Highness is gone back toScotland again in a great fury; and His Majesty is once again in astrait betwixt two, as the Scriptures say. There is his Catholic brotheron the one side; and there is this young spark of a Protestant bastardon the other. We shall know better to-morrow how the feeling runs. HisMajesty was taken very ill in August; and I am not surprised at it. "

 * * * * *

This was all very heavy news for me. I had hoped in France that most atleast of the Catholic troubles were over, and now, here again they were, in a new form. I sighed aloud. 

"Heigho!" I said. "But this is all beyond me, Mr. Chiffinch. I had bestbe gone into the country. "

"I think you had, " he said very seriously. "You can do nothing in thisplace. "

I was very glad when I heard him say that; for I had thought a greatdeal of Hare Street, and of my Cousin Dolly there; and it was good newsto me to hear that I might soon see her again. 

"But I must see the sight to-morrow, " I said; and soon after that I tookmy leave. 

 * * * * *

It was a marvellous sight indeed, the next evening. I went to see a Mr. Martin in the morning, that lived in the Strand, a Catholic bookseller, and got leave from him to sit in his window from dinner onwards, that Imight see the show. 

It was about five o'clock that the affair began; and the day was prettydark by then. A great number of people began to assemble little bylittle, up Fleet Street on the one side, the Strand on the other, anddown Chancery Lane in the midst; for it was announced everywhere, andeven by criers in some parts, that the procession would take place andwould end at Temple Bar. My Lord Shaftesbury, who had lately lost thepresidency of the Council, had rendered himself irreconcilable with theDuke of York, and his only hope (as well as of others with him) lay inruining His Highness. All this, therefore, was designed to rouse popularfeeling against the Duke and the Catholic cause. So this was my welcomehome again!

It was strange to watch the folks assembling, and the gradual kindlingof the flambeaux. In the windows on either side of the street were setcandles; and a line of coaches was drawn up against the gutter on thefurther side. But still more strange and disconcerting were thepreparations already made to receive the procession. An open space waskept by fellows with torches to the east of the City Gate; and here, looking towards the City, with her back to the Gate, close beside thePillory, stood Queen Bess in effigy, upon a pedestal, as it were aProtestant saint in her shrine; for the day had been chosen on accountof its being the day of her accession and of Queen Mary's death. She wasset about with gilded laurel-wreaths, and bore a gilded sceptre; andbeneath her, like some sacrificial fire, blazed a great bonfire, roaringup to heaven with its sparks and smoke. Half a dozen masked fellows, infantastic dresses, tended the bonfire and replenished the flambeaux thatburned about the effigy. Indeed it was strangely like some paganreligious spectacle--the goddess at the entrance of her temple (for thegate looked like that); and the resemblance became more marked as theceremonies were performed which ended the show. A Catholic might well bepardoned for retorting "Idolatry, " and saying that he preferred MaryQueen of Heaven to Bess Queen of England. 

It was from Moorfields that the procession came, and it took a goodwhile to come. But I was entertained enough by the sight of all thepeople, to pass the time away. A number of gentlefolks opposite to mywindow sat on platforms, all wrapped up in furs, and some of themmasked, with a few ministers among them; and I make no doubt that Dr. Tonge was there, though I did not see him. But I did see a merry facewhich I thought was Mistress Nell Gwyn's; and whether it was she or notthat I saw, I heard afterwards that she had been there, to His Majesty'sgreat displeasure. 

And in the same group I saw Mr. Killigrew's face--that had been page toCharles the First, and came back to be page to his son--for hisgrotesque and yet fine face was unmistakable; the profligate fop SirGeorge Etheredge, gambler and lampooner, with drink and the devil allover him; solemn Thomas Thynne, murdered two years afterwards, for awoman's sake, by Count Conigsmark, who was hanged for it and lay ingreat state in a satin coffin; and last, my Lord Dover, with his greathead and little legs, looking at the people through a tortoiseshellglass. The Court, or at least, some of it, enjoyed itself here, in spiteof the character of the demonstration. Meanwhile out of sight a greatvoice shouted jests and catchwords resonantly from time to time, toamuse the people; and the crowd, that was by now packed everywhereagainst the houses, upon the roofs and even up Chancery Lane, answeredhis hits with roaring cheers. I heard the name of the Duke of Monmouthseveral times; and each time it was received with acclamation. Once theDuke of York's was called out; and the booing and murring at it weregreat enough to have daunted even him. (But he was in Scotland now--toofar away to hear it--and seemed like to remain there. ) And once Mrs. Gwyn's name was shouted, and something else after it; and there was astir on the platform where I thought I had seen her; and then a greatburst of cheering; for she was popular enough, in spite of her life, forher Protestantism. (It was not works, they hated, thought I to myself, but Faith!)

The first that I knew of the coming of the procession was the sound offifes up Fleet Street; and a great jostling and roaring that followed itby those who strove to see better. I was distracted for an instant by adog that ran out suddenly, tail down, into the open space anddisappeared again yelping. When I turned again the head of theprocession was in sight, coming into view round the house that was nextto Mr. Martin's. 

First, between the torches that lined the procession through all itslength, came a band of fifers, very fine, in scarlet tunics and stiffbeaver-hats; shrilling a dirge as they walked; and immediately behindthem a funeral herald in black, walking very upright and stiff, with abell in one hand which he rang, while he cried out in a great mournfulbellowing voice:

"Remember Justice Godfrey! Remember Justice Godfrey;" and then pealedupon his bell again. (It was pretty plain from that that we Catholicswere to bear the brunt of all, as usual!)

Behind him came a terrible set of three. In the midst, led by a groom, was a great white horse, with bells on his bridle sounding as he came;and on his back an effigy, dressed in riding costume, with boots, andwith white riding gloves and cravat all spattered over with blood. Hishead lolled on his shoulders, as if the neck were broken, turning a palebloody face from side to side, with fallen jaw and great rollingmelancholy eyes; for this was of Justice Godfrey. Beside him walked aman in black, that held him fast with one hand, and had a drippingdagger in the other--to represent a Jesuit. This was perhaps the worstof all; but there was plenty more to come. 

There followed, after Justice Godfrey, a pardoner, dressed as a priest, in a black cope sown all over with death's heads, waving papers in hishands, and proclaiming indulgences to all Protestant-killers, so loudthat he might be heard at Charing Cross; and next behind him a fellowcarrying a silver cross, that shone very fine in the red light of thebonfire and the flambeaux, and drew attention to what came after. Forbehind him came eight Religious, Carmelites and Franciscans, in thehabits of their Orders, going two by two with clasped hands and bowedheads as if they prayed; and after them that which was, in intention, the centre of all--for this was a set of six Jesuits in black, with leanpainted faces, each bearing a dagger which he waved, gnashing his teethand grinning on the folks. 

There had been enough roaring and cheering before; but at this sightthe people went near mad; and I had thought for an instant that the veryactors would be torn in pieces for the sake of the parts they played. 

Mr. Martin and his wife were close beside me in the window; and I turnedto them. 

"We are fortunate not to be Jesuits, " I said, "and known to be such. Ourlives would not be worth a pin. "

He nodded at me very gravely: and I saw how white was his wife's face. 

When I looked again a very brilliant group was come into view--fourbishops in rochets and violet, with large pectoral crosses. These walkedvery proud and prelatical, looking disdainfully at the people who roaredat the burlesque; and behind them, again, four more in gilded mitres. (Ido not know what this generation knew of Catholic bishops; for not onein a thousand of them had ever set eyes on one. )

After a little space followed six cardinals in scarlet, very gorgeous, with caps and trains of the same colour. These swept along, looking toneither right nor left, followed by a lean man in a black silk suit andgown, skulking and bending, bearing a glass retort in one hand, and aphial, with a label flying from it, in the other. On this was written, Iheard afterwards, the words "Jesuit-Powder"; but I could not read itfrom where I was. 

Then at last the tail of the procession began to come into view. 

Two priests, in great white copes, bore aloft each a tall cross; andbehind them I could see through the flare and reek of the torches, avast scarlet chair advancing above the heads of the people. It was borneon a platform, and was embroidered all over with gold and silverbullion. Upon the platform itself were four boys, two and two, on eitherside of the throne, in red skull-caps and cassocks and short whitesurplices, each with a tall red cross held in the inner hand, and abloodstained dagger in the other, which they waved now and again. Uponthe throne itself sat a huge effigy. It was dressed in a scarlet robe, embroidered like the throne; its feet in gold embroidered slippers werethrust forward on a cushion; its hands in rich gloves were clasped tothe arms of the chair; and its grinning waxen face, very pale, wassurmounted by a vast tiara on which were three crowns, one above theother. Round the neck hung a gold cross and chain; and a pair of greatkeys hung down on one side. A devil in tight fitting black, with amasked face, and long sprouting nails, with a tail hung behind him, andtwo tall horns on his head, rolled his eyes from side to side, andwhispered continually into the ear of the effigy from behind the throne. A great mob of people and torches and guards came shouting on behind. And when I saw that, a kind of despair came upon me. If that, thought I, is what my countrymen think of Catholics and the Holy Father, what useto strive any more for their conversion?

 * * * * *

By the time that the tail had come up, the rest of the procession wasdisposed round the bonfire, leaving a broad space in the midst where thethrone and effigy might be set down. 

And now there appeared on the Pillory beside the Queen's image, one ofthe six cardinals that had come up a little while before, and began asort of rhyming dialogue with a choir that was set on another platformover against him. I could not hear all that was said, although thepeople kept pretty quiet to hear it too; but I heard enough. Thecardinal was proclaiming the Catholic Religion as the only means ofsalvation and threatened both temporal and eternal punishment to allthat would not have it; and the choir answered, roaring out the gloriesof England and Protestantism. The fifes screamed for the cardinal'swords, as if accompanying them; and trumpets answered him for England;and at the end, shaking his fist at the Queen and with another gestureas of despair he came down from the Pillory. 

Then came the end. 

The devil, behind the throne, slipped altogether behind it and stoodtossing his hands with delight; while meantime the effigy, contrived insome way I could not understand, rose stiffly from the seat and stoodupright. First he lifted his hands as if in entreaty towards theQueen's image; then he shook them as if threatening, meanwhile rollinghis head with its tiara from side to side as if seeking supporters. Twomen then sprang upon the platform, as if in answer, dressed like Englishapprentices, bare-armed and with leather aprons; and these seized eachan arm of the effigy; and at that the devil, after one more fit oflaughter, holding his sides, and shouting aloud as if in glee, leaptdown behind the platform, dragging the chair after him. The four boysstood an instant as if in terror, and then followed him, with clumsygestures of horror. 

The three figures that remained now began to wrestle together, stampingto and fro, up to the very edge, then reeling back again, and so on--thetwo apprentices against the great red dummy. At that the shouting of thecrowd grew louder and louder, and the torches tossed up and down: it waslike hell itself, for noise and terror, there in the red flare of thebonfire: and, at the last, all roaring together, with the trumpets anddrums sounding, and the fifes too, the effigy was got to the edge of theplatform, where it yet swayed for an instant or two, and then toppleddown into the fire beneath. 

 * * * * *

It was a great spectacle, I cannot but confess it, and admirablydesigned; and I took my leave of Mr. Martin and his lady, and went hometo supper through the crowded streets, more in tune, perhaps, with mycountry's state than I had been when I lolled last night in Mr. Chiffinch's closet. 

CHAPTER II

With Dangerfield's demonstration in my mind I was not greatly inclinedto embroil myself in other matters; and I kept my intention to ride downto Hare Street three days after, when I had done my business in Londonand kissed the King's hand; and this I had done by the evening of thesecond day. I saw His Majesty on that second day; but he was muchpressed for time, and he did no more than thank me for what I had done:and so was gone. On that evening, however, a new little adventure befellme. 

The taverns in town were rare places for making new acquaintances; andsince I, for the most part, dined and supped in them, I met a goodnumber of gentlemen. From these I would conceal, usually, most of mycircumstances, and sometimes even my name, though that would not havetold them much. Above all I was very careful to conceal my dealings withHis Majesty, and as, following the directions he had first given me, Ipresented myself seldom or never at Court, and did my business throughMr. Chiffinch, and in his lodgings, usually, I do not suppose that therewere five men in town, if so many, who knew that I had any privateknowledge of him at all. In this manner then, I heard a deal oftreasonable talk of which I did not think much, and only reportedgenerally to Mr. Chiffinch when he asked me what was the feeling in townwith regard to Court affairs. It was through this, and helped, Idaresay, by what I have been told was the easy pleasantness which Iaffected in company, that I stumbled over my next adventure; and onethat was like, before the end of it, to have cost me dear. 

I went to supper, by chance, on the second day after my coming toLondon, to an inn I had never been to before--the _Red Bull_ inCheapside--a very large inn, in those days, with a great garden at theback, where gentlemen would dine in summer, and a great parlour runningout into it from the back of the house, of but one story high. Therooms beneath seemed pretty full, for it was a cold night; and as thereappeared no one to attend to me I went upstairs, and knocked on the doorof one of the rooms. The talking within ceased as I knocked, and noneanswered; so I opened the door and put my head in. There was a number ofpersons seated round the table who all looked at me. 

"This is a private room, sir, " said one of them at the head. 

"I beg your pardon, gentlemen, " I said. "I was but looking for someoneto serve me. " And I was about to withdraw when a voice hailed me aloud. 

"Why it is Mr. Mallock!" the voice cried; and turning again to see whoit was I beheld my old friend Mr. Rumbald, seated next the one thatpresided. 

I greeted him. 

"But I had best be gone, " I said. "It is a private room, the gentlemantold me. "

"No, no, " cried the maltster. "Come in, Mr. Mallock. " And he saidsomething to the gentleman he sat by, who was dressed very finely. 

I could see that something was in the wind; and as I was out foradventure, it seemed to me that here was one ready-made, howeverharmless it might turn out in the end. So I closed the door behind me;there was a shifting along the benches, and I stepped over into a placenext my friend. 

"How goes the world with you, sir?" demanded Mr. Rumbald of me, lookingat my suit, which indeed was pretty fine. 

"Very hungrily at present, " I said. "Where the devil are the maids gotto?"

He called out to the man that sat nearest the door, and he got up andbawled something down the passage. 

"But it has treated me better lately, " I said. "I have been in France onmy affairs. " (I said this with an important air, for there is nodisguise so great as the truth, if it is put on a little awry. )

"Oho!" said Rumbald, who again, in spite of his old Presbyterianism, hadhad a cup too many. And he winked on the company. I had not an idea ofwhat he meant by that; but I think he was but shewing off his friend asa travelled gentleman. 

"And we have been speaking of England, " he went on, "and of them thatgovern it, and of the Ten Commandments, in special the sixth. "

I observed signs of consternation among one or two of the company whenhe said this, and remembering of what political complexion Mr. Rumbaldhad been on our previous meeting, I saw in general, at least, what theyhad been after. But what he meant of the Sixth Commandment which is thatof killing, according to the Protestant arrangement of it, I understoodnothing. 

"And of who shall govern England hereafter, " I said in a low voice, butvery deliberate. 

There fell a silence when I said that; and I was wondering what in God'sname I should say next, when the maid came in, and I fell to abusing ofher with an oath or two. When she was gone away again to get me mysupper, the gentleman in the fine dress at the head of the table leanedforward a little. 

"That, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "is of what we were speaking. How did youknow that?"

"I know my friend Mr. Rumbald, " I said. 

This appeared to give the greatest pleasure to the maltster. He laughedaloud, and beat me on the back; but his eyes were fierce for all hismerriment. I felt that this would be no easy enemy to have. 

"Mr. Mallock knows me, " he said, "and I know Mr. Mallock. I assure you, gentlemen, you can speak freely before Mr. Mallock. " And he poured aquantity of his college-ale into a tankard that stood before me. 

It appeared, however, that several of the company had sudden affairselsewhere; and, before we even smelled of treason, three or four of themmade their excuses and went away. This confirmed me in my thought that Iwas stumbled upon one of those little gatherings of malcontents, of whomthe town was full, who talked largely over their cups of the Protestantsuccession and the like, but did very little. But I was not quite rightin my surmise, as will appear presently. 

By the time that my supper came up--(I cursed the maid again for herdelay, though, poor wench, she was near run off her legs)--there wereleft but four of us in the room; the gentleman at the head of the table, a lean quiet man with a cast in his eye who sat opposite me, Mr. Rumbaldand myself. 

There was, however, a shade of caution yet left in my friend that theale had not yet driven out; and before proceeding any further, heobserved again that my fortunes had improved. 

"Why, they have improved a great deal, " I said--for he had caught mewith my silver-hilted sword and my lace, and I saw him looking atthem--"I live in Covent Garden now, where you must come and see me, Mr. Rumbald. "

"And your politics with them?" he asked. 

"My politics are what they ever were, " I said; and that was true enough. 

"You were at Temple Bar?" he asked. 

"Why I only came from France the day before; but you may depend upon itI was there. It warmed my heart. "

"You know who was behind it all?" asked the gentleman at the head of thetable, suddenly. 

I knew well enough that such men as these despise ignorance above allthings, and that a shrewd fellow--or a man that they think to be one isworth a thousand simpletons in their eyes; so I made no pretence of notknowing what he meant. 

"Why of course I do!" I said contemptuously. "It was my LordShaftesbury. "

Now the truth of this was not known to everyone in London at this time, though it was known a little while later: and I should not have known itmyself if Mr. Chiffinch had not told me. But these men knew it, itseemed, well enough; and my knowledge of it blew me sky-high in theirview. 

"My Lord Shaftesbury, God bless him!" said the lean squinting man, suddenly; and drained his mug. 

"God bless him!" I said too, and put my lips to mine. My hand wasimmediately grasped by Mr. Rumbald; and so cordial relations wereconfirmed. 

 * * * * *

Well; we settled down then to talk treason. I must not deny that thesepersons skewed still some glimmerings of sense; they did not, that is tosay, as yet commit themselves irrevocably to my mercy: they appeared tome to talk generally, with a view to trying me: but I acquitted myselfto their satisfaction. 

We deposed Charles, we excluded James, we legitimized Monmouth; we armedthe loyal citizens and took away the arms of all others. We appointedeven days of humiliation and thanksgiving; and we grew more enthusiasticand reckless with every mug. The lean man confided to me with infinitepride, that he had been one of the cardinals in the procession to TempleBar; and I grasped his hand in tearful congratulation. We were nearweeping with loyalty at the end, not to Charles but to Monmouth. Theonly man who preserved his self-control completely was the gentleman atthe head of the table, though he too adventured a good deal, throwing itbefore me as a bait before a trout; and each time I gulped it down andasked for more. He was a finely featured man, with a nose set well outin his face, and had altogether the look and bearing of a gentleman. 

It must have been full half-past nine before we broke up; and that wasat the going of our president. We too rose and saw him to the door; andthe lean man said he would see him downstairs, so Mr. Rumbald and I wereleft, he swaying a little and smiling, holding on to the door-post, andI endeavouring to preserve my dignity. 

I was about to say good-night too and begone, when he plucked mesuddenly by the sleeve. 

"Come back again, Mr. Mallock, " he said. "I have something to say toyou. "

We went back again, shutting the door behind us, and sat down. It was apleasant little parlour this, decently furnished, and I feigned to belooking at the hanging that was over the press where they kept thetankards, as if I had no curiosity in the world. 

"Here, Mr. Mallock, " said my friend's voice behind me. "Look at this. "

He had drawn out a little black pocket-book, leather-bound, and with itthree or four loose papers. I sat down by him, and took it from him. 

"It is some kind of an account-book, " I said. 

"You are right, sir, " said Mr. Rumbald. 

He sat with an air of vast importance, while I examined the book. It hada great number of entries, concerning such things as accounts for beerand other refreshments, with others which I could not understand. Therewere also the names of inns in London, with marks opposite to them, andtimes of day written down besides. I could make nothing of all this; soI turned to the papers. Here, to my astonishment, on one of them waswritten a list of names, some very well known, beginning with my LordShaftesbury's, and on the two others a number of notes in short-hand, with three or four of the same names as before written long-hand. One ofthese slipped to the floor as I held them, and I stooped to pick it up;when I raised my head again, the pocket-book and the other two papershad disappeared again into Mr. Rumbald's possession. He did not seem tohave seen the one that fell, so I held it on my knee beneath the table, thinking to examine it later. 

"Well?" I asked. "What is the matter?"

The maltster had an air of great mystery upon his face. He regarded mesternly, though his eyes watered a little. 

"Enough to hang us all, " he said; and I saw the fierce light in his eyesagain, through the veil of drink. 

"Why; how is that?" asked I, slipping the paper I held, behind me, andinto the skirt pocket of my coat. 

"Those accounts, " he said, "they are all for the procession; for Iprovided myself a good deal of the refreshment; and was paid for it bya man of my Lord's, who has signed the book. "

"And the two papers?" I asked. 

"Ah!" said Mr. Rumbald. "That is another matter altogether. "

I feigned that I was incurious. 

"Well, " I said, "every man to his own trade. I would not meddle withanother's, for the world. "

"That is best, " said my friend. 

I tried a sentence or two more; but caution seemed to have returned tohim, though a little late; and I presently saw I should get no more outof him. I congratulated him again on the pleasant evening we had spent;and five minutes later we went downstairs together, very friendly; andhe winked upon me as I went out, after paying my account, as if therewere some secret understanding between us. 

 * * * * *

I had a cold walk back to Covent Garden, remembering with satisfaction, as I went, that I had not told Mr. Rumbald more particularly where Ilodged; and thinking over what I had heard. It was not a great dealafter all, I thought. When all was said, I had only heard over againwhat was known well enough at Court, that my Lord Shaftesbury was behindthis demonstration, and had his finger in the whole affair of Monmouth;I had but stumbled upon one of those companies, who were known, wellenough, to be everywhere, who were for Monmouth against His RoyalHighness: and I had but seen, what surely might be guessed toexist, --the accounts of the refreshments supplied to the actors in thedemonstration--and had been told that my Lord's man had paid the score. There might, indeed, be more behind; but of that I had no evidence atall; I had received no confidence that could be of any value: and as forthe paper in my skirt-pocket, I valued it no more than a rush; andwondered I had taken the trouble to secure it. 

When I reached my lodgings, I took it out and looked at it again. I hadnot even the means of reading it. The name of my Lord Shaftesbury, as Ihave said, was written in long-hand three or four times; and the Dukeof Monmouth's twice. There also appeared other names of which I did notknow a great deal, and one at least of which I knew nothing, which was"College"; though this for all I knew was for a college in anUniversity. Other names were that of my Lord Essex and John Hampden, andAlgernon Sidney. The paper was about a foot in length and six inchesacross; and I thought so little of it--thinking that a paper ofimportance would scarcely be entrusted to a man like Rumbald, who threwthem about a tavern--that I was very near throwing it into the fire. ButI kept it--though God knows that afterwards I wished I had not doneso--and slipped it into my pocket-book where I kept three or fourothers, intending, when I had an opportunity, to give it to some clerk, learned in short-hand, to read for me. 

And so I went to bed. 

CHAPTER III

It was with a very happy heart that the next night, about seven o'clock, I rode down Hare Street village, and saw the lights of the house shiningthrough the limes. 

It was a very different coming back from my going. Then we four hadstood together in the dark at the corner of the lane, fearing lest awindow should be thrown up. Now I rode back with James, secure andcontent, fearing nothing: for Mr. Chiffinch had told me that all perilhad passed from Dangerfield, even had he met me and known me, which wasnot likely. They were after other game now than the old conspirators. 

I had sent a message to Hare Street on the day after I was come toLondon, that I would be with them on this day: and so soon as I rodeinto the yard the men ran out, and I heard a window open in the house;so that by the time I came to the door it was open, and my cousins thereto meet me. 

 * * * * *

It was very strange, that evening there, to be so with my Cousin Dolly;for each of us knew, and that the other knew that too, that matters wereadvanced with us, since we had been through peril together. It wasstrange how diffident we both were, and how we could not meet oneanother's eyes; and yet I was aware that she would have it otherwise ifshe could, and strove to be natural. We had music again that night, andDolly and her maid sang the setting of "Go, perjured man" which she hadmade from Mr. Wise's. For myself, I sat in a corner by the fire andwatched her. She was in grey that night, with lace, and a string oflittle fresh-water pearls. 

When she was gone to bed, my Cousin Tom and I had a crack together; andhe seemed to me more sensible than I had thought him at first. We talkedof a great number of things; and he asked me about France and my lifethere; and I had a great ado from being indiscreet and telling him toomuch. I represented to him that I was gone over to be out of the way ofDangerfield, as indeed I had; but I said nothing at all to him as to mybusiness there: and he seemed content. 

He told me also of what he had written to me as to the return of Mr. Harris, very tired and angry, the next afternoon after his search of thehouse. He had ridden near all the way to Newmarket, inquiring for meeverywhere: and had come to the conclusion at last that I had not gonethat way after all. 

"He was very high with me, " said my Cousin Tom, "but I was higher yet. Itold him that it was not my business both to make conspirators and toarrest them; and since he had done me the honour of thinking I had donethe first, I had done him the honour of thinking that he could do thesecond: but that it seemed I was wrong in that. "

This seemed a considerable effort of wit for my Cousin Tom; but scarcelyone calculated to soothe Mr. Harris. 

Finally, when I was thinking of bed my Cousin Tom opened out once againon an old matter that was before my mind continually now: and he spoke, I think, very sensibly. 

"Cousin Roger, " he said: "there is one other affair I must speak to youof, now that you are come again to Hare Street and seem likely to remainhere for a while; and that is of my daughter. I know you would not haveme say too much; and I will not. But have you considered the advice yousaid you would give me a great while ago?"

I did not answer him for a moment; for I was not sure if he were verywise or very foolish in opening upon it again. Then I determined to beopen with the man. 

"Cousin Tom, " I said, "I am both glad and sorry that you have spoken ofthis; and I will tell you the whole truth, which I think perhaps you mayhave guessed. The reason why I could not give you advice before was thatI was not sure of my own mind. Well; I am sure of it now; and I wish toask my Cousin Dolly, so soon as I see an opportunity to do so, if shewill marry me. But I must say this--that I am going to take no risks. Ishall not ask her so long as I think she will refuse me; and I think, totell the truth, that she would not have me if I asked her now. "

My Cousin Tom began to speak: but I prevented him. 

"One moment, " I said, "and you shall say what you will. There is onereason that comes to my mind which perhaps may explain herunwillingness; and that is that she may think that she is being thrownat my head. You have been very kind, Cousin, in allowing me to make thismy home in the country; and I know"--(here I lied vehemently)--"I knowthat nothing was further from your thoughts than this. Yet it may seemso, to a foolish maid who knows nothing of the world. I do not know ifyou have ever said anything to her--"

"Why, Cousin--" cried Tom, in such a manner that I knew he was lyingtoo--"what do you think--"

"Just so, " I said; for I did not wish him to lie more than he need; "Iwas sure--"

"I may have said a word or two, once or twice, " pursued Cousin Tom, intent on his own exposure--"that she must think soon about gettingmarried, and so forth. But to say that I have thrown her at your head, Cousin, is not, I think, a kindly thing--"

"My dear man!" cried I. "I have been saying expressly that I knew youhad done nothing of the sort; but that perhaps Dolly thought so. " (Thisquieted him a little, for I watched his face. ) "So the best way, Ithink, is for us all to be quiet for a little and say nothing. You knownow what my own wishes are; and that is enough for you and me. As toestates, I will make a settlement, if ever the marriage is arranged, that will satisfy you; but I think we need not trouble about that atpresent. I will do my utmost to push my suit; but it must be in my ownway; and that way will be to say nothing at all for a while, but toestablish easy relations with her. She is a little perturbed at present:I saw that, for I watched her to-night; and unless she can grow quietagain, all will come to nothing. "

So I spoke, in the folly of my own wisdom that seemed to me so great atthat time. I had dealt with men, but not at all with women, and knewnothing of them. If I had but followed my heart and spoken to her atonce, while the warmth of my welcome, and the memory of the peril we hadundergone together were still in heart, matters might have been verydifferent. But I thought otherwise, and that I would be very prudent andcircumspect, knowing nothing at all of a maid's heart and her ways. Asfor Cousin Tom, he had to yield to me; for what else could he do? Theprospect that I opened before him was a better one than he could getanywhere else: he had no opening at Court, in spite of his bragging; andthe Protestants round about were too wise, in their rustic way, toengage themselves with a Papist at such a time. So there the matterremained. 

 * * * * *

When I came to my chamber, it had a very pleasant aspect to me. Thecurtains were across the windows; a great fire blazed on the hearth--(Ihad heard my Cousin Dolly's footsteps pass across the landing, beforeshe went to bed, --no doubt to put more wood on)--my bed was ready, andon the round table in the middle was a jug of horn-beam branches withsome winter flowers. It was six months since I had been here; andmatters were considerably better with me now than they had been then. Then I was being hunted; now I was free from all anxiety on that score:then I had been going up to London to resign what little position I had;now I was re-established, owing to what I had done in France, on abetter footing than ever. More than all, I knew now, without any doubtat all, what my heart told me of my Cousin Dolly; and I was here, withevery liberty to commend my suit to her. 

Before I went to bed I opened the little secret cupboard by my bed, andput into it three or four private papers I had, and amongst them thatwritten in cipher that I had had from Mr. Rumbald. Then I went to bed;and dreamed of Dolly. 

Then began for me a time of great peace and serenity. 

First came Christmas, with its homely joys, and Twelfth night on whichwe cut and ate a great cake that Dolly had made; then there was thewinter's work to be done in preparation for the spring; and then springitself, with the crocuses sprouting between the joints of the paved walkround the house; and the daffodils in the long box-bed beneath thelimes. I write these little things down, for it was principally by thesethings that I remember those months; and the noise of the world outsideseemed as sounds heard in a dream. I went up to London, now andagain--but not very often; and saw His Majesty in private twice, and hehonoured me by asking my advice again on certain French affairs; but, for the time, all these things were secondary in my mind to the cows ofHare Street and to how the pigs did. It is marvellous how men's mindscan come down to such matters, and become absorbed in them, and let therest of the world go hang. I thought now and again of my mission fromRome; yet I do not think I was faithless to it; for there was nothing atthat time which I could do for the King; and he expressly had desired menot to mix much with the Court and so become known. The truth of thematter was that at this time he was largely occupied with a certainwoman, whose name had best not be spoken; and when His Majesty ran uponthose lines, he could think of little else. I sent my reports regularlyto Rome; and the Cardinal Secretary seemed satisfied; and so thereforewas I. 

It was, with my Cousin Dolly, precisely as I had thought. She was atfirst very shy indeed, going up to her chamber early in the evening, sothat we had little or no music; but relaxing a little as I shewed myselffriendly without being forward. I caught her eyes on me sometimes; andshe seemed to be appraising me, I thought in my stupidity, as to whethershe could trust me not to make love to her; but now, as I think, for avery different reason; and I would see her sometimes as I went out ofdoors, peeping at me for an instant out of a window. It was not, however, all hide and seek. We would talk frankly and easily enough attimes, and spend an hour or two together, or when her father was asleep, with the greatest friendliness; and meanwhile I, poor fool, was thinkinghow wise and prudent I was; and what mighty progress I was making bythese crooked ways. 

In Easter week we had a great happiness--so great that it near broke medown in my resolution--and I would to God it had--(at least in certainmoods I wish so). 

I was returning along the Barkway road from a meadow where I had been tolook to the new lambs, in my working dress, when I heard a horse comingbehind me. I stepped aside to let him go by, when I heard myself called. 

"My man, " said the voice. "Can you tell me where is Mr. Jermyn's house?"

"Yes, sir, " I said. "I am going there myself. "

He was a grave-looking gentleman, very dark; and as I looked at him Iremembered him; but I could see he did not remember me, and no wonder, for he had only seen me once, on a very agitating occasion, for a shortwhile. He was riding a very good horse, which was going lame, butwithout any servant, and he had his valise strapped on the crupper. Inappearance he was a country-squire on his way to town. I determined togive him a surprise as we went along. 

"I hope you are well, Mr. Hamerton, " I said. 

He gave a great start at that, and looked at me closely. 

"I do not remember you, " he said. "And why do you call me Mr. Hamerton?"

"I knew that is not the name you were usually known by, father. Wouldyou be easier if I called you Mr. Young?"

"I give it up, " he said. "Who are you, sir?"

"Do you remember a young man, " I said, "a year and a half ago, who cameinto Mr. Chiffinch's inner parlour on a certain occasion? You weresitting near His Royal Highness; His Majesty was at the end of thetable; and by you was Father Bedingfeld who died in prison in December. "

He smiled at me. 

"I remember everything except the young man, " he said. "So you are he. And what is your name, sir?"

I told him. 

"I am Mr. Jermyn's cousin, " I said. "And I have been looking after hislambs for him. I would there was some spiritual shepherd who would lookafter us. We have not heard mass since Christmas. " (For we had riddenover to Standon on that day. )

He seemed altogether easier at that. 

"Why, that can be remedied to-morrow, " he said. "If you have an altarstone and linen and vestments. I have all else with me. "

We had these, and I told him so. 

"Then you mean to lie at Hare Street to-night, sir?" I said. 

"I had hoped to do so, " he said. "I am come from Lincolnshire; and I wasrecommended to Mr. Jermyn's if I could not get so far as Standon; and Icannot, for my horse is lame. "

 * * * * *

My Cousin Tom received the priest in a surprising medley of emotionswhich he exhibited one by one to me who knew him so well. He was atfirst plainly terrified at receiving a priest and a Jesuit; but, presently recovered himself a little and strove to remember that herewas one of God's priests who would bring a blessing on the house--(andsaid so); finally all else was swallowed up in pleasure, or very nearly, when I took occasion on Mr. Hamerton's going upstairs to pull off hisboots, to tell him that I had seen this priest very intimate with HisRoyal Highness the Duke of York; and that he had been a near friend ofMr. Bedingfeld, the Duke's confessor. 

My Cousin Dorothy received him with the reverence that pious maids canshew so easily towards a priest. She had his chamber ready for him inten minutes; with fresh water in the basin and flowers upon the table:she even set out for his entertainment three or four books of devotionby his bedside. And all the time at supper she never ceased to give himattention, drawing the men's eyes to his plate and cup continually. 

Mr. Hamerton was a very quiet gentleman, wonderfully at his ease atonce, and never losing his discretion; he talked generally andpleasantly at supper, of his road to Hare Street, and told us anedifying story or two of Catholics at whose houses he had lain on hisway from Lincolnshire. These Jesuits are wonderful folk: he seemed toknow the country all over, and where were the safer districts and wherethe dangerous. I have no doubt he could have given me an excellentroad-map with instructions that would take me safe from London toEdinburgh, if I had wished it. 

"And have you never been troubled with highwaymen?" asked my Cousin Tom. 

"No, Mr. Jermyn, " said the priest, "except once, and that was a Catholicrobber. I thought he was by the start he gave when he saw my crucifix ashe was searching me; and taxed him with it. So the end was, he returnedme my valuables, and took a little sermon from my lips instead. "

 * * * * *

When supper was over, and Dorothy had gone upstairs to make all readyfor mass on the next morning, Mr. Hamerton, at our questioning, began totell us a little of the state of politics and what he thought wouldhappen; and every word that he said came true. 

"His Grace of Monmouth will be our trouble, " he said. "The King adoreshim; and he hath so far prevailed with His Majesty as to get the Duke ofYork sent twice to Scotland. I think few folk understand what feelingthere is in the country for the Protestant Duke. It was through my LordShaftesbury, who is behind him, that His Royal Highness was actuallysent away, for Monmouth could do nothing without him; and I have no kindof doubt that he has further schemes in his mind too. "

(This was all fulfilled a couple of months later, as I remembered whenthe time came, by my Lord Shaftesbury's actually presenting James' nameas that of a recusant, before the grand jury of Middlesex; but thejudges dismissed the jury immediately. )

"And you think, father, " asked my Cousin Tom very solemnly, "that theseseditions will lead to trouble?"

"I have no doubt of it at all, " said he. "The country--especiallyLondon--is full of disaffection. Their demonstration last year did adeal to stir it up. The Duke of York is back now, against my advice; butI have no doubt he will have to go on his travels again. Were Hismajesty to die now--_(quod Deus avertat!)_--I do not know how we shouldstand. "

 * * * * *

Mr. Hamerton took occasion to ask me that night, when we were alone fora minute or two, what I was doing in the country. 

"I remember you perfectly now, " said he. "Father Whitbread spoke to meof you, besides. "

I told him that I had nothing to do in town; and with His Majesty'sconsent was lying hid for a little, in order that what little was knownof me might be forgotten again. 

"Well; I suppose you are wise, " he said, "and that you will be able todo more hereafter. But the time will come presently when we shall all beneeded. "

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him if he could read cipher, andto shew him my paper--reminded of it, by his talk of disaffection; butmy Cousin Tom came back at that moment; and I put it off; and Ipresently forgot it again. 

 * * * * *

The memory of the mass that we heard next morning will never leave me;for it was the first time that I had heard it in the house. 

We used the long attic, for fear of disturbance, and had a man postedbeneath--for it was still death for a priest to say mass in England. Allthe servants that were Catholics were there; and all, I think, went tothe sacraments. Mr. Hamerton heard confessions before the mass began. 

The north end of the attic had been prepared by Dolly and her maid; andlooked very pretty and fine. A couple of men had carried up a great lowpress, that had the instruments of the Passion painted upon its panels;and this served for an altar. Behind it Dolly had put up a hanging fromdownstairs, that was of Abraham offering Isaac, and had set upon thealtar a pair of silver candlesticks from the parlour, and a littlestanding crucifix, with jugs of country flowers between the candlesticksand the cross. She had laid too, as a foot-pace, a Turkey rug that cametoo from the parlour; and had put a little table to serve as a credence. Mr. Hamerton had with him little altar-vessels made for travelling, witha cup that unscrewed from the stem, and every other necessary exceptwhat he asked us to provide. 

 * * * * *

It is the experience of everyone, I think, that mass differs from mass, as a star (in the apostle's words) differs from another star in glory--Ido not mean in its essential effects, for that is the same always, butin the devotion which it arouses in those that hear it. This mass thenseemed to me like scarcely any other that I had ever heard, exceptperhaps that at which I received my first communion in the countrychurch in France. Mr. Hamerton said it with great deliberation andrecollection; and, as my Cousin Tom served him, as a host should, I wasnot distracted by anything. My Cousin Dolly and I kneeled side by sidein front, and again, side by side, to receive Holy Communion. 

I was in a kind of ecstasy of delight, and not, I think unworthily; for, though much of my delight came from being there with my cousin, andreceiving our Lord's Body with her, I do not think that is any dishonourto God whom we must love first of all, to find a great joy in loving Himin the company of those we love purely and uprightly. So at least itseems to me. 

 * * * * *

Mr. Hamerton told us he must be riding very early; and not much afterseven o'clock we stood at the gate to bid him farewell. I made my manJames go with him so far as Ware to set him on his road, though thepriest begged me not to trouble myself. 

When I came back to the house I was in a torment of indecision as towhether this would not be the best occasion I could ever find of tellingmy Cousin Dorothy all that was in my heart in her regard; and I evenwent into the Great Chamber after her, still undecided. But her mannerprevented me; for I thought I saw in her something of a return of thatsame shyness which she had shewed to me when I had come last time backto Hare Street; and I went out again without saying one word except ofthe priest's visit and of what a good man he seemed. 

Even then, I think, if I had spoken, matters might have taken a verydifferent course; but, whether through God's appointment or my owndiffidence, this was not to be; and again I said nothing to her. 

CHAPTER IV

Our next adventure, not unlike the last exteriorly, was very differentfrom it interiorly; and led to very strange results in the event. Itcame about in this way. 

It was in May that Mr. Hamerton had come to us, for Easter that yearfell in that month; and the weather after that, which had been verybitter in the winter, with so much snow as I never saw before, butclearer about Eastertime, fell very wet and stormy again in June. 

It was on a Thursday evening, in the first week in June, that the badweather set in with a violent storm of rain and a high wind. We sat inthe Great Chamber after supper, and had some music as usual: and betweenthe music we listened to the gusts of wind and the rattle of the rain, which made so great a noise that Dolly said that it was no use for herto go to bed yet, for that she would not sleep if she went. Her maidwent to bed; and we three sat talking till nearly half-past ten o'clock, which is very late for the country where men rise at four o'clock. 

The wind made such a noise that we heard nothing of the approach to thehouse; and the first that we knew of anyone's coming was a hammering atthe door. 

"Why, who is that;" said I, "that comes so late?"

I could see that my Cousin Tom did not like it, for his face shewedit--(I suppose it was the memory of that other time when the hammeringcame)--so I said nothing, but went myself to the outer door and unboltedit. 

A fellow stood there in a great riding-cloak; but I could see he woresome kind of a livery beneath. 

"Well, " I said, "what do you want?"

He saw that I was a gentleman by my dress; and he answered me verycivilly. 

"My master is benighted, sir, " said he; "and he bid me come and askwhether he might lie here to-night. There is no inn in the place. "

"Why, who is your master?" I asked. 

He did not seem to hear my question, for he went on immediately. 

"There are only five of the party, sir, " he said. "Two gentlemen andthree servants. "

I saw that my Cousin Tom was behind me now; and that Dolly was lookingfrom the door of the Great Chamber. 

"You have not yet told us, " I said, "what your master's name is. "

"I think, sir, he had best answer that, " said the fellow. 

Now this might very well be a Catholic, and perhaps an important personwho had heard of Mr. Jermyn, but did not wish to advertise who himselfwas. I looked at my Cousin Tom; and thought from his look that the samethought had come to him. 

"Well, Cousin?" I said. 

"They had best come in--" he said shortly. "Dolly, rouse some of theservants. They will want supper, I suppose. "

He nodded to the man, who went back immediately; and a minute later twogentlemen came up the flagged path, also in great cloaks that appearedsoaked with the rain. 

"By God, sir!" said the first of them, "we are grateful to you. This isa wild night. "

My Cousin, Tom said something civil, and when the door was shut, helpedthis man off with his cloak, while I helped the other. The former wasexplaining all the while how they were on their way to town fromNewmarket; and how they had become bogged a little after Barkway, losingtheir road in the darkness. They had intended to push on to WalthamCross, he said, or Ware at the least, and lie there. He spoke with amerry easy air that shewed him for a well-bred and pleasant fellow. Myown man said nothing, but left it all to the other. 

When I turned to see the one who spoke, I was more surprised than everin all my life before; for it was no other than the Duke of Monmouthhimself. He looked a shade older than when I had last seen him in thepark above a year ago; but he was the very same and I could not mistakehim. As for me, he would not know me from Adam, for he had never spokenwith me in all his life. I did not know what to do, as to whether Ishould make to recognize him or not; but he saved me the trouble; for asI followed the others into the Great Chamber, he was already speaking. 

"It is very good of you, Mr. Jermyn, " he said, "to receive us like this. My name is Morton, and my friend's here Mr. Atkins. You can put us whereyou will--on the floor if you have no other place. "

"We can do better than that, sir, " said Tom. "There is only my daughterhere and Mr. Mallock my cousin. My daughter is gone to call theservants. "

The Duke looked very handsome and princely as he stood on the hearth, although there was no fire, and surveyed the room. He was in a dark blueriding-suit, darker than it should be upon the shoulders with the rainthat had soaked through his cloak; but it was of the colour of his eyesthat were very fine and attractive; and he wore his own hair. The otherman looked pretty mean beside him; and yet he was not ill-looking. Hewas a fair man, too, with a rosy face; in a buff suit. 

"We can manage two changes of clothes, Mr. Morton, " went on my CousinTom, "if you fear to take a cold; or you can sup immediately; as youwill. "

"Why, Mr. Jermyn; I think we will sup first and go to bed afterwards. The clothes can be dried, no doubt, before morning. "

In spite of all his efforts, he spoke as one born to command and with akind of easy condescension too; and certainly this had its effect uponpoor Tom; for he was all eagerness and welcome, who just now had been ashade surly. He was beginning to say that it was for his guests tochoose, when my Cousin Dolly came in suddenly through the open door. 

"Why here is my little maid, gentlemen--" he said; and Dolly did herreverence. 

Now I had in my mind no thought of jealousy at all; and yet when I sawhow the Duke bowed to my cousin, I am bound to say that a touch of itpierced me like a dart--there and gone again, I thought. But it had beenthere. I thought how few gentlemen poor Dolly saw down here in HareStreet: beyond the parson--and he was a man who would go out before thepudding in a great house, and marry the lady's maid--there was scarceone who might write Esquire after his name; and the breeding of most ofthe squires was mostly rustical. As for her, she did her reverence veryprettily, without a trace of the country in it; and, strange to say, hermanner seemed to change. I mean by that, that she seemed wholly at herease in this new kind of company, fully as much as with her maids. 

"You have had a very wet ride, sir, " she said, without any sign ofconfusion or shyness; "the maids are kindling a fire in the kitchen, todry your clothes before morning: and your men shall have beds in theattic. "

The Duke made a pretty answer, which she took as prettily. 

"And a cold supper shall be in immediately, " she said. 

Then my Cousin Tom must needs begin upon the maid, as if she were achild, or idiotic; and say what a good housekeeper his little maid wasto him, and how she could do so many things; and the Duke took it allwith courtesy, yet did not encourage it, as if he understood her waysbetter than her father did--which was, very likely, true enough. 

"And you come up to London, mistress, " he said, "no doubt, " with a lookat her dress that was not at all insolent, and yet very plain. And itwas indeed a pretty good one; and I remember it very well. It was cutlike a French sac--a fashion that had first come in about ten yearsbefore, and still lasted; and was a little lower at the throat than manythat she wore. It was of a brownish kind of yellow, of which I do notknow the name, and had white lace to it, and silver lace on the bodice. She was sunburnt again, but not too much, as I had first seen her; andher blue eyes looked very bright in her face; and she wore a ring oneither hand, as she usually did in the evening, and had her littlepearls round her neck. It was strange to me how I observed all this, sosoon as the Duke had drawn attention to it; whereas I had not observedit particularly before. 

Wen we went into supper it was the same with the Duke and her. Hebehaved to her with the greatest deference, yet not at all exaggeratedso as to be in the least insolent. He treated her, it appeared to me, ashe would have treated one of his own ladies, though there had been everyexcuse, especially with Cousin Tom's way of speaking to her, and thedeep country we were in, if he had not noticed her at all. Mr. Atkins, as he called himself, followed suit; but said very little. Once, whenthe dishes had to be taken away, and Dolly rose to do it--before I couldmove--(my Cousin Tom, of course, sat there like a dummy)--I observed theDuke make a little movement with his eyes towards Mr. Atkins, whoimmediately rose up and did it for her. 

The effect of all this upon me was to make me do my best in talk; but itwas not very easy without betraying that I knew more of the Court thanmight be supposed; but the Duke outdid me every time. He listened withthe greatest courtesy; and then said something a little better. I thinkI have never seen a man do better; but it was always so with him. Fiveyears later he won the hearts of all the drapers in Taunton, in thatterrible enterprise of his, besides ranging on his side some of thenoblest blood in England. Twenty-six young maids in that town gave him aBible and a pair of colours worked by their hands; and twenty-six youngmaids, it was said, went away after it in love with him. He did notprove himself very much of a hero in the field; but from his manner incompany one could never have guessed at that. He had all the bearing ofa prince, and all the charm of a boy with it. 

My Cousin Tom said something when supper was ending about Dolly's skillin music; and how she and her maid sang together. 

"May we not hear it for ourselves?" asked the Duke. 

"But you are wet, sir, " said my Cousin Tom. 

The Duke smiled. 

"I shall not think of that, sir, " he said, "if Mistress Dorothy willsing to us. "

Well; so it was settled. The maid was in the kitchen, and was presentlyfetched; and she and Dolly sang together once or twice, though it wasnow after eleven o'clock. They sang Mr. Wise's "Go, perjured man, " Iremember, again; and then M. Grabu's "Song upon Peace. " The Duke satstill in the great chair, shading his eyes from the candlelight, andwatching my Cousin Dolly: and once, when my Cousin Tom broke in upon thesecond song with something he had just thought of to say, he put himaside with a gesture, very royal and commanding, and yet void ofoffence, until the song was done. 

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Jermyn, " he said a moment afterwards, "but Ihave never been so entranced. What was it that you wished to say?"

As Dolly came towards him he stood up. 

"Mistress Dorothy, " he said, "you have given us a great deal ofpleasure. " And he said this with so much gravity and feeling that sheflushed. It was the first evident sign she had given that he had pleasedher. 

"And I mean it, " he went on, "when I say it is a pity you do not come totown more often. Such singing as that should have a larger audience thanthe two or three you have had to-night. "

Dolly smiled at him. 

"Thank you, sir, " she said. "But I know my place better than that. "

This was all a little bitter to me; for by this time a wild kind ofjealousy had risen again in me which I knew to be unreasonable, and yetcould not check. It was true that I myself took the greatest pains neverto forget my manners; but I knew very well that novelty has apleasantness all of its own; and the novelty of such company as this, charged with the peculiar charm of the Duke's manner, must surely, Ithought, have its effect upon her. 

"Well, " said he, "I could spend all night in this chamber with suchmusic; but I must not keep Mistress Dorothy from her sleep anothermoment. "

He kissed her fingers with the greatest grace, and then bowed by thedoor as she went out. 

 * * * * *

When we had taken them to the great guest-room that was as large, verynearly, as the Great Chamber, and over it, and bidden them good-night, my Cousin Tom remembered that we had forgotten to ask Mr. Morton at whattime he must ride in the morning; so I went back again to ask. 

I stayed at the door for one instant after knocking, for it seemed theyhad not heard me; and in that little interval I heard the Duke's voicewithin, very distinct. 

"A damned pretty wench, " he cried. "We must--"

And at that I opened the door and went in, my jealousy suddenly flamingup again, so that I lost my wits. 

They stared at me in astonishment. The Duke already was stripped to hisshirt by one of the beds. 

"I beg your pardon, Sir, " I said. "But at what hour will Your Grace havethe horses?"

Mr. Atkins wheeled round full upon me; and the Duke's mouth opened alittle. Then the Duke burst into a fit of laughter. 

"By God, sir!" he said. "You have detected us. How long have you knownit?"

"From the moment Your Grace took off your hat, " I said. 

He laughed again, highly and merrily. 

"Well; no harm is done, " he said. "We took other names to make matterseasier for all. You have told Mr. Jermyn?"

"No, sir, " I said. 

"I beg of you not to do so, " he said. "It will spoil all. Nor MistressDorothy. It is far easier to do without ceremony now and again. "

I bowed again; but I said nothing. 

"Then you may as well know, " said the Duke, "that Mr. Atkins is noneother than my Lord of Essex. We have been at Newmarket together. "

I bowed to my lord, and he to me. 

"Well--the horses, " said Monmouth. "At eight o'clock, if you please. "

I said nothing to Tom, for I was very uncertain what to do; and though Iwas mad with anger at what I had heard the Duke say as I waited at thedoor--(though now I cannot say that there was any great harm in thewords themselves)--I still kept my wits enough to know that I was tooangry to judge fairly. I lay awake a long time that night, turning fromside to side after that I had heard the wet clothes of our guestscarried downstairs to be dried by morning before the fire. It was all amighty innocent matter, so far as it had gone; but I would not see that. I told myself that a man of the Duke's quality should not come to alittle country-house under an _alias_, even if he had been bogged tentimes over; that he should not make pretty speeches to a country maidand kiss her fingers, and hold open the door for her, even though allthese things or some of them were just what I had done myself. Frankly, I understand now that no harm was meant; that every word the Duke hadsaid was true, and that it was but natural for him to try to please allacross whom he came; but I would not see it at the time. 

On the next morning when I came downstairs early it seemed to me that myCousin Dorothy was herself downstairs too early for mere good manners. The guests were not yet stirring; yet the maids were up, and the ale setout in the dining-room, and the smell of hot oat-cake came from thekitchen. There were flowers also upon the table; and my cousin was in apretty brown dress of hers that she did not wear very often. 

I looked upon her rather harshly; and I think she observed it; for shesaid nothing to me as she went about her business. 

I went out into the stable-yard to see the horses; and found my CousinTom there already, admiring them; and indeed they were fine, especiallya great dappled grey that was stamping under the brush of the fellow whohad first knocked at our door last night. 

"That is Mr. Morton's horse, I suppose?" said Tom. 

The man who was grooming him did not speak; and Tom repeated hisquestion. 

"Yes, sir, " said the man, with a queer look which I understood, thoughTom did not, "this is Mr. Morton's. "

"And the chestnut is Mr. Atkins'?" asked my cousin. 

"Just so, sir; Mr. Atkins', " said the man, with the corners of his mouthtwitching. 

The grinning ape--as I thought him--very nearly set me off into sayingthat I knew all about it; and that the yellow saddle-cloth was thecolour the Duke of Monmouth used always; but I did not. It appeared tome then the worst of manners that these personages should come and makea mock of country-folk, so that even the servants laughed at us. 

 * * * * *

Our guests were downstairs when I came in again, and talking verymerrily to my Cousin Dorothy, who was as much at her ease as last night. The Duke sneezed once or twice. 

"You have taken a cold, sir, " said Dolly. 

"It was in a good cause, " he said; and sneezed again. 

"_Salute_, " said I. 

He gave me a quick look, astonished, I suppose, that a rustic shouldknow the Italian ways. 

"_Grazie_, " said he, smiling. "You have been in Italy, Mr. Mallock?"

"Oh! I have been everywhere, " I said, with a foolish idea of making himrespect me. 

 * * * * *

When they rode away at last, we all stood at the gate to watch them go. The storm had cleared away wonderfully; and the air was fresh andsummerlike, and ten thousand jewels sparkled on the limes. They made avery gallant cavalcade. The horses had recovered from their weariness, for they were finely bred, all five of them; and the Duke's horseespecially was full of spirit, and curvetted a little, with pleasure andthe strength of our corn, as he went along. The servants' liveries toowere gay and pleasant to the eye:--(they were not the Duke's ownliveries; for when he went about outside town he used a plainersort)--and the Duke's dark blue, with his fair curls and his great hatwhich he waved as he went, and my Lord Essex's spruce figure in hisbuff, all made a very pretty picture as they went up the village street. 

It was this, I think, and my Cousin Dolly's silence as she looked afterthem, that determined me; and as we three went back again up the flaggedpath to the house, and the servants round again to the yard, I spoke. 

"Cousin Tom, " I said. "Do you wish to know who our guests were?"

He looked at me in astonishment, and my Cousin Dolly too. 

"Mr. Morton is the Duke of Monmouth, " I said, "and Mr. Atkins, my LordEssex. "

CHAPTER V

It was a long time before my Cousin Tom recovered from his astonishmentand his pleasure at having entertained such personages in his house. Hetold me, of course, presently, when he had had time to think of it, thathe had guessed it all along, but had understood that His Grace wished tobe _incognito_; and I suppose at last he came to believe it. He wouldfall suddenly musing in the evenings; and I would know what he wasthinking of; and it was piteously amusing to see, how one night again, not long after, he rose and ran to the door when a drunken man knockedupon it, and what ill words he gave him when he saw who it was. His wasa slow-moving mind; and I think he could not have formed the project, which he afterwards carried out, while I was with him, or he must havelet it out to me. 

 * * * * *

It was a little piteous, too, to see with what avidity he seized uponany news of the Duke, and how his natural inclinations and thoseconsonant with his religion strove with his new-found loyalty to abastard. A week or two later we had news of the attempt made by my LordShaftesbury to injure the Duke of York's cause by presenting his name asthat of a recusant, to the Middlesex grand jury. It was a mighty boldthing to do, and though the attempt failed so far as that the judgesdismissed the jury while they were still deliberating, it shewed howlittle my Lord feared the Duke or His Majesty and how much resolved hewas to establish, if he could, the Protestant succession and the Duke ofMonmouth's pretended claim to it. A deal of nonsense, too, was talked atthis time of how the Duke was truly legitimate, and how Mistress LucyWalters had been secretly married to the King, before ever poor QueenCatherine had been heard of; and the proofs of all this, it wasreported, were in a certain Black Box that no one had ever set eyes on;and the matter became so much a thing of ridicule that once at the play, I think, when one of the actors carried on a black box, there was a roarof laughter and jeering from the pit. 

It was wonderful to hear my Cousin Tom hold forth upon the situation. 

One evening in September, two months after our adventure of the Duke'scoming, after a long silence, he made a little discourse upon it all. 

"I should not be surprised, " said he, "if there was more in the talethan most men think. It is not likely that the proofs of the marriagewould be easy to come by, in such a case; for Mistress Walters, whom Ithink I once saw at Tunbridge Wells, was not at all of the King'sposition even by blood; and it is less likely that His Majesty, who wasbut a very young man at that time, would have stood out against her whenshe wished marriage. Besides there is no doubt that he knew her longbefore there was any prospect of his coming to the throne. Then toothere has always appeared, to my mind at least, something in the Duke'sbearing and carriage that it would be very hard for a bastard to have. He has a very princely air. "

To such talk as this I would make no answer; but I would watch my CousinDorothy's face; and think that I read there something that I did notlike--an interest that she should not feel: and, after a pause my CousinTom would proceed in his conjectures. 

It was on the day following this particular discourse, which I remembervery well, for my jealousy had so much worked up that I was very nearbreaking my resolution and telling my Cousin Dolly all that was in myheart, that a letter came for me from Mr. Chiffinch, so significant thatI will write down some sentences of it. 

"His Majesty bids me to write to you to come up to town again for a fewdays. He thinks that you may perhaps be of some use with His RoyalHighness to urge him to go back to Scotland again, which at present hevows that he will not do. His Majesty is aware that the Duke scarcelyknows you at all; yet he tells me to say this, and that I will explainto you when you come how you can be of service. There will be a deal oftrouble this autumn; the Parliament is to meet in October, and will bein a very ill-humour, it is thought. "

There was a little more of this sort; and then came a sentence or twothat roused my anger. 

"I have heard much here of your entertainment of the Duke of Monmouth, and of what a pretty girl your cousin is. His Majesty laughed very muchwhen he heard of it; and swears that he suspects you of going over tothe Protestant side after all. The Duke knows nothing of what you are, or of anything you have done; but he has talked freely of hisentertainment at Hare Street, thinking it, I suppose, to be a Protestanthouse. In public the King has had nothing to say to him; but he loveshim as much as ever, and would not, I think be very sorry, in his heart, though he never says so, if he were to be declared legitimate. "

This made me angry then, for what the letter said as to the Duke ofMonmouth's talk; and it disconcerted me too, for, if the King himselfwere to join the popular party, there would be little hope of theCatholic succession. The Duchess of Portsmouth, also, I had heard, hadlately become of that side; and I dared say it was she who had talkedHis Majesty round. 

Now my Cousin Tom knew that I had had this letter, for he had seen thecourier bring it; but he did not know from whom it came; and, as alreadyhe was a little suspicious, I thought, of what I did in town, I thoughtit best to tell him that it was from a friend at Court; and what it saidas to the Duke of Monmouth's talk, hoping that this perhaps might offendhim against the Duke. But it had the very opposite effect, much to mydiscomfiture. 

"His Grace says that, does he?" he said, smiling. "I am sure it is verycourteous of him to remember his poor entertainment"; and (Dolly comingin at this instant) he told her too what the Duke had said. 

"Hear what the Duke of Monmouth hath been saying, my dear! He says youare a mighty pretty girl. "

And Dolly, greatly to my astonishment, did not seem displeased, as soonas she had heard the tale; for she laughed and said nothing. 

 * * * * *

As I rode up to London next day in answer to my summons, I was wonderinghow in the world I could be of service to the Duke of York. As Mr. Chiffinch had said, I knew next to nothing of him, nor he of me; butwhen I was gone round to the page's rooms the morning after I came, hetold me something of the reasons for which I had been summoned. 

"Such Jesuits as are left, " he said, "and the Duke's confessor amongthem, seem all of opinion that the Duke had best remain in London andfight it out. We hear, without a doubt, that my Lord Shaftesbury, whoseems most desperate, will bring in the Exclusion Bill again thisSession; and the priests say that it is best for His Royal Highness tobe here; and to plead again for himself as he did so well two years ago. His Majesty on the other hand is honestly of opinion--and I would soonertrust to his foresight than to all the Jesuits in the world--that hehimself can fight better for his brother if that brother be in Scotland;for out of sight, out of mind. And he desires you, as a Catholic, yetnot a priest, to go and talk to the Duke on that side. He hath sent halfa dozen to him already; and, since he knows that the Duke is aware ofwhat you have done in France, he thinks that your word may tip thebalance. For the Duke, I think, is in two minds, beneath all hisprotestations. "

For myself, I was of His Majesty's opinion; for the sight of the Dukeirritated folk who had not yet forgotten the Oates Plot; and I consentedvery willingly to go and see him. 

 * * * * *

I was astonished to find that by now I had really become something of apersonage myself, amongst those few who had heard what I had done inFrance; and I was received by His Royal Highness in his lodgings aftersupper that evening with a very different air from that which he hadwhen I had last spoken with him. 

The Duke was pacing up and down his closet when I came in, and turned tome with a very friendly manner. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, when I had saluted him and was sat down, "I amvery glad to see you. His Majesty has told me all that you have done, and has urged me to see you, as you are devoted as I know, to theCatholic cause, and know the world too; and men's minds. Do you think Ishould go or stay?"

"Sir, " I said, "my opinion is that you should go. There is a quantity ofdisaffection in town. I have met with a good deal of it myself. If YourRoyal Highness is to be seen continually going about, that disaffectionwill be kept alive. Men are astonishingly stupid. They act, largely, upon that which they see, not on that which they know: and by going toScotland you will meet them both ways. They will not see Your Highnessat all; and all that they will know of you is that you are doing theKing's work and helping the whole kingdom in Edinburgh. "

"But they say I torture folks there!" said the Duke. 

"They say so, Sir. They will say anything. But not a reasonable manbelieves it. "

(It was true, indeed, that such gossip went about; but the substance ofit was ridiculous. Good fighters do not torture; and no one denied tothe Duke the highest pitch of personal courage. He had fought with thegreatest gallantry against the Dutch. )

He said nothing to that; but sat brooding. 

His closet was a very magnificent chamber; but not so magnificent as hewho sat in it. He was but just come from supper, and wore his orders onhis coat; but all his dress could not distract those who looked at himfrom that kingly Stuart face that he had. He was, perhaps, the heaviestlooking of them all, with not a tithe of Monmouth's brilliant charm, orthe King's melancholy power; yet he too had the air of command and morethan a touch of that strange romance which they all had. Until thatblood is diluted down to nothing, I think that a Stuart will always findmen to love and to die for him. But it was Stuart against Stuart thistime; so who could tell with whom the victory would lie?

So I was thinking to myself, when suddenly the Duke looked up. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "I hear that you have a very persuasive mannerwith both men and women. There is an exceedingly difficult commissionwhich I wish you would execute for me. You have spoken with the Duchessof Portsmouth?"

"Never, Sir, " I said. "I have seen Her Grace in the park only. "

"Well; she has thrown her weight against me with the King. God knowswhy! But I wonder you have not met her?"

"Sir, I never go to Court, by His Majesty's wish. "

"Yes, " he said. "But Her Grace is the King's chief agent in his Frenchaffairs; and you are in them too, I hear. But that is His Majesty's way;he uses each singly, and never two together if he can help it. " (Thiswas perfectly true, and explained a good deal to me. I had heard much ofthe Duchess in France, but nothing at all of her from the King. )

"Well, " continued the Duke, "I wish you would see her for me, Mr. Mallock; and try to get from her why she is so hot against me. She is aCatholic, as you are, and she should not be so. But she is all on firefor Monmouth and the Protestant succession; and she is all powerful withthe King. "

"I shall be happy to do what I can, Sir, " said I, "but I do not supposeHer Grace will confide in me. "

"I know that, " he said, "but you may pick up something. You are thefourth I have sent on that errand, and nothing come of it. "

We talked a while longer on these affairs, myself more and moreastonished at the confidence given me (but I think now that it wasbecause the Duke had so few that he could trust); and when I took myleave it was with a letter written and signed and sealed by the Duke, which I was to present at Her Grace's lodgings immediately. 

The Duchess, at this time, was, I think, the most powerful figure inEngland; since her influence over the King was unbounded. She had cometo England ten years ago as Charles' mistress, a good and simple maid inthe beginning, as I believe, and of good Breton parents, who would notlet her go to the French Court, yet were persuaded to let her go to theEnglish--where, God help her! she soon ceased to be either good orsimple. In the year seventy-two she was created Duchess of Portsmouthwho up to that time had been the Breton woman Madame Kéroual (or, as shewas called in England Madam Carwell). Three years later her son had beenmade Duke of Richmond. At the time of the Popish Plot she had beenterrified of her life, and it was only at the King's persuasion that sheremained in England. I cannot say that she was popular with the people, for her coach was cried after pretty often unless she had her guardswith her; and this always threw her into paroxysms of terror. Yet sheremained in England, and was treated as of royal blood both by Charleswho loved her, and James who feared her. 

A couple of days later I received a message to say that Her Grace wouldreceive me after supper on that same evening: so I put on my finestsuit, and set out in a hired coach. 

The Duchess lived at this time in lodgings at the end of the GreatGallery in Whitehall; and I think that of all the apartments I had everset eyes on--even the royal lodgings themselves--this was the finest;and no wonder, for they had been pulled down two or three times beforeshe was satisfied, thus fulfilling the old proverb of Setting a Beggaron Horseback. I was made to wait awhile in an outer chamber, all as ifshe were royal; and I examined the pieces of furniture there, and therewas nothing in the Queen's own lodging to approach to them--so massy wasthe plate and so great and exquisitely carved the tables and chairs. When I was taken through at last by a fellow dressed in a livery likethe King's own, the next room, where I was bidden to sit down, was fullas fine. There was a quantity of tapestry upon the walls, of new Frenchfabric, so resembling paintings that I had to touch before I was sureof them--of Versailles, and St. Germain, with hunting pieces andlandscapes and exotic fowls. There were Japan cabinets, screens andpendule clocks, and a great quantity of plate, all of silver, as well aswere the sconces that held the candles; and the ceilings were paintedall over, as were His Majesty's own, I suppose by Verrio. 

As I sat there, considering what I should say to her, I heard musiccontinually through one of the doors; and when at last it was flung openand my Lady came through, she brought, as it were, a gust of music withher. 

I bowed very low, as I had been instructed, in spite of the character ofthe woman, and then I kneeled to kiss her hand. Then she sat down, andleft me standing, like a servant. 

She appeared at that time to be about thirty years old, though I thinkshe was far beyond this; but she had a wonderfully childish face, veryartfully painted and darkened by the eyes. I cannot deny, however, thatshe was very handsome indeed, and well set-off by her jewels and hersilver-lace gown, cut very low so as to shew her dazzling skin. Herfingers too, when I kissed them, were but one mass of gems. Her firstsimplicity was gone, indeed. 

I loathed this work that I was sent on; since it forced me to be civilto this spoiled creature, instead of, as I should have wished, namingher for what she was, to her face. However, that had been done prettyoften by the mob; so I doubt if I could have told her anything she didnot know already. Her voice was set very low and was a little rough; yetit was not ugly at all. She spoke in French; and so did I. 

"Well, Mr. Mallock, " she said, "I have company; but I did not wish torefuse another of His Royal Highness's ambassadors. What is the matternow, if you please?"

Now I knew that this kind of personage loved flattery--for it wasnothing but this that had ruined her--and that it could scarcely be toothick: so I framed my first sentences in that key: for, after all, myfirst business was to please her. 

"His Royal Highness is desolated, madam, " I said, "because he thinks hehas displeased you. "

"Displeased me!" she cried. "Why, what talk is this of a Prince to apoor Frenchwoman?"

She smiled very unpleasantly as she said this; and nearly all the time Iwas with her, her eyes were running up and down my figure. I was wearinga good ring or two also, and my sword-hilt was very prettily set withdiamonds; and she always had an eye for such things. 

"There can be no talk of Prince and subject, madam, " I said, "when HerGrace of Portsmouth is in question. "

She smiled once more; and I saw that she liked this kind of talk. So Igave her plenty of it. 

"La! la!" she said. "This is very pretty talk. What is your business, sir, if you please?"

"It is what I have said, madam; and nothing else upon my honour! HisRoyal Highness is seriously discomposed. "

"Then why does he not come to see me, and ask me himself?" snapped myLady. "He hath not been these three months back. Why does he send a--amessenger?"

(She was on the very point of saying _servant_; and it pleased me thatshe had not done so. I noted also in my mind that wounded vanity was oneof the reasons for her behaviour, as it usually is with a woman. )

"Madam, " I said, "His Royal Highness does not come, I am sure, becausehe does not know how he would be received. It seems that Your Grace'sfavour is given to another, altogether, now. "

"God bless us!" said the Duchess. "Why not say Monmouth and be done withit?"

"It is Your Grace who has named him, " I said: "but the Duke of Monmouthis the very man. "

She gave a great flirt to her fan; and I saw by her face what I hadsuspected before, that it was not only with music that she wasintoxicated. Then she jerked her pretty head. 

"Sit down, sir, " she said; and when I had done so, pleased at theprogress I was making, she told me everything I wanted to know, thoughshe did not think so herself. 

"See here, Mr. Mallock: You appear an intelligent kind of man. Now askyourself a question or two, and you will know all that I know myself. What kind of a chance, think you, has a Catholic as King of England, asagainst a Protestant; and what kind of a chance, think you, has the Dukeof York beside the Duke of Monmouth? I speak freely, because from yourhaving come on this errand, I suppose you are a man that can be trusted. I wonder you have not seen it for yourself. His Royal Highness has notact--no _aplomb_: he sets all against him by his lordly ways. He couldnot make a friend of any man, to save his life: he can never forget hisroyalty. He sulks there in his lodgings, and will not even come to see apoor Frenchwoman. And now, sir, you know all that I know myself. "

The woman's ill-breeding came out very plainly when she spoke; and Iremember even then wondering that His Majesty could make so much of her. But it is often the way that men of good breeding can never see its lackin others, especially in women: or will not. However I concealed allthis from Her Grace, and let go more of my courtesy. 

"But, madam, " I said, "with all the goodwill in the world it isVersailles to a china orange that His Royal Highness will succeed in theevent. I do not say that he will make as good a King as the Duke ofMonmouth, nor that his being a Catholic will be anything but adisadvantage to him; but disadvantages or no, if he is King, it issurely better to be upon his side, and help, not hinder him. "

I would not have dared to say such a thing to a respectable woman; forit advised her, almost without disguise, to look to her own advantageonly. 

She gave me a sharp look. 

"That is where we are not agreed, " said she. 

I made a little despairing gesture with my hands. 

"Well, madam--if you do not accept facts--"

"Why do you think the Duke of York is so sure to succeed?" she askedsharply; and I saw that I had touched her. 

"Madam, " I said, "we English are a very curious people. It is true thatwe cut off His late Majesty's head; but it is also true that we welcomedback his son with acclamation. We are not quick and logical as is yourown glorious nation; we have very much more sentimentality; and, amongthose matters that we are sentimental about, is that of Royalty. I darewager a good deal that if government by Monarchy goes in either of ourcountries, it will go in Your Grace's fatherland first. We abuse thosein high places, and we disobey them, and we talk against them; yet wecling to them. 

"And there is a second reason--" I went on rapidly; for she was at thepoint of speaking--"We are a highly respectable nation, with all theprejudices of respectability; and one of these prejudices concerns HisGrace of Monmouth's parentage"--(I saw her flare scarlet at that; but Iknew what I was doing)--"It is a foolish Pharisaic sort of prejudice, nodoubt, madam; but it is there; and I do not believe--"

She could bear no more; for her own son had precisely that bar sinisteralso; and in her anger she said what I wished to hear. 

"This is intolerable, sir, " she flared at me, gripping the arms of herchair. "I do not wish to hear any more about your stupid English nation. It is because they are stupid that I do what I do. They can be led bythe nose, like your stupid king: I can do what I will--"

"Madam, " I entreated, and truly my accents were piteous, "I beg of younot to speak like that. I am a servant of His Majesty's--I cannot hearsuch talk--"

I rose from my chair. 

Now in that Court there was more tittle-tattle, I think, than in anyplace on God's earth; and she knew that well enough; and understood thatshe had said something which unless she prevented it, would go straightto Charles' ears. It is true that she ruled him absolutely; but hekicked under her yoke a little now and then; and if there were one thingthat he would not brook it was to be called stupid. She let go of thearms of her chair, and went a little white. I think she had no ideatill then that I was in the King's service. 

"I said nothing--" she murmured. 

I stood regarding her; and I think my manner must have been good. 

"I said nothing that should be repeated, " she added, a little louder. 

I still kept silence. 

"You will not repeat it, Mr. Mallock?"

"Madam, " I said, "I have only one desire: and that is to serve HisMajesty and His Majesty's lawful heir. My mouth can be sealedabsolutely, if that end is served. "

I said that very slowly and deliberately. 

I saw her breathe a little more freely. It was a piteous sight to see awoman so depending upon such things as a complexion, and whiffs ofscandal, and servants' gossip. 

"Mr. Mallock, " she said, "I cannot veer round all in a moment, eventhough I must confess that what you have said to me, has touched me veryclosely. "

She looked at me miserably. 

"Madam, " I said, for I dared not grasp at more than this, for fear oflosing all, "that has wiped out your words as if they had never beenspoken. "

I kissed her hand and went out. 

 * * * * *

I did not go to the Duke, for I hold that, when a man has to siftcarefully between what he must say and what he must not, it is best todo it on paper; but I went back to my lodgings and wrote to him that itwas merely for her own advantage that the Duchess had behaved so, andbecause she thought that the Protestant succession was certain--her ownadvantage, that is to say, mingled with a little woman's vanity. Ibegged His Royal Highness therefore to go and see the Duchess, if hethought well, and, if possible, publicly, when she held her reception, before he went to Scotland--(for I was diplomat enough to know that theassuming he would go to Scotland would be the best persuasion to makehim)--; and at the end I told him that I thought my arguments hadprevailed a little with Her Grace, and that though she could not at onceturn weathercock, he might take my word for it that she would not be soforward as she had been. But I did not tell him what argument I hadchiefly used; for I hold that even to such a woman as that, a man shouldkeep his word. 

Everything I told the Duke in that letter fell true. The Duchess beganto cool very much in the Protestant cause, though perhaps that washelped a little by Monmouth's having fallen under the King'sdispleasure: and the Duke of York went two or three times to theDuchess' receptions; and to Scotland on the day before Parliament met. 

CHAPTER VI

It was on Mr. Chiffinch's advice that I remained in London for thepresent, determining however to spend Christmas at Hare Street; andindeed I had plenty to do in making my reports to Rome on the situation. 

There was a storm brewing. From all over the country came in _addresses_to the King, as they were called, praying him to assemble Parliament, and that, not only for defence against Popery, but against despotism aswell; and all these were nourished and inspired by my Lord Shaftesbury. His Majesty answered this by proclaiming through the magistrates thatsuch addresses were contrary to the laws that left such things at theKing's discretion; and the court-party against the country-partypresently begun to send addresses beseeching His Majesty to defend thatprerogative of his fearlessly. Names began to be flung about: thecourt-party called the other the party of _Whigs_, because of their wheyfaces that would turn all sour; and the country-party nicknamed theothers _Tories_, which was the name of the banditti in the wilder partsof Ireland. So it appeared that whenever Parliament should meet, therewould be, as the saying is, a pretty kettle of fish to fry. 

Parliament met at last on the twenty-first of October, the Duke of Yorkhaving set out to Scotland with a fine retinue on the day before; (whichsome thought too pointed); and the King himself opened it. 

With all my love for His Majesty I am forced to confess that hepresented a very poor spectacle on that occasion. Not only did helargely yield to the popular clamour, and profess himself willing, within reason, to befriend any measures for the repression of Popery;but he stood at the fire afterwards in the House of Lords, for a greatwhile, warming his back and laughing with his friends. I was in thegallery and saw it myself. Laughter is a very good thing, but a seemlygravity is no less good. As might be expected of curs, they barked allthe louder when there was no one to stand up to them; and within a week, after numerous insulting proposals made to honour that horde of lyinginformers that had done so much mischief already, and of preferring suchmen as Dr. Tonge to high positions in the Church, once more thatExclusion Bill of theirs came forward. 

The Commons passed it, as might be expected, since my Lord Shaftesburyhad packed that House with his own nominees. 

I was in Whitehall on the night that it was debated in the Lords--fourdays later--and up to ten o'clock His Majesty had not returned from theHouse; for he was present at that debate--a very unusual thing with him. I went up and down for a little while outside His Majesty's lodgings;and about half-past ten I saw Mr. Chiffinch coming. 

"His Majesty is not back yet, " he said; and presently he proposed thatwe should go to the House ourselves. 

 * * * * *

From the little gallery whither he conducted me, I had a very good viewof the House, and, yet more, of one of the strangest sights ever seenthere. 

Upon the carpet that was laid by the fire, for it was a cold night, stood His Majesty himself with a circle of friends about him. Now andagain there came up to him one of the Peers for whom he had sent; hetalked to him a few minutes; and then let him go; for he was doingnothing else than solicit each of them for his vote. 

The cry was raised presently to clear the House; and we went away; fortheir Lordships were to record their votes; and we had not stood half anhour in the court outside, before there came a great cheering andshouting; followed hard by a great booing from the crowds that stoodpacked outside. My Lords had thrown out the Exclusion Bill by abovetwo-thirds of their number--which was ninety-three. Presently HisMajesty came out by his private way, laughing and jesting aloud with twoor three others. 

It was to be expected that the country-party would make some retort tothis; and what that retort was I heard a few days later, from a coupleof gentlemen who came into the parlour at the Covent Garden tavern whereI was taking my supper. They came in very eagerly, talking together, andwhen they had sat down, one of them turned to me. 

"You have heard the news, sir?"

"No, sir. What news?"

"My Lord Stafford is to be tried for his life. "

I did not know what political complexion these two were of; so I lookedwise and inquired how that was known. 

"A clerk that is in the House of Lords told me, sir. I have always foundhis information to be correct. "

This was all very well for the clerk's friend, thought I; but not enoughfor me; and so soon as I had finished my supper and bidden themgood-night I was off to Mr. Chiffinch. 

"Why yes, " he said. "It is like to be true enough. I had heard talk ofit, but no more. It is he whom they have chosen as the weakest of theFive in the Tower; and if they can prevail against him they will proceedagainst the rest, I suppose. I wonder who the informers will be. "

I inquired how it was that the Peers did not resist. 

"They fear for themselves and their places, " said Mr. Chiffinch. "Theywill yield up anything but that, if a man or two will but push them hardenough. And, if they try my Lord, they will certainly condemn him. Thereis no question of that. To acquit him would cause a yet greater uproarthan to refuse to hear the case at all. "

"And His Majesty?"

Mr. Chiffinch eyed me gravely. 

"His Majesty will never prefer his private feelings before the publicutility. "

"And this is to the public utility?"

"Why yes; or the country-party thinks it is. It is the best answer theycan make to their rebuff on the matter of the Exclusion Bill. "

The rumour proved to be perfectly true. The Five Lords who were still inthe Tower, had been sent there, it may be remembered, above two yearsago, on account of their religion, although the pretended plot professedby Oates was of course alleged against them. Since that time Parliamenthad been busy with other matters; but such an opportunity was now toogood to be lost, of striking against the court-party, and, at the sametime, of feeding the excitement and fanaticism of their own. 

The trial came on pretty quickly, beginning on the last day of November;and as I had never seen a Peer tried by his fellows, I determined to bepresent, and obtained an order to admit me every day; and the first day, strangely enough, was the birthday of my Lord Stafford himself. 

 * * * * *

Westminster Hall, in which the trial was held, was a very noble sightwhen all the folks were in their places. (I sat myself in a highgallery, in which sat, too, ambassadors and public ministers--at theupper end, above the King's state. )

I could not see that which was immediately beneath me, neither of thebox in which sat His Majesty during a good deal of the trial, nor, uponthe left side where the great ladies sat. But I had a very good view ofthe long forms on which the Peers sat, before the state (under which wasthe throne), the wool-packs for the Judges, and the chair of the LordSteward--all which was ranged exactly as in the House of Lords itself. Behind the Peers' forms rose the stands, scaffolded up to the roof, forthe House of Commons to sit in; so that the Hall resembled the shape ofa V in its section, with a long arena in the midst. The lower end held, in the middle, the bar for the prisoner to stand at, and a place for himto retire into: a box for his two daughters, of whom one was theMarchioness of Winchester; and the proper places for the Lieutenant ofthe Tower (whence my Lord was brought by water), the axe-bearer, who hadthe edge of his axe turned away from the prisoner, and the guards thatkept him. Upon either hand of the entrance, nearer to the throne, stood, upon one side a box for the witnesses, and upon the other, those thatwere called the Managers--being lawyers and attorneys and the like; butthese were in their cloaks and swords, as were others who were withthem, of the Parliamentary party, since they were here as representingthe Commons, and not as lawyers first of all. 

 * * * * *

The two first days were tedious enough; and I did not stay a greatwhile; for the articles of impeachment were read, and formalitiesdischarged. One matter of interest only appeared; and that was the namesof the witnesses, when I learned for the first time that Oates andDugdale and Turberville were to be the principal. I think more than Iwere astonished to hear that Dr. Oates was in this conspiracy too, as inso many others; and that he would swear, when the time came, that he haddelivered to my Lord a commission from the Holy Father, to be paymasterin the famous Catholic army of which we had heard so much. 

I was much occupied too on these days in observing the appearance anddemeanour of the prisoner, whom I could see very well. He was now in hisseventieth year, and looked full his age; but he bore himself with greatdignity and restraint. He had somewhat of a cold look in his face; andindeed it was true that he was not greatly beloved by anybody, thoughrespected by all. 

The principal witnesses, even before Oates, were Dugdale andTurberville. First these gave their general testimony--and afterwardstheir particular. Mr. Dugdale related how that the plot, in general, hadbeen on hand for above fifteen or sixteen years; and he repeated all thestuff that had so stirred up the people before, as to indulgences andpardons promised by the Pope to those who would kill the King. I mustconfess that I fell asleep once or twice during this testifying, for Iknew it all by heart already. And, in particular, he said that my Lordhad debated with others at my Lord Aston's, how to kill the King: andthat himself was present at such debates. 

A great hum broke out in the Hall, when Dugdale swore that he had heardwith his own ears my Lord Stafford and others who had been present, givetheir assent one by one to the King's murder. His Majesty himself, I wastold later by Mr. Chiffinch, retired to the back of his box to laugh, when he heard that said; for neither then nor ever did he believe a wordof it. 

Next came Mr. Oates; and he too reaffirmed what he had said before, withan hundred ingenious additions and particularities as to times andplaces--and this, I think, as much as anything was the reason why somany simple folk had believed him in the first event. 

Then Turberville, who said falsely that he had once been a friar, and atDouay, related how my Lord, as he had said, had attempted to bribe himto kill the King, and suchlike nonsense. This, he said, had happened inFrance. 

My Lord Stafford questioned the prisoners a little; and shewed up manyholes in their story. For instance, he asked Turberville whether he hadever been in his chamber in Paris; and put this question through theHigh Steward. 

"Yes, my Lord, I have, " said Turberville. 

"What kind of a room is it?" asked my Lord. 

"I can't remember that, " said Turberville, who before had sworn he hadbeen in it many times. 

"No, " said my Lord, "I dare swear you can't. "

"I cannot tell the particulars--what stools and chairs were in theroom. "

 * * * * *

On the third day, which was Thursday, my Lord was bidden to call hiswitnesses and make his defence; and I must confess that he did not dothis very well; for, first he made a great pother about this and thatstatute, of the 13 Charles II. And 25 Edward--nothing of which servedhim at all; and next his witnesses did him harm rather than good; andDugdale, whom he examined was so clever and quiet and positive in hisstatements that it was mere oath against oath. Third, my Lord Staffordhimself did appear a little confused as to whether he had known Dugdaleor not, not being sure of him, as he said, in his periwig; for whenDugdale was bailiff to my Lord Aston at Tixall, he wore no such thing. All that he did, in regard to Dugdale, was to shew by one of hiswitnesses that Dugdale, when bailiff at Tixall, had been a meandishonest fellow; but then, as the Lord High Sheriff observed, it wouldscarcely be an honest man whom one would bribe to kill the King. 

When he dealt with Turberville too, he did not do much better; for hestood continually upon little points of no importance--such points as awitness may very well mistake--as to where the windows of his house inParis looked out, and whether the Prince of Conde lodged to right orleft--such little points as a lawyer would leave alone, if he could notprove them positively. 

On the fourth and fifth day I was not present; for I had a great deal todo in writing my reports for Rome; and on the sixth day--which wasMonday--I was not there above an hour, for I saw that the trial wouldnot end that day. But on the Tuesday I was there before ten o'clock; andat eleven o'clock my Lords came back to give judgment. It was a darkmorning, as it had been at the trial of the Jesuits; and the candleswere lighted. 

As soon as all were seated my Lord Stafford was brought in; and Iobserved him during all that followed. He stood very quiet at the bar, with his hands folded; and although, before the voting was over, he musthave known which way it was gone, he flinched never a hair nor wentwhite at all. (His bringing in while the voting was done was contrary tothe law; but no one observed it; and I knew nothing of it tillafterwards. )

The Lord High Steward first asked humble leave from my Lords to sit downas he spoke, as he was ailing a little, and then put the question toeach Lord, beginning with my Lord Butler of Weston. 

"My Lord Butler of Weston, " said he, "is William Lord Viscount Staffordguilty of the treason whereof he stands impeached, or not guilty?"

And my Lord answered in a loud voice, laying his hand upon his breast:

"Not guilty, upon my honour. "

There were in all eighty-six lords who voted; and each answered, Guilty, or Not Guilty, upon his honour, as had done the first, each standing upin his place. At the first I could not tell on which side lay the most;but as they went on, there could be no doubt that he was condemned. Prince Rupert, Duke of Cumberland, voted last, as he was of royal blood, and gave it against him. 

The Lord High Sheriff, who had marked down each vote upon a paper on hisdesk, now added them all up: and there was a great silence while he didthis. (I could see him doing it from where I sat. ) Then he spoke in aloud voice, raising his head. 

"My Lords, " said he, "upon telling your votes I find that there arethirty-one of my Lords that think the prisoner not guilty, andfifty-five that have found him guilty--Serjeant, " said he; and then Ithink that he was about to call for the prisoner, when he saw himalready there. Then, before he spoke again, I saw the headsman turn theedge of the axe towards my Lord Stafford; and a rustle of whispering ranthrough the Hall. 

"My Lord Stafford, " said the High Steward, "I have but heavy tidings foryou: your Lordship hath been impeached for high treason; you havepleaded not guilty: my Lords have heard your defence, and haveconsidered of the evidence; and their Lordships do find you guilty ofthe treason whereof you are impeached. "

Then my Lord Stafford, raising his head yet higher, and flinching not atall, cried out:

"God's holy name be praised, my Lords, for it!"

Then the Lord High Steward asked him why judgment of death should not begiven on him; and after saying that he had not expected it, and that heprayed God to forgive those that had sworn falsely against him, he wenton, as before, upon a legal point--that was wholly without relevance--that he had not been forced to hold up his hand at the beginning as hethought to be a legal form in all trials; and when he had said that, myLords went out to consider their judgment. 

It was above an hour before they came back. During that hour my LordStafford was permitted to sit down in the box provided for him; but noone was admitted to speak with him. He sat very still, leaning his headupon his hand. 

When all were come back again, he was made to stand up at the bar oncemore; and his face was as resolute and quiet as ever. 

Then, when the Lord High Steward had answered his point, saying that inno way did the holding up of the hand affect the legality of the trial;he began to give sentence. 

"My part, therefore, which remains, " said he, "is a very sad one. For Inever yet gave sentence of death upon any man, and am extremely sorrythat I must begin with your Lordship. "

My Lord Nottingham was silent for an instant when he had said that, seeking, I think, to command his voice: and then he began his speech, which I think he had learned by heart; and it was one of the most movingdiscourses that I have ever heard, though he committed a great indecencyin it, when he said that henceforth no man could ever doubt again thatit was the Papists who had burned London; and professed himself--(thoughthis I suppose he was bound to do)--satisfied with the evidence. 

When he came to give sentence, I watched my Lord Stafford's face againvery hard; and he flinched never a hair. It was the same sentence asthat to which the Jesuits too had listened, and many other Catholics. 

"You go to the place, " said my Lord Nottingham, "from whence you came;from thence you must be drawn upon a hurdle to the place of execution:when you come there you must be hanged up by the neck there, but nottill you are dead; for you must be cut down alive, your bowels ripped upbefore your face and thrown into the fire. Then your head must besevered from your body; and your body divided into four quarters, andthese must be at the disposal of the King. And God Almighty be mercifulto your soul!"

There was a moment of silence; and then my Lord Stafford answered. 

"My Lords, " he said quietly, yet so that every word was heard, "I humblybeseech you give me leave to speak a few words: I do give yourLordships hearty thanks for all your favours to me. I do here, in thepresence of God Almighty, declare I have no malice in my heart to themthat have condemned me. I know not who they are, nor desire to know: Iforgive them all, and beseech your Lordships all to pray for me--" (Hisvoice shook a little, and he was silent. Then he went on again. All elsewere as still as death. )

"My Lords, I have one humble request to make to your Lordships, and thatis, my Lords, that the little short time I have to live a prisoner, Imay not be a close prisoner as I have been of late; but that Mr. Lieutenant may have an order that my wife and children and friends maycome at me. I do humbly beg this favour of your Lordships, which I hopeyou will be pleased to give me. "

His voice grew very low as he ended; and I saw his lips shake a little. 

The Lord High Steward answered him with great feeling. 

"My Lord Stafford, " he said--(and that was an unusual thing to say, for he had said before that since he was to be attainted he could not becalled My Lord again)--"I believe I may, with my Lords' leave, tell youone thing further; that my Lords, as they proceed with rigour ofjustice, so they proceed with all the mercy and compassion that may be;and therefore my Lords will be humble suitors to the King, that he willremit all the punishment but the taking off of your head. "

And at that my Lord Stafford broke down altogether, and sobbed upon therail; and it is a terrible thing to see an old man weep like that. Whenhe could command his voice, he said:

"My Lords, your justice does not make me cry, but your goodness. "

Then my Lord Nottingham stood up, and taking the staff of office thatlay across his desk, he broke it in two halves. When I looked again, theprisoner was going out between his guards, and the axe before, with itsedge turned towards him in token of death. 

 * * * * *

I was at Mr. Chiffinch's again that night to hear the news; but he wasnot there. When he came in at last, he appeared very excited. Then hetold me the news. 

"They are at His Majesty already, " he said, "that he cannot remit thepenalty of High Treason. But the King swears that he will, law or nolaw, judges or no judges. I have never seen him so determined. He doesnot believe one word of the evidence. "

"Yet he will sign the warrant for the beheading?" I asked. 

"Why, " said Mr. Chiffinch, "His Majesty does not wish to go upon histravels again. "

CHAPTER VII

The night before I went down to Hare Street, --for I went on ChristmasEve--I was present for the first time at the high supper in Whitehall, which His Majesty gave to the Spanish Ambassador. I had never been atsuch a ceremony before; and went out of curiosity only, being givenadmission to one of the stands by the door, whence I might see it all. It would have appeared very strange to me that the King could be somerry, as he was that night, when so much innocent blood had been shedupon his own warrant, and when such a man, as my Lord Stafford was, layin the Tower, expecting his death six days later;--had I not known thenature of His Majesty pretty well by now. For, beneath all themerriment, I think he was not very happy, though he never shewed a signof it. 

I stood, as I said, upon a little scaffold to the right of the entrance;and I was glad of it; for there was a great pack of people crowded in, as the custom was, also to see the spectacle; and they were all about meand in front, as well as in the gallery where the music was. 

The Banqueting Hall had its walls all hung over with very rich tapestry, representing all kinds of merry scenes of hunting and fighting and thelike, and there were great presses along the walls, piled with plate ofgold and silver. The music was all on the balusters above--wind-music, trumpets and kettledrums, that played as Their Majesties came in, afterthe heralds and Black Rod. I had not had before an opportunity of seeingthe Queen so well as I saw her now; and I watched her closely, for I wassorry for the poor woman. She was very gloriously dressed in a palebrocade, with quantities of Flanders lace upon her shoulders and at herelbows, that set off her little figure very well. She was very handsome, I thought, though so little; and her complexion and her face were bothvery good, except that her teeth shewed too much as she smiled. Shehad, however, nothing of that witty or brilliant air about her thatpleased the King so much in women; and she sat very quietly throughoutsupper, beside the King, not speaking a great deal. But I thought I sawin her at first a very piteous desire to please him; and he listened, smiling, as a man might listen to a dull child; and, indeed, I thinkthat that was all that he thought of her. His Majesty himself appearedvery noble and gallant, in His Order of the Garter, and with the GoldenFleece too, over his rich suit. Both Their Majesties wore a good numberof jewels. 

Their Majesties sat at a little high table, under a state, with theirgentlemen and ladies standing behind them; and the Spaniards, with theKing's other guests at a table that ran down the middle of the hall, yetclose enough at the upper end for the Ambassador and the King to speaktogether. My Lord Shaftesbury was there; and it was strange to see him, I knowing how much he was privately under His Majesty's displeasure, andPrince Rupert, very fat and pale and stupid; and Sir Thomas Killigrewand a score of others. His Majesty was served by the Lords andpensioners; and the rest by pages and the like, and gentlemen. About themiddle of the dinner toasts were drunk--and first of all His Majesty's, and the trumpets sounded and the music played, all standing, and whenthey were sat down again I heard the guns shot off at the Tower; and Ithought of him who lay there, and how he heard them near at hand, andhow he might have been here, supping with the Spaniards, had he notfallen under the popular displeasure on account of his religion. It wasa wonderful thing to see the toast drunk, all that company standing uponits feet, and shouting. 

When the banquet came in, and the French wines, a very curious scene ofdisorder presently began--these gentlemen flinging the dessert aboutand at one another, for they were beginning to be a little drunk: and Isaw Killigrew fling a bunch of raisins at one of the Spaniards, insport. His Majesty sat smiling throughout, not at all displeased; butnot drunk at all himself; and indeed he seldom or never drank to excessnor gamed to excess, though he loved to see others do so. 

At the end, when all was finished, a choir under the direction of theKing's Master of Music sang a piece very sweetly from the gallery, withthe wind music sounding softly; but no one paid the least attention; andthen we all stood up again, such as had seats on the scaffolds, to seeTheir Majesties go out. But such a scene as it all was, when the fruitand sweetmeats were flung about would not have been tolerated in Rome, nor, I think in any Court in Europe. 

The next morning, very early, James and I set out for Hare Street. 

 * * * * *

Now the determination had been forming in my mind for some weeks past, that I would delay no longer in that which lay nearer to my heart bynow, I think, than all politics or missions or anything else; and thatwas to ask my Cousin Dolly if she would have me or no; and all the waydown to Hare Street I was considering this and rehearsing what I shouldsay. I still had some hesitation upon the point, for I remembered howstrange and shy she had been when I had last been there, and had thoughtit to be because perhaps she believed that she was being flung at me byher father. But the memory of my jealousy had worked upon me very much--that jealousy, I mean, that I had had when His Grace of Monmouth hadcome and made his pretty speeches; and I was all but resolved to put allto the test, one way or the other. I had thought of her continually: inall that I had seen--in even the sorrowful affair in Westminster Halland the merry business a fortnight after at the supper--I had seen it, so to say, all through her eyes and wondered how she would judge of itall, and wished her there. The sting of my jealousy indeed was gone: Ireproached myself for having thought ill of her even for a moment; yetthe warmth was still there; and so it was in this mood that I came atlast to the house, at supper-time. 

It was extraordinary merry and pretty within. Neither was below stairswhen I came; for my Cousin Tom was in the cellar, and my Cousin Dolly inthe kitchen; and when I went into the Great Chamber it was alluntenanted. But the walls were hung all over with wreaths and holly: andthere were wax candles in the sconces all ready for lighting the nextday. But the parlour, where were the hangings of the Knights of theGrail was even more pretty; for there were hung streamers across theceiling, from corner to corner, and a great bunch of mistletoe unitedthem at the centre. 

As I was looking at this my Cousin Dolly ran in, her hands all overflour; and as I saw her--"Here, " I said to myself, "is the place whereit shall be done. "

She could not touch me or kiss me, because of the flour; but shepermitted me to kiss her, my cold lips against her warm cheek; and hereyes were as stars for merriment. There is something very strange andmystical about Christmas, to me--(which I think is why the Puritans wereso savage against it)--for I suppose that the time in which our Lord wasborn as a little Child, makes children of us all, that we may understandHim better. 

"Well, you are come then!" said Dolly to me--"and we not ready for you. "

"I am ready enough for home, " said I. And she smiled very friendly at mefor that word. 

"I am glad you call it that, " said she. 

 * * * * *

There was but a little dried fish and rice for supper that night, as itwas a fast day; but the supper of Christmas Eve is always a kind ofsacramental for me, when midnight mass is to follow. There was nomidnight mass for us that Christmas, nor any mass at all; though Isuppose it was celebrated as usual in the Ambassadors' chapels, and theQueen's: yet the supper had yet that air of mystery and expectancy aboutit. 

"We are all to dance to-morrow night, " said Dolly. 

"So that is why the floor is cleared in the Great Chamber, " I said. 

She nodded at me. She looked more of a child than I had ever seen her. 

"Will you dance with me, Dolly?" I asked. 

"Yes, " she said, "but my first is with my father. "

I told them presently, though it was but a melancholy tale for ChristmasEve, of my Lord Stafford's trial, and all that I had seen there; and ofthe supper last night in Whitehall. 

"My Lord is to be beheaded in five days, " I said. "We must pray for hissoul. He will die as bravely as he has lived; I make no doubt. "

"And you have no doubt of his innocence?" asked Cousin Tom. 

I stared on him. 

"Why no, " I said, "nor any man, except those paid to believe his guilt. "

He pressed me to tell him more of what I had seen in London; and whetherI had seen the Duke of Monmouth again. 

"He is in Holland, " I said, "under His Majesty's displeasure. But I sawHer Grace of Portsmouth. "

"Why, that is his friend, is it not?" asked Tom. 

"Yes, " I said, "and a poor friend to his father and the Duke of York. "

 * * * * *

The next night was a very merry one. 

We had dined at noon as usual: and that was pretty merry too; for allthe servants dined with us, and the men from the farm and their wives. It was sad to have had no mass at all; and all that we had instead of itwas the sound of the bells from Hormead, from the church that had beenour own a hundred and fifty years ago--which was worse than nothing. Atdinner we observed the usual ceremonial, with the drinking of healthsand the burning of candles; and Dolly and her father and her maid sang agrace at the beginning and end--with a carol or two afterwards that wasa surprise to me. It was very homely and friendly and Christian; and Isaw my man James with his arm around one of the dairymaids--which ispretty Christian too, I think. We kept it up till it was near time toget supper ready, telling of stories all the while about the fire in theold way. Some of them were poor enough; but some were good. Dick, thecow-man, whom we had long suspected of poaching, exposed himself verysadly, when the ale was in him, by relating a number of poaching tricksI had never heard before. One was of how to catch stares, or shepsters, when they fly up and down, as they do before lodging in a thicket. Thenyou must turn out, said Dick, a quick stare with a limed thread of threeyards long, when she will fly straight to the rest, and, flocking amongthem, will infallibly bring down at least one or two, and perhaps fiveor six, all entangled in her thread. And another was how to take wildducks. Go into the water, said he, up to the neck, with a pumpkin putover your head, and whilst the ducks come up to eat the seeds, you maytake them by the legs and pull them under quietly, one by one, till theybe drowned. But I would not like to do that in cold weather; and indeedit seems to me altogether like that other method by which you take larksby a-putting of salt upon their tails. I asked Dick, very serious, whether he had tried that plan; and he said he had not, but that afriend had told him of it; and the company became very merry. 

There were other tales too, more grave than these, of sacrilege, andsuchlike. One, which my man James told, was of a man who took an altarstone from an old church, to press cheeses with; but the cheeses ranblood; so they took it from that and put it in the laundry to bat thelinen on. But at night, such a sound of batting was heard continuallyfrom the laundry--and no one there--that the man took it back again tothe church, and buried it in the churchyard. And another was of two menwho had thrown down a village-cross upon a bowling-green; and when oneof them next day tried to move it from there, for the playing--he beinga very strong man, and lifting it on end--it fell upon him, backwards, and crushed his breast, so that he never spoke again. And there weremany tales told of church-lands; and how my Lord Strafford, that wasbeheaded, before his death told his son to get rid of them all, for thatthey brought a curse always upon them that held them. And there wasanother story told at the end by a man from the farm who had been inLondon at the time, and had seen it for himself--how my LordsCastlehaven and Arran, in St. James' Park, did, for a wager, kill astrong buck in His Majesty's presence, by running on foot, and each witha knife only. They took nearly three hours to do it in, but the wagerwas for six, so they won that. They killed him at last in Rosamund'sPond, having driven him in there with stones. I could well believe thislatter tale, and that the thing had been done in the king's presence, having seen what I had at supper two nights before. 

 * * * * *

When we came into the Great Chamber after supper all was ready for thedancing; and Mr. Thompson, who was the Hormead schoolmaster, and aconcealed Catholic--though he went to the church with the children anddid teach them their religion, for his living--was at the spinet towhich we were to dance. There was a fellow also to play the fiddle, andanother for a horn. 

The dancing was very pretty to see; and we did a great number, beginningas the custom is, with country dances; and it was in the first of thesethat my Cousin Dolly did dance with her father, and I with Dolly's maid. We were all dressed too, not indeed in our best, but in our secondbest--with silk stockings, and the farm men and the maids were intheir Sunday clothes. But each one had put on something for theoccasion; one had a pair of buckled shoes of a hundred years old, andanother an old ring. My Cousin Tom and I wore our own hair, and noperiwigs. My Cousin Dolly was very pretty in her grey sarcenet, with herlittle pearls, and her hair dressed in a new fashion. 

It was all very sweet to me, for it was so natural and withoutaffectation; and it all might have been a hundred years ago before theold customs went out and the new came in from France, in which men paydancers to dance, instead of doing it for themselves. The room was verywell decked, and the candles lighted all round the walls; and when someof the greenery fell down and was trodden underfoot, the smell of it wasvery pleasant. A little fire was on the hearth--not great, lest weshould be too hot. 

We danced country dances first, as I have said; and then my Cousin Dollyshewed us one or two town dances, and I danced a sarabande in hercompany; but then as the rest of the folk liked the country dances thebest, we went back to these. 

Presently I saw my Cousin Dolly go out, and went after her to ask if sheneeded anything. 

"No, " said she, "only to get cool again. "

"Come into the parlour, " said I; and made her come with me. This too hada couple of candles burning over the hearth, and a little fire, for anywho wished to come in; but it was empty, for even my Cousin Tom wasdisporting himself next door in a round dance that had but just begun. 

Then it was that all my resolution came to a point; for allcircumstances looked that way--my determination to speak, the blessedtime of Christmas, the extraordinary kindness of Dolly to me all day, and the very place empty, yet lighted and waiting, as if by design. 

For a moment after she had sat down on one side of the hearth, and I onthe other, I could not speak; for I seemed to myself all shaking, andagain she looked such a child, with her pale cheeks flushed with theexercise, and her eyes alight with merriment. All went before me in thatmoment--my old thought that I was to be a monk, my leaving thenovitiate, my mission from Rome, such as it was, and the work I had beenable to do for the King. To all this I must say good-bye; and yet thisprice I should pay seemed to me scarcely to be considered as weighedagainst this little maid. So it went by me like a picture, and was gone, and I looked up. 

There was that in my air, I suppose, and the way I looked at her, thattold her what my meaning was; for before I had spoken even a syllableshe was on her feet again, and the flush was stricken from her face. 

"Oh! no! Cousin Roger, " she cried. "No, no, Cousin Roger!

"It is Yes, Yes, Cousin Dolly, " said I. "Or at least I hope so. " (I saidthis with more assurance than I shewed, for if I was sure of anything itwas that she loved me in return. And I stood up and leaned on thechimney-breast. )

She stood there, staring on me; and the flush crept back. 

"What have I said?" she whispered. 

"You need say nothing more, my dear, except what I bid you. My dearlove, you have guessed just what it was that I had to say. Sit downagain, if you please, Cousin, while I tell you. "

As I looked at her, a very curious change came across her face. I saw itat once, but I did not think upon it till afterwards. She had been avery child just now, in her terror that I should speak--just thatterror, I should suppose, that every maid must have when a man firstspeaks to her of love. Yet, as I looked, that terror went from her face, and her wide eyes narrowed a little as she brought down her brows, andher parted lips closed. It was, I thought, just that she had conqueredherself, and set herself to hear what I had to say, before answering meas I wished. She moved very slowly back to her chair, and sat down, crossing her hands on her lap. That was all that I thought it was, solittle did I know women's hearts, and least of all hers. 

I remained yet a moment longer, leaning my forehead on my hand, and myhand flat upon the tapestry, staring into the red logs, and consideringhow to say what I had to say with the least alarm to her. I felt--thoughI am ashamed to say it--as it were something of condescension towardsher. I knew that it was a good match for her, for had not her fatherdrilled that into me by a hundred looks and hints? I knew that I wassomething considerable, and like to be more so, and that I wassacrificing a good deal for her sake. And then a kind of tendernesscame over me as I thought how courageous she was, and good and simple, and I put these other thoughts away, and turned to her where she satwith the firelight on her chin and brows and hair, very rigid and still. 

"Dolly, my dear, " I said, "I think you know what I have to say to you. It is that I love you very dearly, as you must have seen--"

She made a little quick movement as if to speak. 

"Wait, cousin, " I said, "till I have done. I tell you that I love youvery dearly, and honor you, and can never forget what you did for me. And I am a man of a very considerable estate and a Catholic; so there isnothing to think of in that respect. And your father too will bepleased, I know; and we are--"

Again she made that little quick movement; and I stopped. 

"Well, my dear?"

She looked up at me very quietly. 

"Well, Cousin Roger; and what then?"

That confused me a little; for I had thought that she had understood. And then I thought that perhaps she too was confused. 

"Why, my dear, " I said very patiently as I thought, as one would speakto a child, "I am asking you if you will be my wife. "

I turned away from the fire altogether, and faced her, thinking I shouldhave her in my arms. But at first she said nothing at all, but satimmovable, scrutinizing me, I thought, as if to read all that was in myhead and heart. But it was all new to me, for what did I know of loveexcept that it was very strange and sweet? So I waited for her answer. That answer came. 

"Cousin Roger, " she said in a very low voice, "I am very sorry you havespoken as you have--"

I straightened myself suddenly and looked at her more closely. She hadnot moved at all, except her face. A kind of roaring murmur began tofill my ears. 

"Because, " said she--and every word of hers now was pain tome--"because there is but one answer that I can give, which is No. "

"Why--" cried I. 

"You have spoken very kindly and generously. But--" and at this hervoice began to ring a little--"but I am not what you think me--a maid tobe flung at the head of any man who will choose to take her. "

"Cousin!" cried I; and then she was on her feet too, her face allablaze. 

"Yes, Cousin!" cried she; "and never any more than that. You have actedvery well, Cousin Roger; and I thank you for that compliment--that youthought it worth while to play the part--and for your great kindness toa poor country maid. I had thought it to be all over long ago--beforeyou went away; or I would not have behaved as I have. But since you haveconsidered it again carefully, and chosen to--to insult me after all; Ihave no answer at all to give, except No, a thousand times over. "

"Why, Cousin--" I began again. 

She stamped her foot. I could not have imagined she could be so angry. 

"Wait till I have done, " she said--"I do not know what my father thinksof me; but I suppose that you and he have designed all this; and led meon to make a fool of myself--Oh! Let me go! let me go!"

Oh! the triple fool that I was! Yet who had ever taught me the ways oflove, or what women mean, or what their hearts are like? If I had beenone half the man that I thought myself, I would have seized her there, and forced back her foolishness with kisses, and vowed that, conspiratoror not, she must have me; that we knew one another too well to playfalse coin like this. Or I should have blazed at her in return; and toldher that she lied in thinking I was as base as that. Why, I should havejust borne myself like a lover to whom love is all, and dignity andwounded pride nothing; for what else is there but love, sacred orprofane, in the whole world that God has made? If I had done that! Ifonly I had done that then! But I suppose that I was no lover then. 

So I drew back, smarting and wounded; and let her go by; and a minutelater I heard the door of her chamber slam behind her, and the key turn. 

 * * * * *

For myself I went out very slowly, five minutes after, and upstairs tomy own chamber, and began to consider what things I must take with me onthe morrow; for I would not stay another day in the house where I hadbeen so insulted and denied. 

CHAPTER VIII

Pride is a very good salve, when one has no humility; and it was Pridethat I applied to myself to heal the wounds I had. 

I came down again to the Great Chamber, half an hour later, very coldand dignified, and danced again, like the solemn fool that I was, firstwith one and then with another; and all the while I told myself, likethe prophet that "I did well to be angry"; and that I would shew herthat no man, of my ability, could depend upon any mere woman for hiscontent. Yet the pain at my heart was miserable. 

It is very near incredible to me now how I, who truly knew something ofthe world, and of men and of affairs, could be so childish and ignorantin a matter of this sort. In truth this was what I was; I knew nothingof true love at all; how therefore should I be a proper lover? I saw myCousin Tom, who mopped himself a great deal, eyeing me now and again;and he presently came up and asked me where Dolly was. 

"In her chamber, I think, " said I, with my nose in the air; and withsuch a manner that he said no more. 

It was enough to break my heart to continue dancing; but it was the taskI had set myself upstairs; and till near ten o'clock we continued todance--but no Dolly to help us. I had even determined how I should bearmyself if she came--and how superb should be my dignity; but she did notcome to see it. We ended with singing "Here's a health unto HisMajesty"; and I took care that my voice should be loud so that sheshould hear it. (I had even, poor fool that I was! walked heavily pasther chamber-door just now, that she might hear me go. )

When all were gone away at last, I waited for my Cousin Tom, and thenwent with him into the parlour; where I told him very briefly all thathad passed, with the same dignity that I had set myself to preserve. Ieven spoke in a high sort of voice, to shew my self-command anddetachment. My Cousin Tom appeared as if thunderstruck. 

"Good God!" said he. "The minx! to behave like that!"

"It is no longer any concern of mine, " I said. "For myself I shall goback to town to-morrow. "

"But--" began he. 

"My dear Cousin, " I said, "it is the only thing that I can do--to set towork again. Mistress Dorothy must recover herself alone. I could notexpect her to tolerate such a personage as I must appear in her eyes. "

"But you will came back again, " said Tom. "And I'll talk to the chit asshe deserves. "

I preserved my lofty attitude. 

"That again, " said I, "is no concern of mine. And as for coming back, when Mistress Dorothy has found her a husband whom she can respect--wemay perhaps consider it. "

He sat very silent for a while after that; and I know now, though I didnot know then, what was the design he was considering--at least Isuppose it was then that he saw it clear before him. At the time Ithought he was giving his attention to myself; and I wondered a littlethat he did not press me again to stay, though I would not have done so. 

It was a very desolate morning when I awakened next day, and knew whathad happened, and that I must go away again from the house I had learnedso much to love; but there was no help for it; and, as I put on myclothes, I put on my pride with them; and came down very cold andhaughty to get my "morning" as we called it, in the dining-room beforeriding; and there in the dining-room was my Cousin Dolly, whom I hadthought to be in her chamber, as the door was shut when I came past it. 

We bade one another good morning very courteously indeed; but we gave noother salute to one another. She knew last night that I was going, as myCousin Tom had told her maid to tell her; and I was surprised that shewas there. Presently I had an explanation of it. 

"Cousin Roger, " said she, "I was very angry last night; and I wished totell you I was sorry for that, and for the hard words I used, before youwent away. "

I bowed my head very dignifiedly. 

"And I, too, " I said, "must ask your pardon for so taking you bysurprise. I thought--" and then I ceased. 

She had looked a little white and tired, I thought; but she flushedagain with anger when I said that. 

"You thought it would be no surprise, " she said. 

"I did not say so, Cousin, " said I. "You have no right to interpret--"

"But you thought it. "

I drank my ale. 

"Oh! what you must think of me!" she cried in a sudden passion; and ranout of the room. 

 * * * * *

I think that was the most disconsolate journey I have ever taken. It wasa cold morning, with a fine rain falling: my man James was disconsolatetoo (and I remembered the dairy-maid, when I saw it), and I was leavingthe one place I had begun to think of as my home, and her who had somuch made it home to me. I had not even seen her again before I went;and our last words had been of anger; and of that chopping kind ofargument that satisfies no one. 

I tried to distract myself with other thoughts--of what I was goingto; for I had determined to go straight to Whitehall and ask for someemployment; yet back and back again came the memories, and little scenesof the house, and the appearance of the Great Chamber when it was alllit up, and of the figure of that little maid who had so angered me, andthe way she carried her head, and the turns of her hand--and how happywe all were yesterday about this time. However, I need not enlarge uponthat. Those that have ever so suffered will know what I thought, withoutmore words; and those who have not suffered would not understand, thoughI used ten thousand. And every step of all the way to London, which wereached about six o'clock, spoke to me of her with whom I had onceridden along it. As we came up into Covent Garden I turned to my manJames and gave him more confidence than I had ever given to himbefore--for I think that he knew what had happened. 

"James, " said I, "this is a very poor home-coming; but it is not myfault. "

 * * * * *

Though fortune so far had been against me, I must confess that itfavoured me a little better afterwards, for when I went in to Mr. Chiffinch's on the next morning, he gave me the very news that I wishedto hear. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "you are the very man I most wished to see. There is a great pother in France again. I do not know all the ins andouts of the affair; but His Majesty is very anxious. He spoke of youonly this morning, Mr. Mallock. "

My heart quickened a little. In spite of my pain it was a pleasure tohear that His Majesty had spoken of me; for I think my love to him wasvery much more deep, in one way, though not in another, than even toDolly herself. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said I, "I will be very plain with you. I have had adisappointment; and I came back to town--"

He whistled, with a witty look. 

"The pretty cousin?" he said. 

I could not afford to quarrel with him, but I could keep my dignity. 

"That is my affair, Mr. Chiffinch. However--there is the fact. I am cometo town for this very purpose--to beg for something to do. Will HisMajesty see me?"

He looked at me for an instant; then he thought better, I think, of anyfurther rallying. 

"Why I am sure he will. But it will not be for a few days, yet. There isa hundred businesses at Christmas. Can you employ yourself till then?"

"I can kick my heels, I suppose, " said I, "as well as any man. "

"That will do very well, " said Mr. Chiffinch. "But I warn you, that Ithink it will be a long affair. His Majesty hath entangled himselfterribly, and Monsieur Barillon is furious. "

"The longer the better, " said I. 

On the twenty-ninth I went down to see my Lord Stafford die. I was in sodistracted a mood that I must see something, or go mad; for I had heardthat it would not be until the evening of that day that His Majestywould see me, and that I must be ready to ride for Dover on the nextmorning. Mr. Chiffinch had told me enough to shew that the businesswould be yet more subtle and delicate than the last; and that I mightexpect some very considerable recognition if I carried it throughrightly. I longed to be at it. One half of my longing came from thedesire to occupy my mind with something better than my poor bungledlove-affairs; and the other half from a frantic kind of determination toshew my Mistress Dolly that I was better than she thought me; and that Iwas man enough to attend to my affairs and carry them out competently, even if I were not man enough to marry her. It must be understood that Ishewed no signs of this to anyone, and scarcely allowed it even tomyself; but speaking with that honesty which I have endeavoured topreserve throughout all these memoirs, I am bound to say that my mindwas in very much that condition of childish anger and resentment. I hada name as a strong man: God only knew how weak I was; for I did not evenknow it myself. 

 * * * * *

There was a great crowd on Tower Hill to see my Lord Stafford'sexecution; for not only was he well known, although, as I have said, notgreatly beloved; but the rumours were got about--and that they were trueenough I knew from Mr. Chiffinch--that he had said very strange thingsabout my Lord Shaftesbury, and how he could save his own life if hewilled, not by confessing anything of which he himself had been accused, but by relating certain matters in which my Lord Shaftesbury wasconcerned. However, he did not; yet the tale had gone about that perhapshe would; and that a reprieve might come even upon the scaffold itself. 

When I came to Tower Hill on horseback, about nine o'clock, the crowdcovered the most of it; but I drove my horse through a little, so thatI could have a fair sight both of the scaffold, and of the way, keptclear by soldiers, along which the prisoner must come. 

I had not been there above a few minutes, when a company went by, and inthe midst the two sheriffs, on horseback, whose business it was to carrythrough the execution; and they drew up outside the gate, to preservethe liberties of the Tower. While they were waiting, I watched thosethat were upon the scaffold--two writers to take down all that was said;and the headsman with his axe in a cloth--but this he presentlyuncovered--and the block which he laid down upon the black baize putready for it, and for the prisoner to lie down upon. Then the coffin wasput up behind, with but the two letters W. S. As I heard afterwards: andthe year 1680. 

Then, as a murmur broke out in the crowd, I turned; and there was myLord coming along, walking with a staff, between his guards, with thesheriffs--of whom Mr. Cornish was one and Mr. Bethell the other--and therest following after. 

When my Lord was come up on the scaffold, the headsman had gone again;but he asked for him and gave him some money at which the man seemedvery discontented, whereupon he gave him some more. It is a very curiouscustom this--but I think it is that the headsman may strike straight, and not make a botch of it. 

When my Lord turned again I could see his face very plainly. He wore aperuke, and his hat upon that. He was in a dark suit, plain but rich;and had rings upon his fingers, which I could see as he spoke. He waswonderfully upright for a man of his age; and his face shewed noperturbation at all, though it was more fallen than I had thought. 

He read all his speech, very clearly, from a paper he took out of hispocket; but as he delivered copies of it to the Sheriffs and thewriters--(and it was put in print, too, on the very same day by twoo'clock)--I need not give it here. He declared his innocence mostemphatically; calling God to witness; and he thanked God that his deathwas come on him in such a way that he could prepare himself well foreternity; but he did not thank the King for remitting the penalties oftreason, as he might have done. He made no great references, as wasexpected that he would, to disclosures that he might have made; but onlyin general terms. He denied most strongly that it was any part of theCatholic Religion to give or receive indulgences for murder or for anyother sin; and he ended by committing his soul into the hands of JesusChrist, by whose merits and passion he hoped to be saved. His voice wasthin, but very clear for so old a man; and the crowd listened to himwith respect and attention. I think all those Catholic deaths and thespeeches that the prisoners make will by and by begin to affect publicopinion, and lead men to reflect that those who stand in the immediatepresence of God, are not likely, one after another, to go before Himwith lies upon their lips. 

When he was done he distributed the copies of his speech, and thenpresently kneeled down, and read a prayer or two. They were in Latin, but I could not hear the words distinctly. 

When he rose up again, all observing him, he went to the rail and spokealoud. 

"God bless you, gentlemen!" he said. "God preserve His Majesty; he is asgood a prince as ever governed you; obey him as faithfully as I havedone, and God bless you all, gentlemen!"

It was very affecting to hear him speak so, for he did it veryemphatically; but even then one of their ministers that was on thescaffold would not let him be. 

"Sir, " he asked, speaking loud all across the scaffold, "do you disownthe indulgences of the Romish Church?"

My Lord turned round suddenly in a great passion. 

"Sir!" he cried. "What have you to do with my religion? However, I dosay that the Church of Rome allows no indulgences for murder, lying andthe like; and whatever I have said is true. "

"What!" cried the minister. "Have you received no absolution?"

"I have received none at all, " said my Lord, more quietly; meaning ofthe kind that the minister meant, for I have no doubt at all that hemade his confession in the Tower. 

"You said that you never saw those witnesses?" asked the minister, who, I think, must have been a little uneasy. 

"I never saw any of them, " said my Lord, "but Dugdale; and that was at atime when I spoke to him about a foot-boy. " (This was at Tixall, whenDugdale was bailiff there to my Lord Aston. )

They let him alone after that; and he immediately began to preparehimself for death. First he took off his watch and his rings, and gavethem to two or three of his friends who were on the scaffold with him. Then he took his staff which was against the rail, and gave that too;and last his crucifix, which he took, with its chain, from around hisneck. 

His man then came up to him, and very respectfully helped him off withhis peruke first, and then his coat, laying them one on the other in acorner. My Lord's head looked very thin and shrunken when that was done, as it were a bird's head. Then his man came up again with a black silkcap to put his hair under, which was rather long and very grey and thin;and he did it. And then his man disposed his waistcoat and shirt, pulling them down and turning them back a little. 

Then my Lord looked this way and that for an instant; and then wentforward to the black baize, and kneeled on it, with his man's help, andthen laid himself down flat, putting his chin over the block which wasnot above five or six inches high. 

Yet no one moved--and the headsman stood waiting in a corner, with hisaxe. One of the sheriffs--Mr. Cornish, I think it was--said something tothe headsman; but I could not hear what it was; and then I saw my Lordkneel upright again, and then stand up. I think he was a little deaf, and had not heard what was said. 

"Why, what do you want?" he said. 

"What sign will you give?" asked Mr. Cornish. 

"No sign at all. Take your own time. God's will be done, " said my Lord;and again applied himself to the block, his man helping him as before, and then standing back. 

"I hope you forgive me, " said the headsman, before he was down. 

"I do, " said my Lord; and that was the last word that he spoke; for theheadsman immediately stepped up, so soon as he was down, and with oneblow cut his head all off, except a bit of skin, which he cut throughwith his knife. 

Then he lifted up the head, and carried it to the four sides of thescaffold by the hair, crying:

"Here is the head of a traitor, " as the custom was. My Lord's facelooked very peaceful. 

 * * * * *

I rode home again alone, thinking of what I had seen, and the innocentblood that was being shed, and wondering whether this might not be thelast shed for that miserable falsehood. But even after that sight, thethought of my Cousin Dorothy was never very far away; and before I washome again I was once more thinking of her more than of that from whichI was just come, or of that to which I was going, for I was to see HisMajesty that evening and so to France next day. 

PART III

CHAPTER I

It was on a very stormy evening, ten months later, that I rode againinto London, on my way from Rome and Paris. 

 * * * * *

Now, here again, I must omit altogether, except on one or two verygeneral points, all that had passed since I had gone away on the dayafter my Lord Stafford's execution on Tower Hill. It is enough to saythat I had done my business in Paris very much to His Majesty'ssatisfaction, as well as to that of others; and that M. Barillon himselfhad urged me to stay there altogether, saying that I could make a careerfor myself there (as the Romans say), such as I could never make inEngland. But I would not, though I must confess that I was very muchtempted to it; and I know now, though I did not know it altogether then, that there were just two things that prevented me--and these were thatHis Majesty and my Cousin Dorothy were in England and not France. 

Of my Cousin Dorothy I had heard scarcely anything at all; for the lastletter I had had from Hare Street was at Eastertide; and Tom said notvery much about his daughter, except that she was pretty well; and thathe thought of taking her to town in the summer for a little. The rest ofhis letter was, two-thirds of it all about Hare Street and the lambs andhow the fruit promised; and one-third of the affairs of the kingdom. 

These affairs, of which I learned from other sources besides my CousinTom, were, in brief, as follows. 

His Majesty, for the first time, since he had come to the throne, hadshewn an extraordinary open courage in dealing with the country-party. (I must confess that my success in France was not wholly withoutconnection with this. He was so much strengthened in French affairs thathe felt, I suppose, that he could act more strongly at home. )

First, in January, he had dissolved the Parliament that had threatenedthe exclusion of the Duke of York, and that would vote him no money tillhe would yield. First he prorogued it, though there was a great clamourin his very presence; and then he dissolved it, coming in so early inthe morning that none suspected his design. 

Then he summoned a new Parliament to meet at Oxford: for at Oxford heknew he would have the support of the city, whereas at London he hadnot. That Parliament at Oxford will never be forgotten, I think; for itwas more like an armed camp than a Parliament. Both parties went armed. My Lord Shaftesbury, in order to rouse the feeling on his side, wentthere in a borrowed coach without his liveries, as if he feared arrestor even death. But His Majesty answered that by himself going with allhis guards about him, as if for the same reason. There were continualbrawls in the city, and duels too. The parties went about like companiesof cats and dogs, snarling and spitting at one another continually; andso fierce was the feeling that nothing could be done. My LordShaftesbury's creatures were still strong enough to hold their own; andat last His Majesty did the bravest thing he had ever done. He caused asedan-chair to be brought privately to his lodgings, and his crown androbes to be put in there. Then he went in himself, and away to where theHouse of Lords was sitting, and before anyone could utter a word, hedissolved the Parliament once more, and altogether, and never againsummoned another. 

But that was not all. 

First, it appeared as if even His Majesty himself was frightened at whathe had done, for he allowed my Lord Archbishop of Armagh, Dr. OliverPlunket, to be convicted and executed in London, clean contrary to allevidence or right or justice--just because he was a Papist, and thepopular cry had been raised against him that he was conspiring to bringthe French over to Ireland, whereas he was a good and kindly old man, who lived in the greatest simplicity and neither did nor designed harmto any living creature. (I do not know whether it was the name _France_that frightened the King; but certainly at that time I was engaged onhis behalf in some transactions with that country which would haveruined him had they ever been known. ) But then he recovered himself, after the sacrifice of one more Catholic, and did what he should havedone a great while ago, and caused my Lord Shaftesbury to be arrestedand sent to the Tower on a charge of fomenting insurrection, which wasprecisely what my Lord had been doing for the last two years at least. 

But His Majesty's scheme fell through; for the sheriffs, who were Whigs, and on my Lord's side, therefore, packed the grand jury of the City andacquitted him. 

Then there was another affair of which I, in my business in France, sawsomething of the other side. My negotiations were coming to a successfulend, when news came over to Paris that the Prince William of Orange wasin England, and made much of by His Majesty. This last was a lie; but Iwrote across to His Majesty of what a bad impression such a rumour made;and urged him to make amends--which he did very handsomely. The Duke ofMonmouth too was back again in London, and so was the Duke of York; sothe chess-pieces were all again for the present on the squares on whichthe game had begun. It was also a little satisfaction to me to hear thatHer Grace of Portsmouth had urged the Duke of York's return; for Ithought myself not a little responsible for her change of face. Onceagain, however, the Duke returned to finish affairs in Scotland, andthen came back to Court; and it was on his journey there that the_Gloucester_ was wrecked, and His Royal Highness so nearly drowned. 

The Duke of Monmouth however saw that affairs were moving against him;so he determined on a very bold stroke; and, after returning to Englandonce more without His Majesty's leave, went through all the country asif on a royal progress; and it was astonishing how well he was received. It was then that Mr. Chiffinch wrote to me at length, telling me of thespies he had sent to follow the Duke everywhere, and asking whether Iwould not come over myself to help in it. But I was just consideringwhether I would not go to Rome; and, indeed, before I could make up mymind, another letter came saying that the Duke was to be arrested, andthen let out on bail, and that he could do no more harm for the present. So I went to Rome, and there I stayed a good while, reporting myself andall that I had done, and being received very graciously by those who hadsent me. 

Since then, not very much of public import had happened, until in thefirst week in November I received in Paris a very urgent letter from Mr. Chiffinch telling me to return at once; but no more in it than that. 

 * * * * *

It was a very stormy night, as I have said, when I rode in over LondonBridge to where the lights of the City shone over the water. 

I was very content at my coming; for in spite of all my resolutions, itwas a terrible kind of happiness to me to be in the same country (and sonear to her, too) as was my Cousin Dorothy. I had striven to put her outof my head, I had occupied myself with that which is the greatest of allsports--and that is the game that Kings play in secret--I had becomesomething of a personage, and rode now with four servants, instead ofone. Yet never could I forget her. But I was resolved to play no morewith such nonsense; to live altogether in London, and to send my men ina day or two to get my things from Hare Street. It often appears to mevery strange, when I see some great man go by whose name is in all men'smouths for some office he holds or for his great wealth or power, toreflect that he has his secret interests as much as any, and is moved bythem far more deeply than by those public matters for which men thinkthat he cares. I was not yet a great personage, though I meant to be so;and my name was in no men's mouths, for it was of the very essence ofwhat I did that it should not be; yet I was held in high considerationby two kings. But for all that, as I turned westwards from LondonBridge, I looked northwards up Gracechurch Street, and longed to beriding to Hare Street, rather than to Whitehall. 

 * * * * *

It was strange, and yet very familiar too, to go up those stairs again, all alone--(for I had sent my men on to Covent Garden, where I had takentwo sets of lodgings now, instead of one)--to tell the servant that Mr. Chiffinch looked for me, and to be conducted by him straight through tothe private closet where he awaited me over his papers. I was in myboots, all splashed, and very weary indeed. Yet I had learned, eversince the day when His Majesty had found fault with me so long ago, never to delay even by five minutes, when kings call. 

"Well?" I said; as I came in. 

"Well!" said he; and took me by the hands. 

Now it may seem surprising that I could tolerate such a man as was Mr. Chiffinch, still more that I should have become on such terms with him. The truth is, that I regarded him as two men, and not one. On the oneside he was the spy, the servant, the panderer to the King's moredisgraceful secrets; on the other he was a man of an extraordinaryshrewdness, utterly devoted to His Majesty, and very competent indeed invery considerable affairs. If ever the secret memoirs of Charles II. Seethe light of day, Mr. Chiffinch will be honoured and admired, as well ascontemned. 

"First sup;" he said. "I have all ready: and not one word till you aredone. "

He took me through into a little dining-room that was opposite thecloset; and here was all that a hungry man might desire of cold meatsand wine. He had had it set out, he told me ever since five o'clock (forI had sent to tell him I would be there that night). 

While I ate he would say nothing at all of the business on hand; buttalked only of France and what I had done there. He told me the King wasvery greatly pleased; and there were rewards if I wished them--or even atitle, though he was not sure of what kind, for I was a very young man. 

"He vows you have done a thousand times more than the Duchess ofPortsmouth in all her time. But I would recommend you to take nothing. It will not be forgotten, you may be sure. If you took anything now, itwould make you known, and ruin half your work. If you will take myadvice, Mr. Mallock, you will tell the King, Bye and bye; and have apeerage when the time comes. "

Now of course these thoughts had crossed my mind too: but it was more tohear them from a man like this. I nodded at him but said nothing, feigning that my mouth was full; for indeed I did not quite know what tosay. I need not say that the thought of my Cousin Dorothy came to meagain very forcibly. At least I should have shewn her what I could do. 

When I was quite done, Mr. Chiffinch carried me back to the parlour; andthere, having locked the door, he told me what was wanted of me. 

When he had done, I looked at him in astonishment. "You are as sure asthat?" I said. 

"We are sure, beyond the very leastest doubt, that at last there is aplot to kill the King. There are rumours and rumours. Well, these are ofthe right kind. And we are convinced that my Lord Shaftesbury is behindit, and my Lord Essex, and Mr. Sidney; and who else we do not know. Mymen whom I sent to spy out how Monmouth was received in the country, tell me the same. But the trouble is that we have no proof at all; andcannot lay a finger on them. And there is only that way, that I told youof, to find it out. "

"That I should mix with them--feign to be one of them!" said I. 

The man threw out his hands. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "I told the King you were too nice for it. Hesaid on the contrary that he was sure you would do it; that it was not amatter of niceness, but of plot against counterplot. "

"A pretty simile!" I said with some irony; for I confess I did not likethe idea; though I was far from sure I would not do it in the end. 

"'If one army is besieging a castle or town, ' said he, 'and minesbeneath the ground after nightfall secretly, is it underhand action todo the same, and to countermine them?' But I said I was not sure whatyou would think of it. You see, Mr. Mallock, I scarcely know a singleperson who unites the qualities that you do. We must have a gentleman, or he would never be accepted by them; and he must be a shrewd man too. Well, I will not say we have no shrewd gentlemen: but what shrewdgentlemen have we, think you, who are not perfectly known--and theirpolitics?"

"The Duchess of Portsmouth knows me, " said I, beginning to hesitate. 

"But she does not know one word of this affair; nor will they tell her. She is far too loyal for that. "

"But she will have told others what I am. "

"It is not likely, Mr. Mallock. We must take our chance of it. Truly Isee no one for it but yourself. I would not have sent for you, if I had, for you were very useful in France. But the difficulty is, you see, thatwe can take no observable precautions. We have doubled the guards insidethe palace at night; but we dare not in the day; for if that were known, they would suspect that we knew all, and would be on their guard. As itis, they have no idea that we know anything. "

"How do they mean to do it?"

"That again we do not know. If they can find a fanatic--and there areplenty of the old Covenanting blood left--they might shoot His Majestyas he sits at supper. Or they may drag him out of his coach one day, asthey did with Archbishop Sharpe. Or they might poison him. I have thecook always to taste the dishes before they come into Hall; but who canguard against so many avenues?"

 * * * * *

I sat considering; but I was so weary that I knew I could decide nothingrightly. On the one side the thing appealed to me; for there was dangerin it, and what does a young man love like that? And there was a greatcompliment in it for me--that I should be the one man they had for theaffair. Yet it did not sound to me very like work for a gentleman--tofeign to be a conspirator--to win confidence and then to betray it, inhowever a good cause. 

What astonished me most however was the thought that the country-partyhad waxed as desperate as this. Certainly their tide was going down--asI had heard in France; but I did not know it was gone so low as this. And that they who had lied and perjured themselves over the Oatesfalsehoods, and had used them, and had kept the people's suspicionsalive, and had professed such loyalty, and had been the cause of so muchbloodshedding--that these men should now, upon their side, enter uponthe very design that they had accused the Catholics of--this was verynearly enough to decide me. 

"Well, " said I, "you must give me twenty-four hours to determine in. Iam drawn two ways. I do not know what to do. "

"I can assure you, " said the page eagerly, "that His Majesty would giveyou almost anything you asked for--if you did this, and weresuccessful. "

I pursed my lips up. 

"Perhaps he would, " I said. "But I do not know that I want very much. "

"Then he would give you all the more. "

I stood up to take my leave. 

"Well, sir, " I said, "I must go home again and to bed. I am tired out. Iwill be with you again to-morrow at the same time. "

He rose to take me to the outer door. 

"You will not want to go to Hare Street this time, " he said, smiling. 

"To Hare Street!" I said. "Why should I go there?"

"Well--the pretty cousin!" said he. 

I set my teeth. I did not like Mr. Chiffinch's familiarities. 

"Well, then, why should I not go?" I asked. 

"Why: she is here! Did you not know?"

"Here!--in London. "

"Aye: in Whitehall. I saw her only yesterday. "

"In Whitehall! What do you mean, Mr. Chiffinch?"

I suppose my face went white. I knew that my heart beat like a hammer. 

"Why, what I say!" said he. "Why do you look like that, Mr. Mallock?"

"Tell me!" I cried. "Tell me this instant!"

"Why: she is Maid of Honour to Her Majesty. The Duchess of Portsmouth isprotecting her. "

"Where is she?"

"Why--"

"_Where is she?_"

"She is with the rest, I suppose. .. . Mr. Mallock! Mr. Mallock! Where areyou going?"

But I was gone. 

CHAPTER II

When I was out in the air I stopped short; and then remembering that Mr. Chiffinch would be after me perhaps, and would try to prevent me, I wenton as quick as I could, turned a corner or two in that maze of passages, and stopped again. As yet I had no idea as to what to do; my brainburned with horror and fury; and I stood there in the dark, clenching myhands again and again, with my whip in one of them. It was enough for methat my Cousin Dolly was in that den of tigers and serpents that wascalled the Court, and under the protection of the woman once calledCarwell. There was not one thought in my brain but this--all others weregone, or were but as phantoms--the King, the Duke, Monmouth, theQueen--they would be so many wicked ghosts, and no more--before me--andI would go through them as through smoke, to tear her out of it. 

I suppose that some species of sanity returned to me after a while, forI found myself presently pacing up and down the terrace by the river, and considering that this was a strange hour--eight o'clock at night, tobe searching out one of Her Majesty's ladies; and, after that, little bylittle, persons and matters began to take their right proportions onthem again. I could not, I perceived, merely demand where MistressJermyn lodged, beat down her door and carry her away with me safe toHare Street. Their Majesties of England still stood for something inWhitehall, and so did reason and commonsense, and Dolly's own good name. I began to perceive that matters were not so simple. 

I do not think I reasoned at all as to her dangers there; but I was asone who sees a flower on a dunghill. One does not argue about thematter, or question whether it be smirched or not, nor how it got there. Neither did I consider at all how my cousin came to be at Court, norwhether any evil had yet come to her. I did not even consider that I didnot know whether she were but just come, or had been there a greatwhile. I considered only that she must be got out of it--and how to setabout it. 

I might have stood and paced there till midnight, had not one of thesentinels at the water-gate--placed there I suppose, as Mr. Chiffinchhad told me just now, as an additional security, after nightfall--steppedout from his place and challenged me. I had had the word, of course, as Icame in; and I gave it him, and he was contented. But I was not. Here, thought I, is my opportunity. 

"Here, " said I, "can you tell me where Mistress Dorothy Jermyn islodged?"

He was a young fellow, plainly from the country, as I saw, by his lookin the light of the lantern he had. 

"No, sir, " he said. 

"Think again, " I said. "She is under the protection of Her Grace ofPortsmouth. She is one of the Queen's ladies. "

"Is she a little lady, sir--from the country--that came last month?"

"Yes, " I said, feigning that I knew all about it, and trying to controlmy voice. "That is she. "

"Why, she is with the others, sir, " he said. 

"She is not with the Duchess then?"

"No, sir; I know she is not. There is no lady with the Duchess besideher own. I was on my duty there last week. "

This was something of a relief. At least she was not with that woman. 

Now I knew where the Queen's Maids lodged. It was not an hundred yardsaway, divided by a little passage-way from Her Majesty's apartment, andadjoining the King's, with a wall between. There were five of these;besides those who lodged with their families--but they changed socontinually that I could not be sure whether I knew any of them or not. I had had a word or two once with Mademoiselle de la Garde; but she wasthe only one I had ever spoken with; and besides, she might no longer bethere; and she was a great busybody too; and beyond her I knew only thatthere was an old lady, whose name I had forgot, that was calledGoverness to them all and played the part of duenna, except when shecould be bribed by green oysters and Spanish wine, not to play it. Suchfragments of gossip as that was all that I could remember; as well ascertain other gossip too, as to the life of these ladies, which I stroveto forget. 

However, I could do nothing at that instant, but bid the man good-night, and go up into the palace again with a brisk assured air, as if I knewwhat I was about. A bell beat eight from the clock-tower, as I went. Then when I had turned the corner to the left, I stopped again to reckonup what I knew. 

This did not come to very much. Her Majesty, I knew, was attended alwaysby two Maids of Honour at the least; and at this hour would be, verylikely, at cards with them, if there were no reception or entertainment. If there were, then all would be there, and Dolly with them; and even inthat humour I did not think of forcing my way into Her Majesty'spresence and demanding my cousin. These receptions or parties or somesuch thing, were at least twice or three times a week, if Her Majestywere well. The reasonable thing to do, I confess, was to go home toCovent Garden, quietly; and come again the next day and find out alittle; but there was very little reason in me. I was set but upon onething; and that was to see Dolly that night with my own eyes; and assuremyself that matters were, so far, well with her. 

At the last I set out bravely, my legs carrying me along--as it appearsto me now--of their own accord: for I cannot say that I had formed anydesign at all of what I should do; and there I found myself after aminute or two of walking in the rain, at the door of the lodgings whereall the ladies that had not their families at Court lived together. There were three steps up to the heavy oaken door that was studded overwith nails; and in the little window by the door a light was burning. Ihad come by the sentinel that stood before the way up to the King'slodgings, and had given him the word; but I saw that he was watching me, and that I must shew no hesitation. I went therefore up the steps, asbold as a lion, and knocked upon the oaken door. 

I waited a full minute; but there was no answer; so I knocked again, louder; and presently heard movements within, and the sound of the boltsbeing drawn. Then the door opened, but only a little; and I saw an oldwoman's face looking at me. 

She said something; but I could not hear what it was. 

"Is Mistress Jermyn within doors?" I asked. 

The old face mumbled at me; but I could not hear a word. "Is MistressJermyn within?" I asked again. 

Once again the face mumbled at me; and then the door began to close. 

This would never do; so I set my foot against it, suddenly all overcomewith impatience--(for I was in no mood to chop words)--and with the samekind of fury that had seized me in Mr. Chiffinch's rooms. I saw red, asthe saying is; and it was not likely that a deaf old woman would stopme. She fluttered the door passionately; and then, as I pushed on it, she cried out. There was a great rattle of footsteps, and as I came intothe little paved entrance, a heavy bald fellow ran out of the room whereI had seen the light--(which was the porter's parlour)--in hisshirt-sleeves, very angry and hot-looking. 

He looked at me, like a bull, with lowered head; and I saw that hecarried some weapon in his hand. 

"Is Mistress Jermyn within doors?" I asked, putting on a high kind ofair. 

"Who the devil are you?" said he. 

I was not going to argue that point, for it was the weakest spot in myassault. So I sat down on the stairs that rose straight up to the firstfloor. (It was a little oak-panelled entrance that I was in, with asingle lamp burning in a socket on the wall. )

"You will first answer my question, " I said. "Is Mistress Jermyn withindoors?"

Then he came at me, thinking, I suppose that my sitting down gave himan advantage, and he lifted his weapon as he came. I had no time to drawmy own sword--which was besides, somewhere between my legs; but I roseup, and, as I rose, struck out at his chin with all my force, with mywhole weight behind. 

He staggered back against the doorway he had come out by; and the samemoment two things happened. The old woman screamed aloud; and Dollysprang suddenly out on to the head of the stairs, from a door thatopened there, full into the light of the lamp. 

"Why-" cried she. 

"Oh! there you are, " I said bitterly. "Then Mistress Jermyn is withindoors. "

Then I turned and went straight upstairs after her; and, as I went heardthe ring of running footsteps in the paved passage out of doors, andknew that the guard was coming up. The fellow still leaned, dazed, against the doorpost; and the old woman was pouring out scream afterscream. 

I went after Dolly straight into the room from which she had come. Itwas a little parlour, very richly furnished, with candles burning, andcurtains across the windows. It looked out towards the river, I suppose. Dolly was standing, as pale as paper; but I could not tell--nor did Igreatly care--whether it were anger or terror. I think I must havelooked pretty frightening--(but then, she had spirit enough foranything!)--for I was still in my splashed boots and disordered dress, and as angry as I have ever been in my life. I could see she was notdressed for Her Majesty; so I supposed--(and I proved to be right)--thatshe was not in attendance this evening. It was better fortune than Ideserved, to find her so. 

"Now, " said I, "what are you doing here?"

(I spoke sharply and fiercely, as to a bad child. I was far too angry todo otherwise. As I spoke, I heard the guard come in below; and a clamourof voices break out. I knew that they would be up directly. )

"Now, " I said again, "you have your choice! Will you give me up to theguard; or will you hear what I have to say? You can send them away ifyou will. You can say I am your cousin?"

She looked at me; but said nothing. 

"Oh! I am not drunk, " I said. "Now, you can--"

Then came a thunder of footsteps on the stairs; and I stopped. I knew Ihad broken every law of the Court; I had behaved unpardonably. It wouldmean the end of everything for me. But I would not, even now, have askedpardon from God Almighty for what I had done. 

Then Dolly, with a gesture, waved me aside; and confronted the serjeanton the threshold. 

"You can go, " she said. "This is my cousin. I will arrange with thembelow. "

The man hesitated. Over his shoulder I could see a couple more faces, glaring in at me. 

Dolly stamped her foot. 

"I tell you to go. Do you not hear me?"

"Mistress--" began the man. 

"How dare you disobey me!" cried Dolly, all aflame with some emotion. "This is my own parlour, is it not?"

He still looked doubtfully; and his eyes wandered from her to me, andback again. He was yet just without the room. Then Dolly slammed to thedoor, in a passion, in his very face. 

Then she wheeled on me, like lightning. (I heard the men's footstepsbegin to go downstairs. )

"Now you will explain, if you please--" she began, with a furious kindof bitterness. 

"My maid, " said I, "that kind of talk will not do with me"--(for ather tone my anger blazed up higher even than hers). "It is I who have toask Why and How?"

"How dare you--" she began. 

I went up without more ado, and took her by the shoulders. Never in allthe time I had known her, had the thought ever come to me, that one dayI might treat her so. She struggled violently, and seemed on the pointof crying out. Then she bit her lip; but there was no yielding in me;and I compelled her backwards to a chair. 

"You will sit there, " I said. "And I shall stand. I will have nononsense at all. "

She looked at me, I thought, with more hate than I had ever seen inhuman eyes; glaring up at me with scorn and anger and resentment allmingled. 

"Yes--you can bully maids finely--" she said. "You can come andcringe for their protection first--"

I laughed, very short and harsh. 

"That manner is of no good at all--" I said. "You will answer myquestions. How did you come here? How long have you been here?"

She said nothing; but continued to look at me. Then again my anger roselike a wave. 

"Do you think to stare me down?" I said. "If you will not answer me, I'll begone to those who will. "

"You dare not!"

"Dare not! Do you think to frighten me?--Dolly, my dear, I am not inthe mood to argue. Will you tell me how you came here, and how long ago?I must have an answer before I go. "

For an instant she was silent. 

"Will you go straight home again if I tell you?"

"Yes--I will promise that, " said I--for now that I had seen her withmy own eyes most of what I desired was done. The rest could wait twelvehours. 

"Well, then, " she said, "I have been here a month; and my father put mehere. "

"Your father!"

"Yes, my father. Have you anything to say against him?"

"No: I will say it to him. "

I wheeled about to go to the door. 

"You have done enough mischief then, you think!" sneered Dolly. 

I turned about again. 

"Mischief!"

"Why, you have ruined my name, " said Dolly, with the savage look in hereyes still there. "But you did not think of that! You thought only ofyourself. The whole palace will know to-morrow that you beat down theporter to force your way in. And it will not lose in the telling. "

I had nothing to say to that. It was true enough, and the very kind oftalk with which the Court continually diverted itself. But I would notshow my dismay. Indeed the very thought of any trouble to her had nomore occurred to my mind than the consequences to a charging bull. 

"We will see about that, " I said, "when I speak with His Majesty. "

Dolly laughed again, but without merriment. 

"Oh! you will do this and that, no doubt, " she said. "And when shall yousee His Majesty?"

I took out my watch. 

"It is nearly nine, " I said. "I shall see His Majesty in thirteen hours. You had best be packing your valises. We shall ride at noon. "

I waited no more to hear her laugh, as she did again; but went out anddown the staircase. The porter's chamber had its door half open: Ipushed the door and went in. The fellow started up. 

"Here is a guinea, " said I, throwing one upon the table; "and myapologies. But 'twas you that began it!"

Then I turned and went out. 

As I came down the steps into the little lamplit way, a man was comingswiftly up it from the direction of the court, with one of the guardsbehind him. I stopped short, thinking I was to be arrested. But it wasthe page. 

"Good God!" he said. "You have done finely indeed!"

I was still all shaking; and I simulated anger without any difficulty. 

"And whose fault is that?" said I, as if in a fury. "Do you think--"

"And His Majesty may come by at any instant!" he said. 

"Why; that is what I wish. In any case I must see him at ten o'clockto-morrow. "

"You are mad!" he said. "You had best begone to the country before dawn:and even that will not save you. " He looked over his shoulder at theyoung man who had fetched him, and who now stood waiting. 

"Save me! What have I done? I have but been to visit my cousin. " (I saidthis very loud, that the guard might hear. )

Again Mr. Chiffinch looked over his shoulder, and back again. I couldsee the shine of lanterns where others waited behind. We were justoutside the King's lodging. 

"Well, sir, " he said. "But you will go now, will you not?"

"Why, yes, " I said. "And I will be with you at half-past nineto-morrow. "

He beckoned the young soldier up. 

"See this gentleman to the gate, " he said. "He will find his way home, after that. "

CHAPTER III

I spent a very heavy evening before I went to bed; and when I was thereI could not sleep; for it appeared to me that I had made a great fool ofmyself, having injured my own prospects and done no good to anyone. Iunderstood perfectly that I had acted in an unpardonable manner; for HerMajesty's Maids of Honour were kept, or were supposed to be kept, invery great seclusion at home, as if they were Vestal virgins--which wasindeed a very great supposition. Tale after tale came back to my mind ofthose Maids in the past--of Mademoiselle de la Garde herself, of MissStewart, Miss Hyde, Miss Hamilton, and others like them--some of whomwere indeed good, but had the greatest difficulty in remaining so; forthe Court of Charles was a terrible place for virtue. It was astonishingto me that the horror of the place had not before this affected me; butit is always so. We are very philosophical, always, over the wrongs thatdo not touch ourselves. 

As to how my Cousin Dolly came to be in such a place, I began to thinkthat I understood. It must all have dated from that unhappy visit of theDuke of Monmouth to Hare Street; my Cousin Tom must have followed upthat strange introduction, and the affair must have been worked throughHer Grace of Portsmouth. I think I could have taken my Cousin Tom by thethroat, and choked him, as I thought of this. 

Meantime I had no idea as to what I should do the next day--except, indeed, see His Majesty, and say, perhaps, one tenth of what I felt. Ihad told Dolly we should ride at noon next day; I was beginning towonder whether this prediction would be fulfilled. Yet, though I hadbegun to consider myself more than in the first flush, I still felt myanger rise in me like a tide whenever I regarded the bare facts. Butmere anger would never do; and I set myself to drive it down. Besides, it would be there, I knew, and ready, if I should need it on the nextday. 

 * * * * *

When I arrived at Mr. Chiffinch's the next morning, I found him in avery grave mood. He did not rise as I came in, but nodded to me, only. 

"Sit down, Mr. Mallock, " said he. "This is a very serious affair. "

"So I think, " I said. 

He waved that away. 

"His Majesty hath heard every word of it, with embellishments. He isvery angry indeed. Nothing but what you have done for him lately couldhave saved you; and even now I do not know--"

"Man, " I said, "do not let us leave such talk as this. It is not I whoam in question--"

"I think you will find that it is, " he answered me, with a quick look. 

I strove to be patient, and, even more, to appear so. 

"Well, " I said, "what have I done? I am come back from France: I hear mycousin is here; I go to see her; a fellow at the door is impertinent, and I chastise him for it. Then I go upstairs to my cousin's parlour--"

"That is the point, " he interrupted. "It is not your cousin's. It is thelodging of the Maids of Honour. "

Yes: he had me there. That was my weak point. But I would not let himsee that. 

"How was I to understand that distinction? I knocked at the door aspeaceably as any man could. "

"And after that, " he said, smiling a little grimly, "after that, yourcousinly affection blinded you. "

"Well, that will do, " I said. 

He smiled again. 

"Well; that is your case, " he observed. "We will see how His Majestyregards it. For I must tell you, Mr. Mallock, that for five minutes lastnight it was touch and go whether you were not to be arrested. And Iwill tell you this too, that if you had not come this morning, youwould have been brought. "

"As bad as that?" I said, laughing. (But I must confess that his gravitydismayed me a little. )

"As bad as that, " he said. "You must go to His Majesty at ten. "

"As I arranged, " I said. 

"As His Majesty arranged, " said Mr. Chiffinch, rising: "and it is closeupon the time. "

And then he added, with the utmost gravity. 

"If there is one thing His Sacred Majesty is touchy upon, it is thereputation of the ladies of the Court. I would remember that, sir, if Iwere you. "

I observed a while ago that Pride is a good weapon if one has notHumility. So is Anger a good weapon, if one has not Patience; and I donot mean simulated Anger, but the passion itself, held in a leash, likea dog, and loosed when the time comes. Now, so great was my feeling forHis Majesty, and that not only of an honest loyalty, but of a real kindof respect that I had for his person and his parts--a real fear ofthe very great strength of will that lay beneath his weakness--that Iunderstood that, unless my anger was fairly near the surface, I shouldbe beaten down when I came into his presence. So, as we went togethertowards his lodgings, I looked to see that my anger was there, patted iton the head so to say, and called it Good Dog: and was relieved to hearit growl softly in answer. 

Plainly we were expected; because the two guards at the door stood asideas soon as they saw us, and one of them called out something to a manabove. There were two more at the door itself; and we went in. 

As we came in at the door of the private closet, having had no answer toour knock, His Majesty came in at the other with two dogs at his heels. He paid no attention to me at all, and barely nodded at my companion. Then he sat down to his table, and began to write; leaving us standingthere like a pair of schoolboys. 

Again I stroked the head of my anger. I could see the King was veryseriously displeased; and that unless I could keep myself determined, hewould have the best of the interview; and that I was resolved he shouldnot have. 

Suddenly he spoke, still writing. 

"You can go, Chiffinch, " said he. "Come back in half an hour. "

He looked up for a flash and nodded; and I thought, God knows why, thathe had in mind the guards outside, and that they should be within call. I knew precisely what my legal offence would be--that of brawling withinthe precincts of the palace; and the penalties of this I did not care tothink about; for I was not sure enough what they were. 

When the door closed behind Mr. Chiffinch I felt more alone than ever. Iregarded the King's dark face, turned down upon his paper; his duskyringed hand with the lace turned back; the blue-gemmed quill that heused, his great plumed hat. I looked now and again, discreetly, roundthe room, at the gorgeous carvings, the tall presses, the innumerableclocks, the brightly polished windows with the river flowing beneath. Ifelt very little and lonely. Then, in a flash, the memory came back thatnot fifty yards away was Dolly's little parlour, and Dolly herself; andmy determination surged up once more. 

Suddenly His Majesty threw down his pen. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said very sternly, "there is only one excuse foryou--that you were drunk last night. Do you plead that?"

He was looking straight at me with savage melancholy eyes. I dropped myown. 

"No, Sir. "

"You dare to say you were not drunk?"

"Yes, Sir. "

His Majesty caught up an ivory knife and sat drawing it through hisfingers, still looking at me, I perceived; though I kept my eyes down. Icould see that he was violently impatient. 

"Mr. Mallock, " said he, "this is intolerable. You come back from Francewhere you have done me good service--I will never deny that--and youwin my gratitude; and then you fling it all away by a piece ofunpardonable behaviour. Are you aware of the penalties for suchbehaviour as yours?--brawling in the Palace itself, knocking my mendown, forcing your way into the lodgings of Her Majesty's Ladies? Haveyou anything to say as to why you should not go before the Green Cloth?"

A great surge of contradiction and defiance rose within me; but I chokedit down again. It was there if I should need it. The effort held mesteady and balanced. 

"Do you hear me, sir?"

"Yes, Sir, " said I. 

"Well--what have you to say?"

He glanced past me towards the door; and I thought again that the guardswere in his mind. 

"Sir; I have a very great deal to say. But I fear I should offend YourMajesty. "

The King jerked his head impatiently. 

"It is of the nature of a defence?"

"Certainly, Sir. "

"Say it then. You need one. "

I raised my eyes and looked him in the face. He was frowning; and hislips were moving. Evidently he was very angry; and yet he was perplexed, too. 

"Sir, this is precisely what took place. I returned from France lastnight, where, as Your Majesty was good enough to remark, I was able tobe of some little service. Upon my return I heard from Mr. Chiffinchthat my 'pretty cousin' as he was kind enough to call her, was inWhitehall, as one of Her Majesty's ladies. I went to see my cousin, perhaps a little precipitately, but I went peaceably, first inquiring ofone of Your Majesty's guards where her lodgings were. I knocked, peaceably, upon the door. An old woman opened to me, and would give meno intelligible answer to my--peaceable--inquiry as to whether mycousin were there. I prevented her closing the door in my face, butpeaceably; then a fellow ran out, and asked me who the devil I was. Again, peaceably, I inquired for my cousin. I even sat down upon thestairs. Then he made at me; and in self-defence I struck him once, withmy hand. My cousin looked out of a door, and I went up into what Iunderstood was her parlour. When the guard came, she sent them away, telling them I was her cousin. The serjeant was impertinent to her; andshe shut the door in his face. I remained five minutes, or six, with mycousin, and then went peaceably away, and to my lodgings. That is theentire truth, Sir, from beginning to end. "

The King laughed, very short and harsh. 

"You put it admirably, " he said. "You are a diplomat, indeed. "

"That is my defence to Your Majesty; and it is perfectly true--neitherless nor more than the truth. But I am not only a diplomat. "

He did not fully understand me, I think, for he looked at me sharply. 

"Well?" he said. "What else?"

"I have another defence for the public--Sir--not so courteous to YourMajesty. "

He remained rigid an instant. 

"Then for the public, " he said, "you do not think the truth enough?"

"No, Sir; it is for Your Majesty that I think the truth too much. "

"I will have it!" cried the King. "This moment!"

Interiorly I licked my lips, as a dog when he sees a bone. His Majestyshould have the truth now, with a vengeance. All was falling out exactlyas I had designed. He should not have kept me waiting so long; or Imight not have thought of it. 

"Well, Sir, " said I, "you will remember I should not have dared to sayit to Your Majesty, had I not been commanded. "

He said nothing. Then, once more, I ruffled my growling dog's ears, sothat he snarled. 

"First, Sir; to the public I should say: If this is counted brawling, what of other scenes in Whitehall on which no charge was made? What ofthe sun-dial, smashed all to fragments one night, in the Privy Garden, by certain of the King's Gentlemen whom I could name? What of the brokendoor-knockers--not only in the City, but upon certain doors in Whitehallitself--broken, again by certain of the King's Gentlemen whom I couldname? What of a scene I viewed myself in the Banqueting Hall lastChristmastide in Your Majesty's presence, when a Spanish gentlemanreceived full in his face a bunch of raisins, from--"

"Ah!" snarled the King. "And you would say that to the public?"

"Sir--that is only the exordium "--(my voice was raised a little, Ithink, for indeed I was raging again by now). "Next, I would observethat Mistress Jermyn is my own cousin, and that the hour was eighto'clock in the evening--not nine, if I may so far correct Your Majesty;whereas very different hours are kept by some members of the Court, andthe ladies are not their cousins at all. "

I had never seen the King so angry. He was unable to speak for fury. Hisface paled to parchment-colour under his sallow skin, and his eyesburned like coals. This time I lashed my anger, deliberately, instead oftickling it merely. 

"Sir; that is not nearly all; but I will miss out a few points, and cometo my peroration. My peroration would be after this fashion. Such, Iwould say, is the charge against one who has been of service to HisMajesty; and such is the Court (as I have described) of that same King. There is not a Court in Europe that has a Prince so noble as our own canbe, of better parts, or of higher ambitions, or of so pure a blood. Andthere is no Prince who is served so poorly; no Court that so stinks inthe nostrils of God and man, as does his. He is capable, " I cried (forby now I was lost to all consideration for myself; my loyalty and lovefor him had come to the aid of my anger; and I saw that never againshould I have such an opportunity of speaking my mind), "He is capableof as great achievements, as any Prince that has gone before him; for hehas already won back the throne which his fathers lost. Would it be ofservice, I would say, to such a Prince as this, to punish a man whowould lay down his life for him to give him even a moment's pleasure;and to let go scot-free men and women who have never done anything butinjure him?"

I ceased; breathless, yet triumphing; for I knew that I had held HisMajesty with my words. How he would take it, when he recovered, I didnot know: nor did I greatly care. I had spoken my mind to him at last;and what I had said was no more than my conviction. That blessed gift ofanger had done the rest: and, having done its work, retired again tochaos; and left me clear-headed and master of myself. 

When I looked at him he was motionless. He was still very pale, but theterrible brightness of his eyes was gone. 

Then he roused himself to sneer; but I did not care for that; for therewas no other way for him just then, consonant with his own dignity. 

"Very admirably preached!" said he; "even if a trifle treasonous. "

"I am pleased Your Majesty is satisfied, " I said, with a little bow. 

Then he broke down altogether, in the only way that he could; he gave agreat spirt of laughter; then he leaned back and laughed till the tearsran down. Presently he was quieter. 

"Oddsfish!" he cried, "this is a turning of tables indeed! I sent foryou, Mr. Mallock--"

The door opened softly behind me; and a man put his head in. 

"Go away! go away!" cried the King. "Cannot you see I am being preachedto?"

The door closed again. 

"I sent for you, Mr. Mallock, to reprimand you very severely. Andinstead of that it is you who have held the whip. Little Ken is nothingto it: you should have been a Bishop, Mr. Mallock. "

Again he spirted with laughter. Then he drew himself up in his chair alittle; and became more grave. 

"This is all very well, " he said. "But I think I must get in myreprimand, for all that. You will not be sent to the guard-room, or theGreen Cloth--(or whatever it is that would meet your case)--this time, Mr. Mallock; I will deal with you myself. But it is a very seriousbusiness, and your distinctions would not serve you in law. A sundial isnot so important as a Christian lady; and a bunch of raisins is not, legally, a blow in the face. Still less are all the sundials andSpaniards in the world, equal to one of Her Majesty's Maids of Honour. You understand that?"

I bowed again; reminding myself that I was not done with him, even yet. 

"Yes, Sir. "

"Consider yourself reprimanded severely, Mr. Mallock. "

I bowed; but I stood still. 

"You have my leave--Oh! by the way, Mr. Mallock; there are just tenwords I must have with you on the French affairs. "

He motioned to a seat. 

"I may kiss the hand that has beaten me?" said I. 

He laughed again. He was a very merry prince when he was in the mood. 

"It should be the other way about, I should think, " he said. But he gaveme his hand; and I sat down. 

 * * * * *

All the while we were talking, still, with one-half of my mind I wasconsidering what was to be done next. It was a part, only, of mybusiness that had been done; yet how to accomplish the rest withoutspoiling all? Presently His Majesty himself repeated that which Mr. Chiffinch had already said to me; and spoke of some kind of recognitionthat was due to me. That gave me my cue. 

"Your Majesty is exceedingly kind, " I said. "But I trust I am not to bedismissed from the King's service? Mr. Chiffinch appeared to think--"

"Why, no, " said he; "not even after all your crimes. Besides we havesomething for you. Did he not tell you?"

"Any public recognition, Sir, " I said, "would effectually do so. Thevery small value that my services may have would wholly be lost, if theywere known in any way. "

"Chiffinch said the same, " observed the King meditatively. "But--"

"Sir, " I said, "might I not have some private recognition instead? Thereis a very particular favour I have in mind, which would be privatealtogether; and which I would take as a complete discharge of that whichYour Majesty has been good enough to call a debt of the King's. "

"Not money, man! Surely!" exclaimed the King in alarm. 

"Not in the least, Sir; it will not cost the exchequer a farthing. "

"Well, you shall have it then. You may be sure of that. "

"Well, Sir, " said I, "it is a serious matter. Your Majesty will dislikeit exceedingly. "

He pursed his lips and looked at me sharply. 

"Wait!" he said. "It will not affect my honour or--or my religion inany way?"

I assumed an air of slight offence. 

"Sir; I should not be likely to ask it, if it affected Your Majesty'shonour. And as for religion--" I stopped: for one more openingpresented itself which I dared not neglect. From both his manner and hiswords I saw that religion was not very far from his thoughts. 

"Well--sir, " he said. "And what of religion?"

"Sir, I pray every day for Your Majesty's conversion--"

"Conversion, eh?"

"Conversion to the Holy Catholic Church, Sir. I would give my life forthat, ten times over. "

"There! there! have done, " said His Majesty, with a touch of uneasiness. 

"But I would not ask a pledge, blindfold, Sir; even to save all thoseten lives of mine. "

"One more than a cat, eh? Do you know, Mr. Mallock, you remind mesometimes of a cat. You are so demure, and yet you can pounce andscratch when the occasion comes. "

"I would sooner it had been a little dog, Sir, " I said, glancing at thespaniels that were curled up together before the fire. 

"Well--well; we are wandering, " smiled the King. "Now what is thisfavour?"

I supposed I must have looked very grave and serious; for before I couldspeak he leaned forward. 

"It is to count as a complete discharge, I understood you to say, Mr. Mallock, for all obligations on my part. And there is no money in it?"

"Yes, Sir, " said I. "And there is no money in it. "

He must have seen I was serious. 

"Well; I take you at your word, sir. I will grant it. Tell me what itis. "

He leaned back, looking at me curiously. 

"Sir, " I said, "it is now about half-past ten o'clock. What I ask isthat my cousin, Mistress Dorothy Jermyn, receives an immediate dismissalfrom Her Majesty's service; and is ordered to leave London with me, forher father's house, at noon. "

His Majesty looked at me amazed. I think he did not know whether to beangry, or to laugh. 

"Well, sir, " he said at last. "That is the maddest request I have everhad. You mean what you say?"

"Certainly, Sir. "

"Well: you must have it then. It is the queerest kindness I have everdone. Why do you ask it? Eh?"

"Sir; you do not want my peroration over again!"

His face darkened. 

"That is very like impudence, Mr. Mallock. "

"I do not mean it for such, Sir. It is the naked truth. "

"You think this is not a fitting place for her?"

"I am sure it is not, Sir, " I said very earnestly, "nor for anycountry-maid. Would Your Majesty think--"

He jerked his head impatiently. 

"What my Majesty thinks is one thing; what I, Charles Stuart, do, isanother. Well: you must have it. There is no more to be said. "

I think he expected me to stand up and take my leave. But I remainedstill in my chair. 

"Well; what else, sir?" he asked. 

"Sir; it is near a quarter to eleven. I have not the order, yet. "

"Bah! well--am I to write it then?"

"If Your Majesty will condescend. "

"And what shall I say to the Queen? It is not very courteous to dismissa lady of hers so abruptly. "

"Sir; tell Her Majesty it is a debt of honour. "

He wheeled back to his table, took up a sheet and began to write. Whenhe had done he scattered the sand on it, and held it out to me, hismouth twitching a little. 

"Will that serve?" he said. 

I have that paper still. It is written with five lines only, and asignature. It runs as follows:

 "This is to command Mistress Dorothy Jermyn, late Maid of Honour to Her Majesty, now dismissed by the King, though through no fault of her own, to leave the Court at Whitehall at noon to-day, in company with her cousin Mr. Roger Mallock, and never to return thither without his consent. 

"CHARLES R. "

Then followed the date. 

I had a criticism or two; but I dared not make them. 

"That is more than I could have asked, Sir. I am under an eternalobligation to Your Majesty. "

"I daresay: but all mine are discharged to you, until you earn somemore. It might have meant a peerage, Mr. Mallock. "

"I do not regret it, Sir, " I said. 

As I rose after kissing his hand, he said one more word to me. 

"You are either a very wise man, or a fool, Mr. Mallock. And by God Ido not know which. But I do know you are a very brave one. "

"I was a very angry one, Sir, " said I. 

"But you are appeased?"

"A thousand times, Sir. "

CHAPTER IV

I knew I could never carry the matter through alone; so, upon leavingthe King's presence, I sought out Mr. Chiffinch immediately and told himwhat had passed. 

He whistled, loud. 

"You are pretty fortunate, " he said. "Many a man--"

"I have no time for compliments, " said I. "You must come with me to mycousin at once. We must ride at noon; and it is close upon eleven. "

"You want me to plead for you, eh?"

"Not at all, " said I. "There will be no pleading. It is to certify onlythat this is the King's writing, and that he means what he says. "

"Well, well, " said Mr. Chiffinch. "And what of the matter I spoke to youof last night? Have you decided? There is not much time to lose. "

"You must give me a day or two, " I said. 

 * * * * *

It was he who knocked this time; and it was not until the old woman hadopened, and was curtseying to the King's page, that he called me up. 

"Come, Mr. Mallock. Your cousin is within. "

We went straight upstairs after the old lady; and upon her knock beinganswered, she threw the door open. 

My Cousin Dolly was sitting over her needle, all alone. She looked, Ithought, unusually pale; but she flushed scarlet, and sprang up, so soonas she saw me. 

"Good-day, Mistress Jermyn, " said the page very courteously. "We arecome on a very sad errand--sad, that is, to those whom you will leavebehind. "

"What do you mean, sir?" asked Dolly, very fiercely. She did not give meone look, after the first. 

He held out the paper to her. She took it, with fingers that shook alittle, and read it through at least twice. 

"Is this an insult, sir; or a very poor pleasantry?" (Her face was gonepale again. )

"It is neither, mistress. It is a very sober fact. "

"This is the King's hand?" she snapped. 

"It is, " said Mr. Chiffinch. 

"Dolly, " said I, "I told you to be ready by noon; but you would notbelieve me. I suppose your packing is not done?"

She paid me no more attention than if I had been a chair. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said she, "you tell me, upon your honour, that this isthe King's hand, and that he means what is written here?"

"I give you my honour, mistress, " he said. 

She tossed the paper upon the table; she went swiftly across to thefurther door, and opened it. 

"Anne!" she said. 

A voice answered her from within. 

"Put out my riding-dress. Pack all that you can, that I shall need inthe country. We have to ride at noon. " She shut the door again, andturned on us--or rather, upon Mr. Chiffinch. 

"Sir, " she said, "you have done your errand. Perhaps you will nowrelieve me of your company. I shall be awaiting my cousin, Mr. RogerMallock, as the King requires, at noon. "

"Dolly--" said I. 

She continued, looking through me, as through glass. 

"At noon: and I trust he will not keep me waiting. "

There was no more to be done. We turned and went out. 

"Lord! what a termagant is your pretty cousin, Mr. Mallock!" said mycompanion when we were out of doors again. "You could have trusted herwell enough, I think. "

I was not in the mood to discuss her with him; I had other things tothink of. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " I said, "I am very much obliged to you; but I must beoff for my own packing. " And I bade him good-day. 

 * * * * *

When I rode into the court, five minutes before noon, a very piteouslittle group awaited me by the inner gate. Dolly, very white and angry, stood by the mounting-block, striving to preserve her dignity. Her maidwas behind her, arguing how the bags should be disposed on thepack-horse, with the fellow who was to lead it. Dolly's own horse wasnot yet come; but as I rode up to salute her, he came out of an archwayled by a groom. 

I leapt off, and stood by the mounting-block to help her. Again it wasas if I were not there. She jerked her head to the man. 

"Help me, " she said. 

He was in a quandary, for he could not leave the horse's head. 

"I am very sorry, Dolly, " said I, "but you will have to put up for mefor once. Come. "

She gave a look of despair round about; but there was no help. 

"It is on the stroke of noon, " I said. 

She submitted; but it was with the worst grace I have ever seen. Sheaccepted my ministrations; but it was as if I were a machine: not oneword did she speak, good or bad. 

By the time that she was mounted, her maid was up too, and the bagsdisposed. 

"Come, " I said again; and mounted my own horse. 

As we rode out through the great gate, the Clock Tower beat the hour ofnoon. 

 * * * * *

I am weary of saying that my journeys were strange; but, certainly, thiswas another of them. 

 * * * * *

Through the narrow streets I made no attempt to ride beside her. In thevan went three of my men; then rode I; then, about ten yards behind, came Dolly and her maid. Then came two pack-horses, led by a fellow whocontrolled them both; and my fourth man closed the dismal cavalcade. Sowe went through the streets--all the way down the Strand and into theCity, wheeled to the left, and so out by Bishopsgate. It was a clearkind of day, without rain: but the clouds hung low, and I thought itwould rain before nightfall. I intended to do the whole journey in aday; so as to be at Hare Street before midnight at least. A night on theway, and Dolly's company at supper, all alone with me, or even with hermaid, appeared to me too formidable to face. 

When we were out in the country, I reined my horse in. I saw a changepass over Dolly's face; then it became like stone. 

"We have a long ride, for one day, " said I. 

She made no answer. My anger rose a little. 

"My Cousin, " I said, "I had the honour to speak to you. "

"I do not wish to have the dishonour of answering you, " said Dolly. 

It was a weakness on her part to answer at all; but I suppose she couldnot resist the repartee. 

"A very neat hit, " I said. "Must all our conversation run upon theselines?"

She made no answer at all. 

"Anne, " I said, "rein your horse back ten yards. "

"Anne, " said Dolly, "ride precisely where you are. "

"Very good, " said I. "I have no objection to your maid hearing what Ihave to say. I thought it would be you that would object. "

"Anne, " said Dolly, "did you pack the sarcenet?"

"Yes, mistress. "

"Then tell me again the tale that you were--"

I broke in with such fury that even Dolly ceased. 

"My Cousin, " I said, "I have a louder voice than either of you; and Ishall use it, if you do not listen, so that the whole countryside shallhear. I have to say this--that some time or another to-day I have tohave a private conversation with you. It is for you to choose the timeand place. If you give me no opportunity now, I shall make it myself, later. Will you hear what I have to say now?"

There was a very short silence. 

"Anne, " said Dolly, "now that we can hear ourselves speak, will you tellme again the tale that you began last night?"

She said it, not at all lightly, but with a coldness and a distilledkind of anger that gave me no choice. I lifted my hat a little; shook myreins; and once more took up my position ten yards ahead. There was alow murmur of voices behind; and then silence. It appeared that the talewas not to be told after all. 

 * * * * *

We dined, very late, at a little inn, called the _Cross-Keys_, betweenEdmonton and Ware. I remember nothing at all, either of the inn or thehost or the food--nothing but the name of the inn, for the name struckme, with a dreary kind of wit, as reflective of the cross-purposes whichwe were at. We three dined together, in profound silence, except whenDolly addressed a word or two to her maid. As for me, she took the foodwhich I carved, all as if I were a servant, without even such athank-you as a man gives to a servant. 

We took the road again, about three o'clock; and even then the day wasbeginning to draw in a little, very bleak and dismal; and that, too, Itook as a symbol of my heart within, and of my circumstances andprospects. Certainly I had gained my desire in one way; I had got Dollyaway from Court; yet that was the single point I had to congratulatemyself upon. All else, it appeared, was ruined. I had lost all theadvantage, or very nearly all, that I had ever won from the King--(for Iknew, that although he had been merry at the end of the time, he wouldnot forget how I had worsted him)--and as for Dolly, I supposed shewould never speak to me again. It had been bad enough when I had leftHare Street nearly a twelvemonth ago: my return to it now was a hundredtimes worse. 

Although Dolly, however, would not speak to me, I was entirelydetermined to speak to Dolly. I proposed to rehearse to her what I haddone, and why; and when that was over, I would leave it in her handswhether I remained at Hare Street a day or two, or left again nextmorning. More than a day or two, I did not even hope for. I had insultedher--it seemed--beyond forgiveness. Yet, besides my miserableness, therewas something very like pleasure as well, though of a grim sort. I hadspoken my mind to her, pretty well, and would do so more explicitly;and I was to speak my mind very well indeed to her father. There was areal satisfaction to me in that prospect. Then, once more, I would shutthe door for ever on Hare Street, and go back again to town, and beginall over again at the beginning, and try to retrieve a little of what Ihad lost. Such then were my thoughts. 

We supped, at Ware--at the _Saracen's Head_, and the same wretchedperformance was gone through as at the _Cross-Keys_. Night was fallencompletely; and we had candles that guttered not a little. Dolly wassilent, however, this time, even to her maid. She did not give me onelook, all through supper. 

When I came out afterwards to the horses, the yard was all in a mist: Icould see no more than a spot of light where the lamp should be by thestable-door. The host came with me. 

"It has fallen very foggy, sir, " he said. "Would it not be best to staythe night?"

I was considering the point before answering; but my cousin answered forme, from behind. 

"Nonsense, " said she. "I know every step of the way. Where are thehorses?"

(Even that, I observed, she said to the host and not to me. )

"The lady is impatient to get home, " I said. "Is the fog likely tospread far?"

"It may be from here to Cambridge, sir, " he said--"at this time of theyear. "

"Where are the horses?" said Dolly again. 

There was no help for it. Once more we mounted; Dolly, again, assistedby the host, and not by me: but Anne was gracious enough to accept myministrations. 

For a few miles all went well: but the roads hereabouts were very softand boggy; it was next to impossible sometimes to know whether we wereright or not; and after a while one of my men waited for me--he thatcarried the lantern to guide the rest of us. The first I saw of him washis horse's ears, very black, like a pair of horns, against the lightedmist. "Sir, " he said, "I do not know the road. I can see not five yards, light or no light. "

I called out to James. 

"James, " said I, "do you know where we are?"

"No, sir, " said he, "at least not very well. "

"Cousin, " I said--(for Dolly had reined up her horse close behind, notknowing, I suppose, that I was so near). "Cousin, I am sorry to troubleyou; but unless you can lead us--"

"Give me the lantern, " she said sharply to my man. 

She took it from him, and pushed forwards. I wheeled my horse after herand followed. The rest fell in behind somewhere. I did not say one word, good or bad; for a certain thought had come to me of what might happen. She thought, I suppose, that Anne was behind her. 

So impatient was my Cousin Dolly, that, certain of her road, as shesupposed, she urged her horse presently into a kind of amble. I urgedmine to the same; and so, for perhaps ten minutes, we rode in silence. Icould hear the horses behind--or rather the sucking noise of theirfeet, --fall behind a little, and then a little more. The men weretalking, too; and so was Anne, to them--for she liked men's company, anddid not get very much of it in Dolly's service--and this I suppose wasthe reason why they did not notice how the distance grew between us. After about ten minutes I heard a man shout; but the fog deadened hisvoice, so that it sounded a great way off; and Dolly, I suppose, thoughthe was not of our party at all; for she never turned her head; andbesides, she was intent on hating me, and that, I think, absorbed hermore than she knew. I said nothing; I rode on in silence, seeing herlike an outline only in the dark, now and again--and, more commonlynothing but a kind of lighted mist, now and then obscured. It appearedto me that we were very far away to the right; but then I neverprofessed to know the way; and it was no business of mine. Truly thevery courses of nature fought against my cousin and her passionate ways. Presently I turned at a sound; and there was James' mare at my heels. Iknew her even in the dark, by the white blaze on her forehead. I hadbeen listening for the voices; and had not noticed he was there. Ireined up, instantly; and as he came level I plucked his sleeve. 

"James, " I whispered in Italian, lest Dolly should catch even a phraseof what I said--"not a word. Go back and find the others. Leave us. Wewill find our way. "

James was an exceedingly discreet and sensible fellow--as I knew. Hereined back upon the instant, and was gone in the black mist; and Icould hear his horse's footsteps passing into the distance. What hethought, God and he alone knew; for he never told me. 

The soft sound of the hoofs was scarcely died away, before I too had topull in suddenly; for there were the haunches of Dolly's horse beforethe very nose of my poor grey. She had halted; and was listening. I heldmy breath. 

"Anne, " she said suddenly. "Anne, where are you?"

As in the Scripture--there was no voice nor any that answered. There wasno sound at all but the creaking of the harness, and the soft breathingof the horses, for we had been coming over heavy ground. The world wasas if buried in wool. 

"Anne, " she said again; and I caught a note of fear in her voice. 

"Cousin, " said I softly, "I fear Anne is lost, and so are the rest. Yousee you would not speak to me; and it was none of my business--"

"Who is that?" said she sharply. But she knew well enough. 

I resolved to spare her nothing; for I was beginning to understand her alittle better. 

"It is Cousin Roger, " I said. "You see you said you knew the road, andso--"

Then she lashed her horse suddenly; and I heard him plunge. But he couldnot go fast, from the heaviness of the ground; and he was very wearytoo, as were we all. Besides, she forgot that she carried the lantern, Ithink; and I was able to follow her easily enough; as the light moved upand down. Then the light halted once more; and I saw a great whitenessbeyond it which I could not at first understand. 

I came up quietly; and spoke again. 

"Dolly, my dear; we had best have a little truce--an armed truce, if youwill--but a truce. You can be angry with me again afterwards. "

"You coward!" she said, with a sob in her voice, "to lead me away likethis--"

"My dear, it was you who did the leading. Do me bare justice. I havefollowed very humbly. "

She made no answer. 

"Cousin; be reasonable, " I said. "Let us find the way out of this; andwhen we are clear you can say what you will--or say nothing once more. "

She took me at my word, and preserved her deadly silence. 

I slipped off my horse; she was within an arm's length, and, nottrusting her, I passed my arm with scarcely a noticeable movementthrough her bridle. It was well that I did so; for an instant after shetore at the bridle, not knowing I had hold of it, and lashed her horseagain, thinking to escape whilst I was on the ground. I was very nearknocked down by the horse's shoulder, but I slipped up my hand andcaught him close to the bit--holding my own with my other hand. 

"You termagant!" I said, as soon as I had them both quiet; for I wasvery angry indeed to be treated so after all my gentleness. "No moretrust for me. It would serve you right if I left you here. "

"Leave me, " she wailed, "leave me, you coward!"

I set my teeth. 

"I shall not, " I said. "I shall punish you by remaining. I know you hatemy company. Well, you will submit to it, then, because I choose so. Nowthen, let us see--"

Then she burst out suddenly into a passion of weeping. I set my teethharder than ever. There was only one way, after all, to get the betterof Dolly; and I had pitched on it. 

"Yes: it is very well to cry, " I said. "You nearly had me killed justnow. Well: you will have to listen to me presently, whether you like itor not. Give me the lantern. "

She made no movement. She had fought down the tears a little; but Icould hear her breath still sobbing. I reached up and took the lanternfrom her right hand. 

"Now; where in God's name are we?" said I. 

We had ridden into some kind of blind alley, I presently saw; and thatwas why Dolly's horse had halted. Even that I had not owed to hergoodwill. For we had ridden, I saw presently, lifting the lantern up anddown, into a great chalk pit; and must have turned off along the trackthat led to it, from one of those sunken ways that drovers use to bringtheir flocks up to the high road. That we were to the right of the highroad I was certain, of my own observation. _Ergo_; if we could get backinto the sunken way and turn to the right, we might find ourselves onfamiliar ground again. However, I said nothing of this to Dolly. I wasresolved that she should suffer a little more first. I took the bridlesof the two horses more securely, slipping my hand with the lanternthrough the bridle of my own, turned their heads round and walkedbetween them, looking very closely on this side and that, and turning mylantern every way. After twenty yards I saw that I was right. The bankon my left proved to be no bank, but the cliff-edge of the chalk pitonly, by which the sunken way passed very near. I led the horses roundto the right; and there were we, in the very situation I had surmised. Still holding Dolly's bridle, I mounted my own horse; and when I haddone so, to secure myself and her the better, I pulled the reinssuddenly over her horse's head, and brought them into my left hand. 

"That is safer, " I observed. "Now we can pretend to be friends again;and hold that conversation of which I spoke after we left London. "

There was no answer, as we set out along the way. It was a littleclearer by now; and I could see the bank on my right. I glanced at her;and in the light of the lantern I could see that she was sitting veryupright and motionless like a shadow. I lowered the lantern to the rightside, so that she was altogether in the dark and the bank illuminated. Ifelt a little compassion for her indeed; but I dared not shew it. 

"Now, Cousin, " I said, "I preached to His Majesty yesterday; and hetold me I should be a Bishop at least. Now it is you that must hear asermon. "

Again she said nothing. 

I had rehearsed pretty well by now all that I meant to say to her; andit was good for me that I had, else I might have fallen weak again whenI saw her so unhappy. As it was I kept back some of the biting sentencesI had prepared. My address was somewhat as follows. We jogged forwardvery gingerly as I spoke. 

"Cousin, " I began, "you have treated me very ill. The first of youroffences to me was that, though I had earned, I think, the right to callmyself your friend, neither you nor your father gave me any hintwhatever of your going to Court. I know very well why you did not; and Ishall have a little discourse to make to your father upon the matter, atthe proper time. But for all that I had a right to be told. If you wereto go, I might at least have got you better protection in the beginningthan that of the--the--well--of Her Grace of Portsmouth. 

"Now all that was the cause of the very small offence that I committedagainst you myself--that of forcing my way into your lodgings. For thatI offer my apologies--not for the fact, but for the manner of it. Andeven that apology is not very deep: I shall presently tell you why. 

"The next of your offences to me was that open defiance which youshewed, and some of the words you addressed to me, both then andafterwards. You have told me I was a coward, several times, undervarious phrases, and twice, I think, _sans phrase_. Cousin; I am a greatmany things I should not be; but I do not think I am a coward; at leastI have never been a coward in your presence. Again, you have told methat I was very good at bullying. For that I thank God, and gladly pleadguilty. If a maid is bent on her own destruction, if nothing else willserve she must be bullied out of it. Again, I thank God that I was thereto do it. "

I looked at her out of the tail of my eye. Her head seemed to me to be alittle hung down; but she said nothing at all. 

"The third offence of yours is the intolerable discourtesy you haveshewn to me all to-day--and before servants, too. I put myself to greatpains to get you out of that stinking hole called Whitehall; I riskedHis Majesty's displeasure for the same purpose: I have been at yourdisposal ever since noon; and you have treated me like a dog. You willcontinue to treat me so, no doubt, until we get to Hare Street; and youwill do your best no doubt to provoke a quarrel between your father andmyself. Well; I have no great objection to that; but I have not deservedthat you should behave so. I have done nothing, ever since I have knownyou, but try to serve you--" (my voice rose a little; for I was trulymoved, and far more than my words shewed)--"You first treated me like afriend; then, when you would not have me as a lover, I went away, and Istayed away. Then, when you would not have me as a lover, and I wouldnot have you as my friend, I became, I think I may fairly say, yourdefender; and all that you do in return--"

Then, without any mistake at all, I caught the sound of a sob; and allmy pompous eloquence dropped from me like a cloak. My anger was longsince gone, though I had feigned it had not. To be alone with her there, enclosed in the darkness as in a little room--her horse and mine noddingtheir heads together, and myself holding her bridle--all this, and thesilence round us, and my own heart, very near bursting, broke me down. 

"Oh! Dolly, " I cried. "Why are you so bitter with me? You know that Ihave never thought ill of you for an instant. You know I have donenothing but try to serve you--I have bullied you? Yes: I have; and Iwould do the same a thousand times again in the same cause. You arewilful and obstinate; but I thank God I am more wilful and obstinatethan you. I am sick of this fencing and diplomacy and irony. You knowwhat I am--I am not at all the fine gentleman that leaned his head onthe chimney-breast--that was make-believe and foolishness. I am a bullyand a brute--you have told me so--"

"Oh!" wailed Dolly suddenly--no longer pretending; and I caught thenote in her voice for which I had been waiting. I dropped the lantern;the horses plunged violently at the flare and the crash; but I carednothing for that. I dragged furiously on the bridle; and as the horsesswung together, I caught her round the shoulders, and kissed herfiercely on the cheek. She clung to me, weeping. 

CHAPTER V

Well; I had beaten her at last; and in the only way in which she wouldyield. Weakness was of no use with her, nor gentleness, nor even thatlofty patronage which, poor fool! I had shewn her in the parlour at HareStreet. She must be man's mate--which is certainly a rather savagerelation at bottom--not merely his pretty and grateful wife. This Ilearned from her, as we rode onwards and up into the high road--(where, I may say in passing, there was no sign of our party)--though she didnot know she was telling it me. 

"Oh! Roger, " she said. "And I thought you were a--a pussy-cat. "

"That is the second time I have been told so in two days, " I said. 

"Who told you so?"

"His Majesty. "

"I thought His Majesty was wiser, " said she. 

"He has been pretty wise, though, " I said. "If it were not for him, weshould not be riding here together. "

"I suppose you made him do that too, " she said. 

 * * * * *

But it was not only of Dolly that I had learned my lessons; it was ofmyself also. I was astonished how inevitable it appeared to me now thatwe should be riding together on such terms; and I understood that never, for one instant, all through this miserable year away from her, had Iever, interiorly, loosed my hold upon her. Beneath all my resolutionsand wilful distractions the intention had persevered. All the while Iwas saying to myself in my own mind that I should never see Dolly again, something that was not my mind--(I suppose my heart)--was telling me theprecise opposite. Well; the heart had been right, after all. 

 * * * * *

She asked me presently what I should say to her father. 

"I shall forgive him a great deal now, that I thought I never should, "I said with wonderful magnanimity. "A few sharp words only, and no more. You see, my dear, it was through his sending you to Court--"

"Yes: yes, " she said. 

"He has behaved abominably, however, " I said, "and I shall tell him so. Dolly, my love. "

"Yes, " said she. 

"I must go back very soon to town. I have been offered a piece of work;and even if I do not accept it, I must speak of it to them. "

"Them?"

"Yes, my dear. I must say no more than that. It is _secretum commissum_as we say in Rome. "

"And to think that you were a Benedictine novice!" exclaimed Dolly. 

We talked awhile of that then; she asked me a number of questions thatmay be imagined under such circumstances: and my answers also can beimagined; and we spoke of a great number of things, she and I ridingside by side in the dark, our very horses friendly one with another--shetelling me all of how she went to Court, and why she went, and I tellingher my side of the affair--until at last in Puckeridge a man ran outfrom the inn yard to say that our party was within and waiting for us. They had met, it appeared, a rustic fellow who had set them right, soonafter they had lost us. 

I do not know what they thought at first; but I know what they thoughtin the end; for I rated them very soundly for not keeping nearer to us;and bade James ride ahead with the lantern with all the rest between, and Dolly and I in the rear to keep them from straying again. In thismanner then did she and I contrive to have a great deal moreconversation before we came a little before midnight to Hare Street. 

The village was all dark as we came through it; and all dark was theHouse when we pushed open the yard gates and rode in. We went throughand beat upon the door, and presently heard a window thrown up. 

"Who is there?" cried my Cousin Tom's voice. 

I bade Dolly's maid answer. (She was all perplexed, poor wench, at thechange of relations between her mistress and me. )

"It is Mistress Jermyn, sir, " she said. 

"Yes, father; I have come back, " cried Dolly. 

There was an exclamation from poor Tom; and in two or three minutes wesaw a light beneath the door, and heard him drawing the bolts. I pushedDolly and her maid forward as the door opened, and then myself strodesuddenly forward into the light. 

"Why--God bless--" cried Tom; who was in his coat and shoes. I could seehow his face fell when he saw me. I looked at him very grimly: but Isaid nothing to him at once (for I was sorely tempted to laugh at hisapparition), but turned to James and bade him see to the rest and findbeds somewhere. Then I went after Dolly and her father into the GreatChamber, still with my hat on my head and looking very stern. He wastalking very swiftly in a low voice to Dolly; but he stopped when I camein. 

"Yes, Cousin Tom, " I said, "I am come back again--all unlooked for, as Isee. "

"But, good God!" he cried. "What is the matter; and why is Dolly here? Iwas but just asking--"

I pulled out the King's paper which I had all ready, and thrust it downbefore the lantern that he had put on the table: and I waited till hehad read it through. 

"There, Cousin!" I said when he was staring on me again, "that is enoughwarrant for both you and me, I think. Have you anything to say?"

He began to bluster. 

"Cousin, " I said, "if I have any patience it is because Dolly has givenit back to me. You had best not say too much. You have done all the harmyou could; and it is only by God's mercy that it has not been greater. "

He said that he was Dolly's father and could do as he pleased. Besides, she herself had consented. 

"I know that, " I said, "because she has told me so; and that it was indespair that she went, because we two fools bungled our business. Well, you may be her father; but the Scripture tells us that a woman mustleave her father and cleave to her husband; and that is what I am to beto her. "

Well; when I said that, there was the Devil to pay--we three standingthere in the cold chamber, with the draughts playing upon poor Tom'slegs. He looked a very piteous object, very much fallen from that finefigure that he had presented when I had first set eyes on him; but hestrove to compensate by emphasis what he lacked in dignity. He said thathe had changed his mind; that even third cousins once removed should notmarry; that he had now other designs for his daughter; that I had noright to dictate to him in his own house. He waxed wonderfully warm; buteven then, in the first flush of his resistance I thought I saw a kindof wavering. I sat with one leg across the corner of the great tableuntil he was done; while Dolly sat in a chair, turning her merry eyesfrom the one to the other of us. For myself, I felt no lack ofconfidence. I had beaten the daughter; now I was to beat the father. 

When he had finished, and drew breath, I stood up. 

"Very bravely said, Cousin, bare legs and all, " I said. "We will speakof it all again to-morrow. But now for a bite; we have been riding sincenoon. "

It was very strange to go upstairs again after a mouthful or two, and aglass of warm ale, and see my chamber again from which I had departed insuch unhappiness near a twelvemonth ago. James had made a little firefor me, before which I drew off my boots and undressed myself. For itwas from this very chamber that I had gone forth in such despair, whenDolly had said that she would not have me: and now, here I was in itagain, all glowing with my ride and my drink and my great content, having kissed Dolly just now in her father's presence as a symbol ofour troth. And so I went to bed and dreamed and woke and dreamed again. 

We had our talk out next morning, Tom pacing up and down the GreatChamber, until I entreated him for God's sake to sit down and save mystiff neck. He was very high at first; but I was astonished how quicklyhe came down. 

"That is very well, " I said, "to speak now of better prospects forDolly. But you will do me the honour of remembering, my dear Cousin, that in this very room once you spoke to me very differently. If youhave changed your mind, you might at least have told me so; for I havenot changed mine at all; and Dolly, it seems, is come round to my way ofthinking at last. "

"But how did you do it?" asked he, stopping in his walk. 

"I lost my temper altogether, " said I; "and that is a very good way ifyou have tried all the rest. "

"But the King, man, the King! How did you get that paper out of him? WhyHis Majesty himself, I am told, took particular notice--"

"Eh?" said I. 

"That is no matter now, " he said. "What were you going to say?"

"I must have that first, " said I. 

Tom began to pace the floor again. 

"It is nothing at all, Cousin. It is that His Majesty spoke very kindlyto my daughter upon her first coming to Court. "

"I am glad I did not know that, " I said, "or I might have said more tohim. "

"Well; but what did you say?"

Now I was in half a dozen minds as to what I should tell him. He knewfor certain nothing at all of my comings and goings and of what I didfor the King; yet I thought that he must have guessed a good deal. Ijudged it safer, therefore, to tell him a little, to stop his month; butnot too much. 

"Why, " I said very carefully, "I have been of a little service to theKing; and His Majesty was good enough to ask me if there were anylittle favour he could do me. So that is what I asked him. "

Tom stopped in his pacing again: and it was then that I entreated him tosit down and talk like a Christian. He did so, without a word. 

"In France, I suppose?" he said immediately after. 

"Why, yes. "

Tom looked at me again. 

"And you travel with four men now, instead of one. "

"I find it more convenient, " I said. 

"And more expensive too, " he observed. 

"Why, yes: a little more expensive, too, " I answered. But I was a shadeuneasy; because this increase of servants was at His Majesty's desireand cost. I made haste to turn the conversation back once more. I didnot wish Tom to think that I was of any importance at all. 

"Well; but what of Dolly?" I said. 

It was then that my Cousin suddenly came down from his loftiness. Heseemed to awake out of a little reverie. 

"You come into the enjoyment of your property, " he said, "in four yearsfrom now?"

"In less than that, " I said. "It is three years and a half. My birthdayis in June. "

He asked me one or two more questions then as to its amount, and whatarrangements I would make in the event of my marriage. When I hadsatisfied him upon these matters, he fell again into a reverie. 

"Well?" said I, a little sharply. 

"Cousin, " he said, "I do not wish to stand in your way. But there mustbe no talk of marriage till '85. Will that content you?"

It did not in the least; but it was what I had expected. I was scarcelyrich enough yet to support a wife, and knew that, well enough; for if Imarried and left the King's service there would be no more travellingexpenses for me. Dolly and I last night had agreed upon that as theleast that we could consent to. 

"Four years is a long time, " said I. 

"You said three and a half just now, " he observed a little bitterly. 

"Well: three and a half. I suppose I must take that, if I can getnothing better. "

 * * * * *

Now I was secretly a little astonished that my Cousin Tom had consentedso quickly, after his recent ambitions. Plainly he had aimed higher thanat my poor standard during those months; for when a maid went to Courtas one of the Queen's ladies the least that was expected of her was thatshe would marry a pretty rich man. But the reason of it all wasunpleasantly evident to me. He must have gathered from what I had saidand done that my favour was increasing with the King; and therefore hemust have argued too that I must be serving His Majesty in some veryparticular way--which was the very last thing I desired him to know, ashe was such a gossip. But I dared say no more then. We grasped oneanother's hands very heartily: and then I went to find Dolly. 

 * * * * *

The days that followed were very happy ones--though, as I shallpresently relate, they were to be interrupted once more. I had in mymind, during them all, that I must soon go up to London again to tellMr. Chiffinch my final decision that I could not undertake the work thathe had proposed to me; for I had spoken of it at some length with Dolly, giving her a confidence that I dared not give to her father. But I didnot think that I should have to go so soon. 

It was in the hour before supper one evening that I told her of it, aswe sat in the tapestried parlour, looking into the fire from the settlewhere we sat together. 

"My dear, " said I, "I wish to ask your advice. But it is a very privatematter indeed. "

"Tell me, " said Dolly contentedly. (Her hand was in mine, and she lookedextraordinary pretty in the firelight. )

"I am asked whether I will undertake a little work. In itself it isexcellent. It concerns the protection of His Majesty; but it is themeans that I am doubtful about. "

Then I told her that of the details--of the how and the when and thewhere--I knew no more than she: but that, if all went well, I might findmyself trusted by a traitor: and that I was considering whether in sucha cause as this it was a work to which I could put my hand, to betraythat trust, if I got it. But before I was done speaking I knew that Icould not--so wonderfully does speaking to another clear one's mind--andthat though I could not condemn outright a man who thought fit to do so, any more than I would condemn a scavenger for cleaning the gutter, itwas not work for a gentleman to seek out a confidence that he mightbetray it again. 

"Now that I have put it into words, " I said, "I see that it cannot bedone. Certainly it would advance me very much with His Majesty; (andthat is one reason why I spoke to you of it)--but such advance would betoo dearly bought. Do you not think so too, my dear?"

She nodded slowly and very emphatically three or four times, withoutspeaking, as her manner was. 

"Then that is decided, " said I, "and in a day or two I will go to townand tell them so. "

So we put the matter away then; and spoke of matters far more dear toboth of us, until Tom came in and exclaimed at our sitting in the darkas he called it. 

 * * * * *

The interruption came that very night. 

We were at supper, and speaking of Christmas, and of how we would haveagain the dancing as last year, when we heard a man ride past the house, pulling up his horse as he came. Such interruptions came prettyoften;--it was so that I had been first sent for by Mr. Chiffinch: andit was so again that the Duke of Monmouth had come, and others--but wehad plenty too of others who came, seeing the house at the end of thevillage, to ask their way, or what not; so we paid no attention to it. Presently, however, we heard a man's steps come along the paved walk, and then a knocking at the door. James went out to see who was there;and came back immediately saying that it was a courier with a letter forme. My conscience smote me a little, for I had delayed more than a weeknow from answering Mr. Chiffinch: and, sure enough, when I went out, the man was come from him. I took the letter he gave me into the GreatChamber to read it, and was astonished at its contents. There were butfour lines in it. 

"Mr. Mallock, " it ran, "come immediately--that is to-morrow. The Lordhath delivered them into our hands. Ride by Amwell; and go through theplace slowly between eleven and twelve with no servant near. " And it wassigned with his initials only. 

I went back again into the dining-room immediately, and shut the doorbehind me. 

"I must go to town, to-morrow, " I said, all short. 

Dolly looked up at me, gone a little white. I shook my head and smiledat her, but secretly; so that Tom did not see. 

CHAPTER VI

I do not think that I have yet related how great was the work that Mr. Chiffinch had done in the matter of the spies that he had everywhereduring those later years of His Majesty Charles the Second. That whichhe had done during Monmouth's progress in the north--his receiving ofreports day by day, and even hour by hour--this was only one instance ofhis activity. The secret-looking men, or even the bold-lookinggentlemen, whom I had met on his stairs so continually, or for whosesake I was kept waiting sometimes when I went to see him--these were histools and messengers. This company of spies was of all grades; and itwas to serve in that company that he had sent for me from France, andthat I was determined to decline. 

Though, however, I was so determined, I did not dare to disobey thedirections that his letter gave me; for I could not be sure that it wasfor this work in particular that he had summoned me; though I guessedthat it was. I would go, thought I, and do in everything as he had said;I would ride through Amwell, with my servants behind at a good distance:I would see what befell me there--for that something would, was certainfrom the letter; then I would proceed on to London, and if the affairwere against my honour, as I was sure it would be, I would refuse anyfurther part in it. My one hardship was that I could do no more thantell Dolly in private that I would hold to my resolution. I dared nottell her anything of the contents of the letter which I had immediatelydestroyed. I promised her that I would be back for Christmas at thelatest. She came out to the yard-gate to wish me good-bye: my servantswere gone in front; and my Cousin Tom had the sense to be out of theway; so our good-byes were all that such miserable things ever can be. Iwaved to her at the corner, and she waved back. 

When we came about two miles to the north of Amwell--which we did abouteleven o'clock, as I had been bid, I bade my servants stay behind, andnot come after me till half an hour later; further I bade them, if, whenthey came, they found me in any man's company, neither to salute me norto make any sign of recognition; but to pass straight on to Hoddesdonand wait for me there, not at the inn where I was known, but at anotherlittle one--the _King's Arms_--at the further end of the village, andthere they were to dine. Even then, when I came, if I did, they were notto salute me until I had spoken with them. All this I did, interpretingas well as I could, what Mr. Chiffinch had said; and they, since theywere well-trained in that kind of service, understood me perfectly. 

It was near half-past eleven when I came, riding very slowly, into thevillage street, looking this way and that so as to shew my face, but asif I were just looking about me. I noticed a couple of servants, in avery plain livery which I thought I had seen before, in the yard of the_Mitre_, but they paid no attention to me. So I passed up the street tothe end, and no one spoke with me or shewed any sign. Now I knew thatthere was something forward, and that unless I fell in with it thearrangement would have failed; so I turned again and rode back, as if Iwere looking for an inn. Again no one spoke with me; so I rode, as ifdiscontented, into the yard of the _Mitre_, and demanded of an ostlerwhether there was any food fit to eat there. 

He looked at me in a kind of hesitation. 

"Yes, sir, " he said; "but--but the parlour is full. A party is there, from London. "

Then I knew that I had been right to come; because at the same moment Iremembered where I had seen those liveries before. They were those wornby the men who had come with Monmouth to Hare Street. 

I said nothing to the ostler; but slipped off my horse, as he took thebridle, and went indoors. The fellow called out after me; but I made asif I did not hear. (I have found, more than once, that a little deafnessis a very good thing. ) There were voices I heard talking beyond a doorat the end of the passage; I went up to this, and without knocking, lifted the latch and went in. 

The room, that looked out, with one window only, into a small enclosedgarden, was full of men. There were eight of them, as I countedpresently; all round a table on which stood a couple of tall jugs andtankards. I raised my hand to my hat. 

"I beg pardon, gentlemen. Is there room--"

"Why--it is Mr. --" I heard a voice say, suddenly stifled. 

Beyond that, for a moment, there was silence. Then a man stood upsuddenly, with a kind of eagerness. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "Mr. Mallock! Do you not remember me?"

"Your back is to the light, sir--" I began; and then: "Why it is Mr. Rumbald. "

"The same, sir; the same. There is a friend of yours, here, sir--Come inand sit down, sir. There is plenty of room for another friend. "

There was a very curious kind of eagerness in the maltster's voice, which puzzled me not a little; and there was a change of manner too inhim, that puzzled me no less. He spoke as if he had almost expected me, or was peculiarly astonished to see me there; and there was none of thathail-fellow air about him any more. He spoke to me as to a gentleman--asindeed I shewed I was by my dress--but yet manifested no surprise atseeing me so. However, I had neither time nor thought to consider thisat the moment, for the friend of mine of whom he spoke, and who was nowstanding up to greet me, was no other than my Lord Essex--he who hadbeen riding with Monmouth from Newmarket; and he whose name Mr. Chiffinch had expressly spoken of to me. Yet how did Mr. Rumbald knowthat we knew one another?

I made haste to salute him; for he too, I thought, had an air ofeagerness. 

"Come in and sit down, Mr. Mallock, " he said. "We have dined early; andare presently off to town again. Are you riding our way?"

"Why, yes, " I said, "I am going up to my lodgings for a little. "

(As I spoke a thousand questions beseiged me. Why was there this air ofexpectation in them at all? How did Mr. Chiffinch know that they wouldbe here at this time? Why had he arranged that I should meet them? Whyhad he not spoken of their names to me; since he had told me so freelyof them before? Well; I must wait, thought I, and meantime go verygingerly. I was not going to put my hand to this kind of work; but I didnot wish to spoil Mr. Chiffinch's design if I could help it. )

"Why, " said my Lord, "if you are going to town, may I not ride with you?Some of these gentlemen are in a hurry; but I am sure I am not. Have youno servants, Mr. Mallock?"

"I have sent mine on before, " I said, marvelling more than ever at theman's friendliness, "but I shall be very happy to ride with yourLordship, if you can wait till I have dined. "

My Lord said a word to a man who sat near the door, who slipped out: andI heard his voice ordering dinner for me. Meantime I observed thecompany. 

There were eight, as I have said; but I knew for certain two only--themaltster and my Lord Essex. The rest puzzled me not a little. Theyseemed well-bred fellows enough; but they were dressed very plainly, andappeared no more than country squires or lawyers or suchlike. They weretalking of the most indifferent things in the world, with silences, asif they wondered what next to speak of; they hardly looked at me at allafter a minute or two; and presently one by one began to stand up andtake their leave, saluting my Lord by name, and bowing only to me. Bythe time that my dinner came there were left only my Lord, who was veryattentive to me, and Mr. Rumbald; and before I was well set-to, even Mr. Rumbald stood up to say good-bye. 

Again I was puzzled by the man; for again he appeared very friendly withme, and again shewed no sign of astonishment at my acquaintance with myLord and at my appearance as a gentleman. 

"I am very glad, sir, " he said, shaking my hand with great warmth, "that you will have so pleasant a ride to town with your friend. And youwill remember my house too, will you not, over the river, if ever youare by that way. "

I told him that I would: and thanked him for his courtesy; and he wentout, after shaking hands too with my Lord, taking care to exchange noglances with him, though it would be evident, even to a child, thatthere was some secret between them. 

When he was gone, my Lord turned to me. 

"A very good fellow, Rumbald--a very good fellow indeed. "

I assented, heartily. 

"Honest as the day, " said my Lord. 

"There is no doubt of it, " said I, with my mouth full. 

"And a good patriot too. It is what we want, Mr. Mallock. "

Again I assented; and my Lord presently changed the conversation. 

 * * * * *

During the rest of dinner he said nothing that was significant of any ofthe things I suspected. I knew now, beyond a doubt, both from what Mr. Chiffinch had said and from the strangely mixed company, and thecircumstances under which I found them, that something was forward; butas to what it was all about I knew no more than the dead. Neither did Ias yet see a single glimmer of light on the questions that had puzzledme just now. So I determined that when we were safe out on the lonelyroad I would throw a bait or two; though my resolution still held that Iwould do no dirty work, even for His Majesty himself. 

I dined very tolerably, and lit a pipe afterwards: (my Lord told me thathe used no tobacco); and presently in a kind of impatience--for indeedthe position I found myself in was a little disconcerting--I observedthat it was past noon. 

"You are quite right, " said my Lord, "quite right. I will tell them tohave the horses ready. Your servants are gone on before, I think yousaid, Mr. Mallock?"

I told him Yes; but I wondered why he did not shout for the maid, instead of going out himself; but I understood the reason when I foundpresently, when we took the road, that his own men kept a full hundredyards in the rear. Evidently he had gone out to tell them to do so. 

 * * * * *

So soon as we were clear of Amwell, I began. There was a little wind, and the weather was moist and thick, so there was no danger of our beingoverheard. 

"My Lord, " I said, "I am very much puzzled by what I have seen. "

"Eh?" said he. 

"It was a very mixed company just now, in Amwell. "

He frowned a little. 

"Very excellent gentlemen, all of them--" I hastened to add. "But I waswondering what it was that drew them all together. I can only think oftwo things. "

"What are they, Mr. Mallock?" asked my Lord a little eagerly. 

"Religion or politics, my Lord, " I said. "And I am sure that it is notthe first. "

He appeared to reflect; but he was not a very good actor; and I couldsee that it was feigned. 

"Why you are very sharp, sir, " he said. "You have put your finger on thevery place--the very place. " (And he continued with far too short apause): "On which side are you, Mr. Mallock? For the country or for theCourt?"

"That is a dangerous question to answer, my Lord, " I said, very short. 

"It is only dangerous for one side, " said he. 

I nodded, in a grave and philosophical manner. Then I sighed. 

"You are quite right, my Lord. "

I could see that he was glancing at me continually. Yet no explanationof his behaviour yet crossed my mind. 

"Mr. Mallock, " said he after a silence, "it is no good fencing about thequestion. I can see that you are disaffected. "

"That is a very safe way to put it, " I said. "Who is not--on one sideor the other?"

"Yes, " said he, "but you are sharp enough to know what I mean. "

Again I nodded; but my mind was working like a mill; for a new thoughthad come to me that seemed to illumine all the rest; and yet I could notunderstand. The thought was this. Plainly my Lord Essex knew a good dealabout me: he knew enough, that is, to begin a conversation of this kindwith one whom he had only met once before--a mad proceeding altogether, if that were all he knew. _Ergo_, thought I, he must know more thanthat; and if he knew more he must know that I was in the service of HisMajesty and presumably devoted to that service; probably, too, from theunderstanding between himself and Rumbald, he knew that I had chosen onprevious occasions to masquerade as if I were not a gentleman. Was hequite mad then? For to talk like this to one in the confidence of HisMajesty was surely a crazed proceeding! Yet my Lord Essex was not afool. 

Looking back upon the matter as I write, it is hard for me to understandwhy I did not see through his design, since I saw so much of it. Yet itwas not until London was in sight, or rather its lights against the sky, that all fell into its place; and I wondered at the simplicity of it. Ithink that it was the way he talked to me--the manner in which heskirted continually on the fringe of treason, yet said nothing that Icould lay hold upon, and, above all, mentioned no names--that gave methe clue. I fear I fell a little silent as I perceived how point afterpoint ratified the conclusion to which I had come; but I do not think henoticed it; and, even if he did, it would only encourage him the more. And when I saw the whole, as plain as a map, my scruples left mealtogether. I would not have betrayed the true confidence of this man, or of any other; that resolution still held firm; but this was anothermatter altogether. 

By the time that we reached Covent Garden--for he rode with me as far asthat--I think he was satisfied that he had caught me in the way that hewished; for he had given me the names of one or two places where Icould communicate with him if I desired; and was nearer actual treasonin his talk than ever before--though he did not go much beyond deploringthe Popish succession, and feigning that he did not know that I was aCatholic; and, on my side, I had feigned to be greatly interested in allthat he had said, and had let him see, though not too evidently, that itwas feigning on my side too. We parted, outwardly, the best of friends;inwardly we were at one another's throats. 

So soon as I had dismounted--he having left me in the Strand--and goneindoors, I came out again, not fearing, indeed rather hoping, that hewould be watching for me, and, in my boots just as I was, set out forWhitehall. 

 * * * * *

Mr. Chiffinch was within, expecting me. Even he looked a little excited;and no wonder. But first I made him answer my questions before I wouldsay a word beyond telling him that his design had prospered. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said I over my supper which he had brought for me tohis parlour. "Before I say one more word, you must tell me three or fourthings. The first is this. How did you know that it was in me that myLord Essex would confide?"

"That is easily answered, " said he. "My men told me that my Lord wasafter you everywhere--both in your lodgings and here. "

"Ah!" I said, "and was there a fellow called Rumbald, with him?"

"You are right, " he said. "How did you know that?"

"Wait, " I said. "The next is, If you could tell me so much in yourletter, why did you not tell me the names of the persons?"

He smiled. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "from your hesitation I knew that you wouldrefuse to do such work as this. So I intended to catch you unawares, andto entangle you in it. I knew that you would not refuse to go to Amwell, and behave there as I directed, if I said no more than I did. "

"Well; you would have failed, " I said. 

"What!" said he. "You are still going to refuse?"

"No, " said I, "I accept the work: but it is not what you think it is. "

"Why--what is it then?"

"Wait, " I said. "The next is, How did you know that they would be atAmwell at that time?"

"Oh! that is easy enough; one of my fellows got that out of one ofRumbald's maids--that a party of six would lie at the Ryehouse lastnight; and that they would meet two more at dinner in Amwell at eleveno'clock to-day. Rumbald has been known to us a long while. But it is theothers we are waiting for. "

I was silent. There were no more questions I wished to ask at present;though there might be others later. 

"Well, " said the page, a little eagerly; and his narrow face looked verylike a fox's, as he spoke. "Well; and what is your news?"

I finished my stew, and laid down the spoon. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said I, "let me first ask one more question. Why do youthink that my Lord Essex was after me at all? How did he know of me?"

"Plainly from Rumbald, " said he. 

"And why did he want me?"

He smiled. 

"Why, Rumbald thinks you disaffected towards the King; and yet knows youare in his service. You would be a very great helper to them, if youcared. "

It was my turn to smile. 

"My Lord Essex is not a fool, " I said. "If they know so much of me, would they not know more?"

"Plainly they do not, " he said. "Or they would not have tried to get youon their side. "

I laughed softly. 

"Sir, " I said, "you are very sharp: but you are not sharp enough. "

Then I related to him the behaviour of them all in the inn; and howRumbald had shewn no surprise in seeing that I was a gentleman afterall; and how my Lord Essex had talked in what would have been themaddest manner, if his intention had been as Chiffinch had thought it tobe; and with every word that I said the page's face grew longer. 

"Well, " he cried, "it is beyond me altogether. What then is theexplanation?"

"My friend, " I said, "you were right. Neither before nor after what haspassed to-day would I have done the work you designed for me which wasto get these men's confidence, and then betray it again. But it is nottheir idea to give me their confidence at all. So I will work with youvery gladly. "

"But then what can you do--" he began in amazement. 

"Listen, " I said. "It will fall out just as I say. They will give mevery few names; they will admit me to none of their real secrets; butyet they will feign to do so. "

"But, what a' God's name--"

"Oh! man!" I cried, "you are surely slow-witted to-day. They will do allthis--" (I leaned forward as I spoke for further emphasis)--"_in orderthat I may hand it on to His Majesty_; but they will give me no realsecret till the climax is come, and their designs perfected. And thenthey will give me a false one altogether. They think that they will makeme a tool to further their true plans by betraying false ones. We mayknow this for certain then--that whatever they tell me, knowing that Iwill tell you, is not what they intend, but something else altogether. And it will not be hard to know the truth, if we are certified of whatis false. "

 * * * * *

There was complete silence in the room when I had finished, except forthe wash of the tide outside the windows. The man's mouth was open, andhis eyes set in thought. Then sense came back to his face; and he smiledsuddenly and widely. 

"God!" he said, and slapped me suddenly on the thigh. "Good God! youhave hit it, I believe. "

CHAPTER VII

From now onwards there began for me such a series of complications thatI all but despair of making clear even the course that they ran. Mydiaries are filled with notes and initials and dates which I dared notat the time set down more explicitly; and my memory is often confusedbetween them. For, indeed, my work in France was but child's play tothis, neither was there any danger in France such as was here. 

For consider what, not a double part merely, but a triple, I had toplay. The gentlemen, who were beginning at this time to conspire in realearnest against the King and the Constitution, some of whom afterwards, such as my Lord Russell, suffered death for it, and others of whom likemy Lord Howard of Escrick escaped by turning King's evidence--althoughtheir guilt was very various--these gentlemen, through my Lord Essex, had got at me, as they thought, to betray not truth but falsehood to HisMajesty, and told me matters, under promise of secrecy, which theyintended me to tell to the King and his advisers. To them, therefore, Ihad to feign feigning: I had to feign, that is, that I was feigning tokeep their confidence, but that in reality that I was betraying it;while to Mr. Chiffinch I had to disclose these precious secrets not astrue but as false, and conjecture with him what was the truth. (Myevidence, later, was never called upon, nor did my name appear in anyway, for that the jury would never have understood it. ) I had, therefore, a double danger to guard against; first that which came fromthe conspirators--the fear that they should discover I was trickingthem, or rather that I had discovered their trickery; and, on the otherside, that I should become involved with them in the fall that was socertain from the beginning, and be myself accused of conspiracy--or ofmisprision of treason at the least. Against the latter I guarded as wellas I could, by revealing to Mr. Chiffinch every least incident so soonas it happened; and on three occasions in the following year having along discourse with His Majesty. But against the former danger I hadonly my wits to protect me. 

The best thing, therefore, that I can do is to relate a few of theevents that happened to me. (I have never, I think, experienced such astrain on my wits; for it went on for a good deal more than a year, since I could for a long time arrive at no certain proofs of the guiltof the conspirators, and His Majesty did not wish to strike until theirconviction was assured. )

The first meeting of the conspirators to which I was admitted was inJanuary. (I had not been able, of course, to go to Hare Street forChristmas; but the letters I had now and again from Dolly, greatlyencouraged and comforted me. I had told her that I "was keeping to myresolution, " but that "I should be in some peril for a good while tocome, " and begged her to remember me often in her pure prayers. )

A fellow came to my lodgings about the middle of January, with a letterfrom my Lord Essex. It ran as follows:

"SIR, --With regard to some matters of which we spoke together on theoccasion of our very pleasant ride to town last month, I am very anxiousto see you again. Pray do not write any answer to this; but if you canmeet me on Thursday night at the house of my friend Mr. West, in CreedLane, at nine o'clock, we may have a little conversation with some otherfriends of ours. I am, sir, your obliged servant, "Essex. "

I told the fellow that the answer was Yes. My Lord had been to see me inCovent Garden twice, but had said very little that was at all explicit;but Mr. Chiffinch had bid me hold myself in readiness, and put aside allelse for the further invitations that would surely come. And so it had. 

I found the house without difficulty; and was shewn into a littleparlour near the door; where presently my Lord came to me alone, allsmiles. 

"I am very glad you are come, Mr. Mallock, " he said. "I was sure thatyou would. I have a few friends here who meet to talk politics; and theywould greatly like to hear your views on the points. I think I may nowventure to say that we know who you are, Mr. Mallock, and that you havedone a good deal for His Majesty in France. Your opinion then would beof the greatest interest to us all. "

(I understood why he put so much emphasis on France; it was to quiet meas to any suspicions they thought I might have as to my being the King'sservant in England too. )

I answered him very civilly, smiling as if I was at my ease; and after aword or two more he took me in. It was a long low room, with a beamedceiling and shuttered windows, in which the men were sitting. There weresix of them there; and I knew two of them, immediately. He that sat atthe head of the table, a very grim-looking man, with pointed features, in an iron-grey peruke, was no other than my Lord Shaftesbury himself;and the one on his left, with a highish colour in his cheeks, was myLord Grey. Of the rest I knew nothing; but those two were enough to shewme that I must make no mistakes. There were candles on the table. 

My Lord Essex smiled as he turned to me. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "I see you know some of these gentlemen bysight. "

"I know my Lord Shaftesbury, and my Lord Grey by sight, " I said, bowingto each. They each inclined a little in return. 

"And this is Mr. West, " said my Lord. 

This was a very busy-looking active little fellow, with bright darkeyes. (He had the name of being an atheist, I learned afterwards. )

"Sit down, Mr. Mallock, " said my Lord, pointing to a chair on my LordShaftesbury's right. I did so. There was no servant in the room. The twoother men were presently made known to me as a Mr. Sheppard and a Mr. Goodenough. I knew nothing of either of these two at this time. 

Now it may seem that it was extraordinary bold of all these persons toadmit me, believing as they did, that I was on His Majesty's side, andwould reveal all to him; and it was, in one way, bold of them; yet itwas the more clever. For, as will appear, they said nothing to me atpresent that could be taken hold of in any way; and yet they sent, orrather thought they sent, to the King, false news that would help theircause. 

When he had discoursed for a little while on general matters, yetdrawing nearer ever to the point, my Lord Essex opened the engagement. 

"That Mr. Rumbald, " he said. "Do you know who he is, Mr. Mallock?"

"Why, he is a maltster, is he not?" I said. 

"Well: he married a maltster's widow, who is dead now. But he is anhonest old Cromwellian--loyal enough to His Majesty--" (the gentlemenall solemnly put hands to their hats)--"yet very greatly distressed atthe course things are taking. "

"An old soldier?" I asked. 

"Yes: he was a Colonel under Oliver. "

Such was the opening; and after that we talked more freely, though notso freely as, I doubt not, they had talked for an hour before I came. MyLord Shaftesbury did not say a great deal; he had a quick discontentedlook; but I think I satisfied him. He was in a very low condition atthis time--all but desperate--so strongly had the tide set against himsince my Lord Stafford's death and the reaction that followed it; and Ithink he would have grasped at anything to further his fortunes: forthat was what he chiefly cared about. My Lord Essex did most of thetalking, and Mr. West; and I could see that they were shewing me off, asa new capture, and one on whose treachery to them their hopes mightturn. 

Now there were three or four matters on which they were very emphatic. First, that no injury was intended to the King or the Duke of York; butthis they did not disclaim for themselves so much as for the disaffectedpersons generally; as regards themselves they said little or nothing:and from this I deduced that the King's life would certainly be aimedat; and the more so, as they said what a pity it was that His Majesty'sguards were still doubled. 

"It shews a lack of confidence in the people, " said my Lord Essex. 

(From that, then, I argued that an attempt was contemplated uponWhitehall. )

The second thing that Mr. West was very emphatic upon was the need ofproceeding, if any reform were to be brought about, in a legal andParliamentary manner. 

"Why does not His Majesty call another Parliament?" he added, "that atleast we may air our grievances? It is true enough that my LordShaftesbury--" (here he bowed to my Lord who blinked in return)--"thatmy Lord Shaftesbury found Parliament against him in the event; but hedoes not complain of that. He hath at least been heard. "

(From that I argued either that they thought they would be stronger in anew Parliament, or that they contemplated acting in quite anothermanner. I could not tell for certain which; but I supposed the latter. )

The third thing that Mr. Goodenough said, relating how he had heard itfrom a Mr. Ferguson of Bristol, was that the West of England was in avery discontented condition, and that His Majesty would do well to sendtroops there. 

Now I knew that his statement was tolerably true; and that therefore thefalse part must be the second. The only conclusion I could draw was thatthey wished troops to be withdrawn from London. 

To all these things, however, I assented civilly, arguing a little, forform's sake; but not too much. 

 * * * * *

When at last we broke up, my Lord Essex again came with me to the door, and carried me first, for an instant into the little parlour. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "we have had a pleasant evening, have we not?But I need not tell you that our talk had best not be repeated. We havesaid not a word that is disloyal to His Majesty: but even a littlefault-finding is apt to be misrepresented in these days. "

I said that I understood him perfectly (which indeed I did); and noddedvery sagely. 

"Let us meet again, then, Mr. Mallock--on that understanding. I havesome more friends I would wish you to meet; and whom I am sure you coulddo good to. There is a quantity of discontent about. "

I went to see Mr. Chiffinch the next day, and reported all that hadpassed, as they had intended me to do. We drew up a little report whichwas carried into effect: first, that no troops should be sent out ofLondon; but that they should be dispersed as much as possible within theconfines of the City; next that the guards at the gates of Whitehallshould be diminished by one half--(this, to give colour to themalcontents' hope; and provoke them to action)--but the guards withinincreased by the same amount, yet kept out of sight so much as waspossible; thirdly, that a rumour should be set about that the King wouldcall a Parliament within the year at latest; and this Mr. Chiffinchpromised to undertake (for a very great effect indeed can be produced onpopular opinion by those who know the value of false rumours); but thatHis Majesty should be dissuaded from doing anything of the kind. Suchthen was the result of that first meeting to which I was admitted; andsuch more or less was our course of procedure all through the spring andsummer. This I have related in full, to serve as an example of ourmethod, because, since it was the first, I remember it very distinctly. In this manner I used the information I gained for the King's benefit;and, at the same time the conspirators were led to believe that I wastheir tool, and no more. 

 * * * * *

The next important incident fell in the beginning of the summer. 

Now, in the meantime I had learned, from Mr. Chiffinch for the mostpart, though there were some matters I was able rather to inform himabout, that there were two separate and distinct parties amongst theconspirators. There were those who intended nothing but some kind of arising--scarcely more than an armed demonstration--and to this partywould belong such a man as my Lord Russell--if he were of them at all;and there were those who meant a great deal more than this--who werehoping, in fact so to excite their followers as to bring about theKing's death. But of these I found it very hard to get any names--andquite impossible, so far, to obtain any positive proof at all. The Dukeof Monmouth, I knew, was of the moderate party; so, I thought then, wasmy Lord Grey--but Mr. Algernon Sidney whom I met once or twice was ofthe extreme side. But as to my Lord Shaftesbury, I knew nothing: he waspretty silent always; and it was with regard to him most of all that wedesired evidence. It was this division of parties, no doubt, thathindered any action; the moderates were for ever trying to drag back thefanatics; and the fanatics to urge on the moderates; so that nothing wasdone. 

From my diaries I find that I spoke with my Lord Essex no less thaneight times between Christmas and July; I saw my Lord Russell only onceas I shall relate presently, but did not speak with him: the rest I metnow and again, but never all of them together. It was necessary, nodoubt, that they should be well drilled before they could be trustedwith me. Mr. Rumbald I met about four times, and my Lord Howard butonce. I think all this time they were wholly satisfied that I passed onto Mr. Chiffinch what they told me, and nothing else; for he and Iusually contrived to carry out part at least of their recommendations. 

I first began to learn something of my Lord Russell's position in thematter in a meeting in July, in the house of the Mr. Sheppard (whom Ihad met at Mr. West's), that was situated in Wapping; and I learnedsomething else too at the same time. My Lord Essex; came for me in hiscoach that day, and himself carried me down. (I need not say that onthese occasions I carried always some pistol or other weapon with mebeside my sword, for I never knew when they might not find me out. )

Mr. Sheppard's house was in a little street, that was a _cul-de-sac_, between the Garden Grounds, which was a great open space, and the OldStairs on the river. It was about eight o'clock, and was beginning to betwilight when we came. 

As we descended from the coach I noticed at a little distance away anumber of fellows, very rough looking, standing together watching us;and I perceived that they saluted my Lord who returned the salute veryheartily. I did not much like that. Who were these folks, I wondered, who knew my Lord?

The house was very ordinary within; it was flagged with stones that hadsome kind of matting upon them: the entrance was all panelled; and, whatsurprised me was that no servant was to be seen. Mr. Sheppard himselfopened the door to us when we knocked. 

We did not speak at all as we came in; and my Lord led me straightthrough into the parlour on the left that was full of tobacco-smoke. This was a very good room, hung all round with tapestry, though of apoorish quality, and, though it was not yet dark, the windows wereshuttered and barred. At the table sat half a dozen persons, of whom Iknew my Lord Shaftesbury at the head of the table as usual, and Mr. Goodenough that sat with his back to the hearth. Between these two sat agentleman whom I knew to be my Lord Howard of Escrick, though I hadnever spoken with him. He carried himself with a very high air, and wasthe only man there dressed as if he were still in Westminster; the restwere subdued, somewhat, in their appearance. My Lord Howard looked at mewith an intolerant kind of disdain, which my Lord Essex made haste tocover by directing me to my place. 

I thought that my Lord Shaftesbury seemed very heavy this evening. Hetreated me with a silent kind of civility; and so, too, did he treat therest. His eyes wandered away sometimes as we talked, as if he werethinking of something else. We spoke of nothing of any importance for atime, for Mr. Sheppard was bringing in wine with his own hands, though Isaw a number of used glasses on the press which shewed me that thecompany had been here some time already. 

It would be not until after ten or twelve minutes that Mr. Sheppard wasdeputed to open the affair on account of which I had been sent for. 

"Now then, Sheppard, " said my Lord Essex who sat on my right, "tell usthe news. "

Mr. Sheppard pushed his glass forward and leaned his elbows on thetable. I could see that all that he said was directed principally at me. 

"Well, my lords, " he said, "I have very good news. You remember how Itold you that I was beginning to fear for the people down here--thatthey would be provoked soon into some kind of a rising. They are stillnot wholly pacified--" (here he shot a look at me, which he should nothave done)--"but I am doing my best to tell them that we have very goodhopes indeed that His Majesty will be persuaded to call a Parliament;and I think they are beginning to believe me. I think we may say thatthe danger is past. "

"Why; what danger is that, Mr. Sheppard?" said I, very innocently. 

"Why--a rising!" he said. "Has not my Lord Essex told you?"

"Ah! yes!" said I, "I had forgot. " (This was wholly false. He had toldme once or twice at least that there was danger of this. This had been amonth ago; and his object had been to persuade me that they had beentelling the truth. )

"I saw some fellows as we came in, " I said. 

"Those are the malcontents, " he said. "There are not more than a veryfew now, who go about and brag. "

I assented. 

"By the way, " said my Lord Essex to Shaftesbury who looked at himheavily, "I spoke with my Lord Russell a week ago. You know my LordRussell, Mr. Mallock?"

I said that I did not. 

"Well; I had hoped he would have been here to-night. But he is gone downto the country--to Stratton--where he has his seat. "

He talked a while longer of my Lord Russell; and I saw that he wished meto believe that my Lord was of their party: whence I argued to myselfthat was just what he was not; but that they wished to win him over forthe sake of his name, perhaps, and his known probity. (And, as theevent shewed, I was right in that conjecture. )

Two or three of them were still talking together in this strain, andwhile I listened enough to tell me that it was nothing very importantthat they said, I was observing my Lord Shaftesbury: and, upon my heart!I was sorry for the man. Three years ago he was in the front of therising tide, in the full blast of popularity and power; he had so workedupon the old Popish Plot and the mob, that he had all the movement withhim: His Majesty himself was afraid of him, and was forced to follow hisleading. Now he was fallen from all this; the Court-party had triumphedbecause he had so overshot his mark, and here was he, in this poorquarter, in the house of a man that would have been nothing to him fiveyears ago, forced to this very poor kind of conspiring for his lasthopes. He sat as if he knew all this himself: his eyes strayed about himas we talked, and there were heavy pouches beneath them, and deep linesat the corner of his nose and mouth. It was this man, thought I, who wasso largely responsible for the death of so many innocents--and all forhis own ambition!

Presently I heard His Grace of Monmouth spoken of. It was Mr. Sheppardwho spoke the name; and in an instant I was on the alert again. What hesaid fell very pat with what I was thinking of my Lord Shaftesbury. 

"I declare, " cried Mr. Sheppard, once more talking at me very evidently, "that His Grace of Monmouth breaks my heart. I was with his Grace afortnight ago. His loyalty and love for the King are overpowering. I hadheard"--(this was a very bold stroke of poor Mr. Sheppard)--"I had heardthat some villainous fellows had proposed to His Grace--oh! a greatwhile ago, in April, I think--that an assault should be made upon theKing; and that His Grace near killed one of them for it. Yet His Majestywill scarce speak to him, so much he distrusts him. "

This was all very pretty: and from it I argued that the Duke was deeperin the affair than we had thought, and perhaps belonged even to theextremest party, led, we supposed, chiefly by Mr. Sidney. But I murmuredthat it was a shame that His Majesty treated him so; and while I waslistening to further eulogies on His Grace, a new thought came to mewhich I determined to put into execution that very night; for I felt wewere not making any progress. 

There was not much more conversation of any significance, and I was soonable to carry out what I determined; for my Lord Essex when we brokeabout half-past nine o'clock, again offered to take me home. 

I said good-night very respectfully to the company; and followed himinto the coach. 

For a while I said nothing, but appeared preoccupied; so that at last myLord clapped me on the knee and asked me if I ailed--which was what Iwished him to do. 

"My Lord, " said I, with an appearance of great openness, "I have aconfession to make. "

"Well?" said he. "What is it?"

"I am disappointed, " I said. "There is a deal of talk; and mostinteresting talk; and all very loyal and respectful. But I had fanciedthere was more behind. "

"What do you mean?" asked he. 

"Well:" I said. "If His Grace of Monmouth will do nothing, will none ofhis friends do it for him?"

"Of what nature?" asked my Lord. 

"My Lord, " said I, "need I say more?"

He was silent for a while; and I could see how his mind was a triflebewildered. But he did presently exactly what I hoped he would do. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "you are right: there is more behind. And Ipromise you you shall hear of it when the time comes. Is that enough?"

"That is enough, my Lord, " said I. "I am content. "

 * * * * *

I was with Mr. Chiffinch before the gates were shut for the night; andthis was the report I gave him. 

"I have learned three things at least, " I said, when he had bolted thedoor, and drawn the hanging across it. "First that they arecontemplating a rising as soon as they can get their men together; andthat it will be from Wapping and thereabouts that the insurrectionistswill come. Next that His Grace of Monmouth is more deeply involved thanwe had thought. And the third thing is, that I have persuaded my LordEssex that I can be trusted to be a good traitor, and to reporteverything; but that if they do not commit more important falsehoods tome, I shall lose heart with them. We may expect then that after a littlewhile I shall have more vital and significant lies told me, whence wecan arrive at the truth. "

"Is that everything?" said he. 

"Ah! there is one thing more. They are trying to entangle my LordRussell; and they think that they will succeed, and so do I; but atpresent he will not be caught. "

CHAPTER VIII

We are drawing nearer now to the heart of the conspiracy that wasforming little by little, as an abscess forms in the body of a sick man. For two months more no great move was made. I was summoned now and againto such meetings as those which I have described: and sometimes one manwas there and sometimes another. They were becoming less cautious withme in this--since I had by now the names of nearly all the Londonersinvolved: and Mr. Chiffinch had the names of the principal men inScotland and the provinces, especially in the West, with whom they wereconcerting. They still fed me with lies from time to time, in smallpoints; and I gained a little knowledge from these as to what theywished me to believe, and hence as to what was indeed the truth. 

It was in October that the next meeting of importance took place--thenext, that is to say, to which I myself was admitted: and it was againin Mr. Sheppard's house in Wapping. There were gathered there, for thefirst time mostly all the principal gentlemen in the affair; and thiswas one more sign of how reckless they were becoming that I was admittedthere at all. But I think it was because Mr. Chiffinch and I had beenvery discreet and careful that they thought that they had me in hand, and that I was somewhat of an innocent fool, and revealed no more thanwhat they wished. 

Before I went there--for I went by water this time, in a private wherry, to Wapping Old Stairs, I went first to Mr. Chiffinch to see if therewere any news for me. 

"Why, yes, " he said, when he had me alone, "there is a little matter Iwould like you to find out about. The Duke of Monmouth was here with myLord Grey, a day or two ago: they all dined with Sir Thomas Armstrong:and all three of them went round the posts and the guardroom, and saweverything. Now what was that for?"

"Sir Thomas Armstrong?" said I in astonishment. "Why he is--"

I was about to say he was one of His Majesty's closest friends and evilgeniuses; but I stopped. There was no need. 

The page smiled. 

"Yes, " he said. "Well; Mr. Mallock? If you can find out anything--"

"And the Duke too!" I said. "Well; I was right, was I not?" (For what Ihad found out was true enough--that His Grace was far more deeplyinvolved than we had at first suspected. We had known that he was their_protégé_, but not that he was so much in their counsel, and of one mindwith them. )

"His Grace will come to some disaster, I think, " said Mr. Chiffinch verytranquilly. 

 * * * * *

When I came to Wapping Old Stairs it appeared that the watermen thereknew well enough what was forward; for while one ran down to help mefrom the wherry, a number of others stood watching as if they knew whatI had come for; and all saluted me as I went up. At the head of thestairs, I looked back, and two more wherries with a gentleman in eachwere just coming in. 

Mr. Sheppard himself opened the door to me, and appeared a littleconfused, looking over his shoulder into the entrance-hall where two orthree gentlemen were just going into the great parlour on the left. Icould have sworn that one of them was the Duke, from the way he carriedhimself. With him was another whom I thought I knew, but he was notfamiliar to me. I appeared to notice nothing, but beat off the mud frommy boots. 

"Mr. Mallock, " said Mr. Sheppard, "they are not yet all come; and two orthree who are here have a little private business on another matterfirst. Will you wait a little in another room?"

I assented immediately; and he took me through the hall into anotherlittle parlour behind that in which the company was assembled. 

"It will not be more than ten minutes, " he said. "I will come for youmyself when they are done. "

When he was gone again I observed the room. It had but one window, whichwas shuttered; but it had two doors--the one by which I was come in, andanother, beyond the hearth, leading to the great parlour. This door wasclosed. 

Now it was of the greatest importance that I should hear what waspassing in the next room. I should learn more in five words spoken therethen, than in five hours when they were playing a part to me; and I hadno scruple whatever, considering what they were at, and how they wereusing me, in learning by any means that were in my power what I wishedto know. Even from where I stood I could hear the murmur of talk; and itwas probable, it seemed to me, that if I laid my ear on the panel of thedoor I should hear every word of it. But first I pulled out a chair andset it by the table, with my hat and cane beside it. Then I went to thedoor into the hall, which opened, fortunately, with its hinge nearer tothe hearth--(so that a man entering would not see immediately into thatpart of the room in which I should be)--and beneath the door I slipped alittle sliver of wood from the wood-basket by the hearth, so that thedoor would stick a little. Having done that I went on tip-toe to theother door and put my ear to the panel. But I feared they would not sayanything very significant, with me so close. 

Now it was a little while before I could distinguish which voicebelonged to what man. I got the Duke's at once; there was a lordly kindof ring in it that could never be forgotten; and I got presently my LordGrey's voice; and then one with a drawl in it which I had never heardbefore; and then one that had no special characteristic, but was alittle slow. These were the four whom I heard speak, besides Mr. Sheppard once. The conversation I heard was somewhat as follows. I setit all down on my way home. 

The Duke said: "I am very pleased indeed that you are come after all, myLord. We understand by that you have put aside all suspicions; and thatis an encouragement. "

The slow voice said; "I would do anything in my power, your Grace, which was not against my conscience, to help on that cause of which youhave spoken; but I must confess--"

My Lord Grey said, sharply: "There, there! we understand, and are veryglad of it. The thing can be arranged without any treason at all, or anyinjury to a soul. It is merely a demonstration--no more, upon myhonour. "

The drawling voice said: "No more will be needed. His Grace and we twowent round everywhere. They are not like soldiers at all; they areremiss in everything. "

The Duke said: "You see, my Lord, it is exactly as I said. God knows wewould not injure a soul. I well know your Lordship's high principles. "

The slow voice said: "Well, your Grace, so long as that is understood--Ishall be very happy to hear what the design may be. "

Mr. Sheppard said: "One instant, my Lord--" Then he dropped his voice;and I saw what he was at. I slipped back as quick as I could; drew outthe sliver of wood from beneath the other door, and sat down. Then Iheard his footstep outside. 

When he came in, I was in the chair; but I rose. 

"I beg pardon for keeping you, sir, " he said: "there is just that trifleof business, and no more. I am come to keep you company. "

Well; I resigned myself to it with a good air; and we sat and talkedthere of indifferent matters, or very nearly, for at least half an hourlonger. It was highly provoking to me, but it could not be helped--thatI should sit there with an affair of real importance proceeding in thenext room, and I placed so favourably for the hearing of it. However Ihad gained something, though at present I did not know how much. 

Suddenly Mr. Sheppard stood up; and I heard a door open and voices inthe entrance hall. 

"You will excuse me, sir, an instant, " he said. "I must see thesegentlemen out. "

I bowed to him as I stood up and put myself in such a position that Icould get a good look into the hall as he went out; and fortune favouredme, for there in the light of the pair of candles outside I caught aplain sight of the plump and rather solemn face of my Lord Russell. Itwas only for an instant; but that was enough; and at the same time Iheard the drawling voice of someone out of sight, bidding good-night toothers within the parlour. Then Mr. Sheppard shut the door behind him, and I sat down again. 

Well; I had gained something; and I was beginning to repeat to myselfwhat I had heard, for that is the best way of all to imprint it on thememory; when Mr. Sheppard came in again and invited me to follow him. 

"Who was that that spoke?" I said carelessly, "as you went out just now?I can swear I know the voice. "

He glanced sharply at me. 

"That?" he said. "Oh! that must have been Sir Thomas Armstrong who isjust gone out. "

 * * * * *

The parlour had no more than five men in it when we entered; and oneseemed about to take his leave. That one was His Grace of Monmouth. Iwas a little astonished that they let me see him there, though Iunderstood presently why it was so. He turned to me very friendly, whileI was observing the two others I did not know--one of whom, Mr. Ferguson, was dressed as a minister. 

"Why, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "you come as I go!"

He recognized me a shade too swiftly. That shewed me that they had beenspeaking of me to him. 

I said something civil; and then I saw that he was to say the piece theyhad just taught him; for that he was not sharp enough to be trusted longin the room with me. 

"I hear you are all consulting, " said he, "how to keep the peace. Well;I have given my counsel; and my Lord Essex here knows what I wish. Iwould I could stay, gentlemen; but that cannot be done. "

There was a loyal and grateful murmur from the others. Indeed he lookeda prince, every inch of him. He took his leave with a superb courtesy, giving his hand to each; and each bowed over it very low. I was not surebut that Mr. Sheppard did not kiss it. For myself, I kissed it outright. While I did so, I could have sworn that Mr. Sheppard said somethingvery swiftly in the ear of my Lord Essex. 

Now I was wondering why they had kept me from my Lord Russell. Hisprobity was known well enough; and if they had wished to reassure methey could have done no better than tell me he was one of them; andthen, of a sudden I recollected that to reassure me was the very lastthing they wished; on the contrary, they wished to hold me tight, betraying only what they wished me to betray, until they were ready fortheir final stroke. And, just as I had arrived at that, when we were allsat down, my Lord Essex again dumfoundered me. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "I wish to tell you, now we are in private, thatmy Lord Russell has been here, as well as His Grace and Sir ThomasArmstrong. You can tell from the presence of those three what our chiefdifficulty will be; for not one of them will hear of even the danger ofany injury to His Majesty or the Duke of York. His Grace of Monmouth, ofcourse, had to be consulted on one or two points; and he brought thoseother two with him to hear what we had to say. Well; I think we havesatisfied them; though I fear, later, that they will not approve of ourmethods. But we did not wish my Lord Russell to see you until we haddone talking to him; for fear that he might know something of yourdisaffection. We have satisfied him--and, what is more important--HisGrace too, for the present; and they will not interfere with us. "

Now this speech was an exceedingly ingenious one. Before he had donespeaking I understood that Mr. Sheppard had suspected that I had seen myLord Russell, and that that was why they were so open with me. But therest of the speech was very shrewd indeed; and I think it might havedeceived me, if I had not learned by the conversation that it was HisGrace who was trying to reassure my Lord, and no one that was trying toreassure His Grace. But the web was so well woven that for the moment Icould not see through it all; though I understood it all presently, whenI had had a little time to think. For the instant, however, I saw onesafe answer that I could make. 

"I am obliged to your Lordship for telling me, " I said, "and I trustfrom what you have said that it is but a preliminary to a little moreinformation. Your Lordship told me in July that there would be more newsfor me presently. "

He could not resist a glance at my Lord Grey--as if in triumph at hissuccess. 

"That is what we are met for, " he said; and then--"Why, Mr. Mallock, Ihave not made these other gentlemen known to you. "

They turned out to be--on the right of my Lord, the minister, Mr. Ferguson--he who had been spoken of before as an informant from Bristol;and a Colonel Rumsey--an old Cromwellian like the maltster ofHoddesdon--who sat next to Mr. Ferguson. We saluted one another; andthen the affair began. 

"Mr. Mallock, " said my Lord, "the first piece of news is a littledisappointing. It is that my Lord Shaftesbury is ill. It is not at allgrave; but he is confined to his bed; and that throws back some of ourdesigns. "

(I made a proper answer of regret; and considered what was likely to bethe truth. At the moment I could not see what this would be. )

"The next piece of news I have, gentlemen, " went on my Lord--(for Ithink he thought he appeared to be speaking too much at me)--"is thatowing to my Lord Shaftesbury's illness we must relinquish all thoughtsof any demonstration in London. That, Mr. Mallock, was what we had hopedto be able to do in a week or two from now. Well; that is impossible. For the rest, Mr. Ferguson had better tell us. "

This gentleman I took to be somewhat of an ass by his appearance andmanner; but I am not sure he was not the cleverest liar of them all. Hespoke with a strong Scotch accent, and an appearance of shy sheepiness, and therefore with an air too of extraordinary truth. He spoke, too, atgreat length, as if he were in his pulpit; and my Lord Essex yawnedbehind his hand once or twice. 

Briefly put--Mr. Ferguson's report was as follows:

The discontent in the West was rising to a climax; and if a much longerdelay were made, real danger might follow. It was sadly disconcerting, therefore, to him to hear that there was any hitch in the Londondesigns: for the promise that he had given to some of the leaders in theWest (whose names, he said, with an appearance of a stupid boorish kindof cunning, "had best not be said even here") was that a demonstrationshould be made simultaneously both here, in the West, and in Scot--

Here he interrupted himself sharply; and I saw that he had made ablunder. But he covered it so admirably, that if I had not previouslyknown that discontent was seething among the Covenanters, I am sure Ishould have suspected nothing. 

"In Scotland, " said he, "we must look for nothing. They are foreverpromising and not performing--though I say it of my own countrymen. Anydemonstration there would surely be a failure. "

It was admirably done; and it was then that I perceived what an actorthe man was. 

Well; when he had done, we talked over it a while. I professed myselfvery well satisfied with what I had heard; and I put forward an opinionthat it would be far better to delay no longer in the West. Ademonstration there might lead to alarm here; troops might be withdrawnhere, and relieve the pressure, and thus make possible a furtherdemonstration in London. I spoke, I think, with some eloquence, remembering however that they all looked on me with the same confidencethat I had in them--and no more: that is, that they believed me a liar. My observations were received with applause, very well delivered. 

It was growing pretty late by the time we had done; yet before we went Ihad learned one more piece of news, partly through a little trap I laid, and partly through my Lord Essex's clumsiness. 

"Well, " said I, "I must be getting homewards, my Lords. I wish my LordShaftesbury had been here. Could I see his Lordship, do you think?--if Iwere to call at his town house? There is a very particular matter--"

My Lord Essex started a little. He was tired and overanxious, I think, with the continual part that he had to play before me; yet it was thefirst slip he made. 

"My Lord is out of town--" he said. Then he paused. "You could not tellus, I suppose--"

I affected indifference. (Was my Lord out of town, I wondered?)

"Why; it is nothing, " I said. 

My Lord exchanged a look with Mr. Sheppard; and made his second mistake. 

"I saw my Lord only--last week, " he said suddenly. "He wishes hisaddress to be private for the present; but--

"Do not trouble yourself, my Lord, " I said. "I assure you it has nothingto do with our business here. "

I repeated this, I think, with a good enough manner to persuade themthat what I said was true; and presently afterwards took my leave. 

As I sat in the wherry that took me back to the Privy Stairs--(I hadannounced of course, "to the Temple")--I was preparing in my mind what Ishould say. I had learned a considerable amount for an evening; for theconversation I had overheard, added to what Mr. Chiffinch had told me, added to what they had all said in the parlour, interpreted and fittedtogether, was pretty significant. 

These were the points I arranged. 

First, that the visit of the Duke, my Lord Grey and Sir Thomas Armstrongto Whitehall was to see in what state the guards were in case of asurprise; and the conclusion they had arrived at was they "were not likesoldiers at all" but "very remiss. "

Second, that a "demonstration" in London was very imminent. 

Third, that they had won over my Lord Russell enough at least to gainthe help that his name would give. 

Fourth, I was confirmed in what Mr. Chiffinch had told me as to theprobability of a rising in Scotland. 

Fifth, I was confirmed in my view that the Duke was very deeplyinvolved. 

Sixth, it appeared to me exceedingly probable that my Lord Shaftesburywas still in town, though not in his own house: and, all thingsconsidered, it was very nearly certain that he was hidden in Wapping. Hewas, probably also, a little ill, or he would have been at our meetingto-night. 

One conclusion then, immediate and pressing, came out of all this; thatan assault on Whitehall and an attack on the King's person was in urgentcontemplation. 

 * * * * *

Then, as we went up under the stars, my waterman and I, one of thosemoods came upon me which come on all men in such stress as I was; and Iappeared to myself, for the time, to be worlds away from all thissedition and passion and fever. The little affairs of men which theythought so great seemed to me in that hour very little and wicked--likethe scheming of naughty children, or the quarrels and spites of efts ina muddy pond. In that hour my whole heart grew sick at this miserablemurderous pother in the midst of which my duty seemed to lie; andyearned instead to those things that are great indeed--the love of themaid who had promised herself to me, and the Love of God that shouldmake us one. My religion--though I am a little ashamed to confessit--had been very little to me lately: I had heard mass, indeed, usually, on Sundays, in one of the privileged chapels, and had confessedmyself at Easter and once since, to one of the Capuchins, and receivedCommunion; yet, for the rest it had largely been blotted out by thesehot absorbing affairs in which I found myself. But, in that hour (forthe tide was beginning to set against us)--it came back on me like abreeze in a stifling room. I thought of that cleanly passionless life Ihad led as a novice, and of that no less cleanly, though perhaps lesssupernatural life, that should one day be mine and Dolly's--and thesepolitics and these plottings and this listening at doors, and thiselaborate lying--all blew off from me like a cloud. 

When we were yet twenty yards from the Privy Stairs a wherry shot pastus, with no light burning. There was but one passenger in it, whom Iknew well enough, though I feigned to see nothing; and once more mysickness came on me, that it was for a King like this, slipping out onsome shameful pleasure, that I so toiled and endangered myself. 

 * * * * *

When I had reported all to Mr. Chiffinch, sitting back weary in mychair, yet knowing that I must go through with the work to which I hadset my hand, he remained silent. 

"Well?" I said. "Am I wrong in any point?"

"Why no, " he said. "Your information tallies perfectly with all I know, and has increased the sum very much. For example, I had no idea where myLord Shaftesbury was. I have no doubt whatever, from what you say, thathe is in Wapping. "

"Will you send and take him there?" I asked. 

"No, " he said shortly. "Leave him alone. We failed last time we tookhim. And he can do no great harm there. Plainly too, he is at thewaterside that he may escape if there is need. I shall set spies there;and no more. "

"What is to be done then? Double the guards again?"

"Why that of course, " said he. 

"And what else?" I asked; for I could see that he had not said all. 

"A counterstroke, " he said. "But of what kind? You say the rising willbe pretty soon. "

"I do not suppose for a week or two at the most. They were decided, I amsure; but no more. "

Suddenly the man slapped his leg; and his eyes grew little with hissmile. 

"I have it for sure, " he said. "It will be for the seventeenth ofNovember. That is the popular date. Queen Bess and Dangerfield and therest. "

"But what can you do?"

"Why, " said he, "forbid by proclamation all processions or bonfires onthat day. Then they cannot even begin to gather. "

 * * * * *

He proved right in every particular. The proclamation was issued, andmet their intended assault to the very moment, as we learned afterwards, besides frightening the leaders lest their intention had beendiscovered: and the next night came one of the spies whom Mr. Chiffinchhad sent down to Wapping, to say that my Lord Shaftesbury had slippedaway and taken boat for Holland. 

CHAPTER IX

Now indeed the fear grew imminent. I had thought that once my LordShaftesbury was gone abroad, one of two things would happen--either thatthe whole movement would collapse, or that the leaders would be arrestedforthwith. But Mr. Chiffinch was sharper than I this time; and said Noto both. 

"No, " said he, sitting like a Judge, with his fingers together, on themorning after my Lord Shaftesbury's evasion. "The feeling is far toostrong to fall away all of a sudden. I dare predict just the contrary, that, now that the coolest of them all is gone--for he dare not comeback again--the hot-heads will take the lead; and that means thesharpest peril we have yet encountered. This time they will not stop ata demonstration; indeed I doubt if they could raise one successfully;they will aim direct at the person of the King. It is their only hopeleft. "

"Then why not take them before they can do any mischief?" I asked. 

"First, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "because we have not enough positiveevidence--at any rate not enough to hang them all; and next we mustcatch the small fry--the desperate little ones who will themselvesattempt the killing. It is now that I should be ready for a visit fromyour friend Rumbald, if I were you. They can have no suspicion that youhave done anything but betray them in the way they intended: they have agreat weapon, they think, in you, to continue carrying false news. Now, Mr. Mallock, is the very time come of which you once spoke to me--theclimax, when they will feign to reveal everything to you, and then maketheir last stroke. You have seen my Lord Essex again?"

"Not a sight of him. I had only a very guarded note, two days ago, butvery friendly: saying that the designs were fallen through for thepresent. "

"Precisely what I have been saying, " observed Mr. Chiffinch. "No, Mr. Mallock, you must not stir from town. I am sorry for your pretty cousin, and Christmas, and the rest: but you see for yourself that we must leaveno loophole unguarded. His Majesty must not die out of his bed, if wecan help it. "

There, then, I was nailed until more should happen. I dared not ask mycousins to come to town; for God only knew what mischief my Cousin Tommight not play; and I had not eyes on both sides of my head at once. Iwrote only to Dolly; and said that once more I was disappointed; butthat I would most certainly see her soon, if I had to ride two nightsrunning, from town and back. 

I accomplished this, but not until Christmas was well over, and indeedLent begun. During those weeks, certainly nothing of any importancehappened to me, though my Lord Essex kept me in touch with him, and Ieven was present at one very dismal meeting with him and Mr. Ferguson, when it was deplored, in my presence, that the "demonstration"--as theystill called it--of the seventeenth of November had been so adroitlyprevented; and my Lord Shaftesbury's death--which had taken place(chiefly, I think, from disappointment) that very week--was spoken ofwith a certain relief. I think they were pleased to have mattersentirely in their own hands now. However they proposed no immediateaction, which more than ever persuaded me that this was what theyintended. Yet the days went by: and no more news came, either from themor from Mr. Chiffinch--so I took affairs into my own hands, and onenight, before the gates of the City were shut went down to Hare Streetwith a couple of men, leaving James at home, for I could trust himbetter than any other man. 

Now I need not relate all that passed at Hare Street; for every loverknows how sweet was that day to me. I had seen her not at all for morethan a year--(one year of those three that were to pass!)--and though wehad written often to one another, whenever we could get a letter taken, yet the letters had done no more than increase my thirst. I think shewas dearer to me than ever; she was a shade paler and more grave, and Iknew what it was that had made her so, for I had told her very plainlyindeed that I was in peril and that she must pray much for me. My CousinTom was friendly enough, though I saw he was no more reconciled in hisheart to our affair than he had been at the beginning; but I guessednothing whatever of what he was contemplating. (However perhaps he wasnot contemplating it then, for he did not attempt it till much later. )Yet he was pretty reasonable, and interrupted us no more than wasnecessary; so we had that day to ourselves, until night fell, and I mustride again. I was so weary that night, though refreshed in my spirit, that I think I drowsed a little on my horse, and thought that I stoodagain at the gate of the yard with Dolly, bareheaded in spite of thecold, holding the lantern to help us to mount. 

 * * * * *

I was still brooding all the way up Fleet Street, and even to my owndoor; until I saw James standing there; and at the sight of him I knewthat something was fallen out. 

I said nothing, but nodded at him only, as a master may, but heunderstood that he was to follow upstairs. There, in my chamber I facedhim. 

"Well?" said I. "What is it?"

"Sir, " he said, "a fellow came last night and seemed much put out when Itold him you were out of town. "

"What sort of a fellow was he?" said I. 

"He was a clean-shaven man, sir, rather red in the face, with reddishhair turning grey on his temples. "

"Heavily built?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Well; what did he say?"

"He said that you would know what affair he was come about--that it wasvery urgent; and that he could not stay in town beyond noon to-day. Hesaid, sir, that he was to be found till then at the _Mitre_ withoutAldgate. "

Well; that was enough for me. But I did not relish the prospect of nosleep again; for I cannot trust my wits when I have not slept my sevenor eight hours. But there was no help for it. 

"James, " said I, "bring my morning up here at once, with some meat too. I may not be able to dine to-day, or not till late. When you havebrought it I shall have a letter ready, for Mr. Chiffinch. That you musttake yourself. Then return here, and pack a pair of valises, with a suitin them for yourself. Have two horses ready at eleven o'clock: you mustcome with me, and no one else. I do not know how long we may be away. You understand?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Very well. I must get some sleep if I can before eleven. "

Then a thought came to me. If Rumbald must be gone from town by noon, would he not likely want me to go with him?

"Wait, " I said. "I do not know this man very well; but I will tell youthat his name is Rumbald and that he lives at the Rye, near Hoddesdon. You had best not come with me. But do all else as I have said; but youmust ride by yourself at eleven, to Hoddesdon; and put up at the innthere--I forget its name, but the largest there, if there be more thanone. Remain there until you hear from me again: I may want a courier. Donot go a hundred yards from the inn on any account; and do not seem toknow me, unless I speak to you first. You may see me, or you may not. Iknow nothing till I have seen Rumbald. If you do not hear of me beforeten o'clock to-night, you can go to bed, and return here in the morning. I will communicate with you by to-morrow night at latest. If I do not, go to Mr. Chiffinch yourself and tell him. "

My mind was working at that swift feverish speed which wearinesssometimes will give. I was amazed afterwards at my own foresight, forthere was very little evidence of what was intended; and yet there hadcome upon me, as in an illumination, that the time for which we hadwaited so long was arrived at last. I do not see how I could haveguessed more than I did; neither do I now see how I guessed so much. 

My letter to Mr. Chiffinch was not long. It ran as follows:

"Rumbald hath been to see me; and bids me be with him, if I can, by noonto-day at the _Mitre_, without Aldgate. I know no more than that; but Iam making ready to go down with him to the Rye at Hoddesdon, if heshould want me there. I think that something is intended, if we areright in our conjectures. I shall have my man at the inn in Hoddesdon. You must send no one else for fear of alarming them, unless my man comesto you to-morrow to tell you that he does not know where I am. Is HisMajesty still at Newmarket? If so, when does he purpose to return? Whichroad will he come by? Send an answer back by my man who bears this. 

"R. M. "

Well; that was all that I could do. I gave the letter to James; tellinghim not to awaken me with the answer till he came at eleven o'clock; andafter eating a good meal, I went to my bed and fell sound asleep; and itseemed scarcely five minutes, before James came knocking, with Mr. Chiffinch's answer. I sat up on my bed and read it--my mind stillswimming with sleep. 

"_Prospere procede_!" it ran. "I will observe all that you say. The Kingand His Royal Highness are together at Newmarket. They purpose to returnon a Saturday, as the King usually does; but he hath not yet sent to saywhether it will be to-morrow, the 18th or the 25th. I shall hear bynight, no doubt. Neither do I know the road by which they may come. "

I read it through twice; then I tore it into fragments and gave them toJames. 

"Burn all these, " I said. "Are the horses ready?"

"Yes, sir, " said James. 

Undoubtedly my sleep had refreshed me; for by the time that I rode up tothe _Mitre_ without Aldgate, I was awake with a kind of clear-headednessthat astonished me. It appeared to me that I had thought out everycontingency. I had with me a little valise, ready for the country, ifneed be; yet I could return to my lodgings without remark. James wasalready on his way to Hoddesdon, and would be there if I needed him. Noharm was done if my conjectures were at fault; I had left no loopholethat I could see, if they were not. It was with a tolerably contentedheart, in spite of the dangers I foresaw--(for I think these gave spiceto my adventure)--that I rode up to the _Mitre_, and saw Mr. Rumbaldhimself standing astraddle in the doorway. 

I must confess however that the sight of him gave me a little check. Heappeared to me more truculent than I had ever seen him. He had his handsbehind him, with a great whip in them; he hardly smiled to me, butnodded only, fixing his fierce eyes on my face. He had, more than I hadever noticed it before, that hard fanatic look of the Puritan. Afterall, I reflected, this maltster had commanded a troop under Cromwell atNaseby. His manner was very different from when I had last seen him; heappeared to me as if desperate. 

However, I think I shewed nothing of what I felt. I saluted him easily, and swung myself off my horse. He had gone into the house at myapproach; and I followed him straight through into a little parlour towhich, it seemed, he had particular access, for he turned a key in thedoor as he went in. When I was in, after him, and the door was shut, heturned to me, with a very stern look. 

"Well, Mr. Mallock?" he said. "I see you are come ready for a ride. "

"Yes, " I said. "I had your message. "

He nodded. Then he came a little closer, looking at me with his fierceeyes. 

"You understand what is forward?"

"I understand enough, " said I. 

"That is very good then. We will ride at once. "

As we came out, a couple of men--one of them I noticed in particular, dressed as a workman--(I set him down for a carpenter or some suchthing)--made as though they would speak to us; but Rumbald waved hishand at them sharply, as if to hold them off. I could see that he wasdispleased. I said nothing, but I marked the man closely: he was alittle fellow, that looked ill. Mr. Rumbald's horse was already there;and mine was being held still by the ostler into whose hands I had givenhim. We mounted without another word; and rode away. 

I think we did not speak one word at all till we were out from town. Such was his mood, and such therefore I imitated. He rode like asoldier, sitting easily and squarely in his saddle; and the more Iobserved him and thought of him, the less I liked my business. It waswonderful how some emotion had driven up the power that lay in him. Allthat genial hail-fellow manner was gone completely. 

When we were clear of town he spoke at last. 

"This is a very grave business, sir, " he said. "We had best not speak ofit till we are home. Have you no servants?"

He spoke so naturally of my servants that I saw he was astonished I hadnone. I had very little time to think what I should answer; it appearedto me that I had best be open. 

"Yes, " I said. "My man is gone on to Hoddesdon to await me there. Ithought it was best he should not ride with us. "

He looked at me with a peculiar expression that I could not understand;but only for an instant. Then he nodded, and turned his stern face againover his horse's ears. 

My moods were very various as I rode on. Now I felt as a sheep being ledto the slaughter; now as an adventurer on a quest; and, again, of asudden there would sweep over me a great anxiety as to His Majesty'ssafety. The thought of Dolly, too, came upon me continually and affectedme now in this way, now in that. Now I longed to be free and safe backat Hare Street; now I knew that I could never look her in the face againif I evaded my plain duty. One thing I can say, however, from my heart, and that is that never for an instant did I seriously consider anyevasion. It was all in the course that I had chosen--to "serve theKing. " Well; I must do so now, wherever it led me. What, however, greatly added to the horror of my position was that I knew that thisstrong fellow at my side thought me to be a traitor to himself and wasusing that knowledge only for his own ends. He would surely be ruthlessif he found I had served my turn; and here was I, riding to his house, and only two men in the world knew whither I was gone. 

Rumbald had already dined; and thought not at all of me. We drew reintherefore, nowhere; but rode straight on, through village and countryalike--now ambling for a little, once or twice cantering, and thenwalking again when the way had holes in it. So we passed throughTotteridge and Barnet and Enfield Chase and Wood Green, and came at lastto Broxbourne where the roads forked, and we turned down to the right. It was terrible that ride--all in silence; once or twice I had attempteda general observation; but he answered so shortly that I tried no more;and I am not ashamed to say that I committed myself again and again tothe tuition of Our Lady of Good Counsel whose picture I had venerated inRome. Indeed, it was counsel that I needed. 

I did not know precisely where was the Rye, nor what it was like; for Ihad avoided the place, of design. I supposed it only a little place, perhaps in a village. I was a trifle disconcerted therefore when, as wecrossed the Lea by a wooden bridge, he pointed with his whip, insilence, to a very solid-looking house that even had battlementedroofs--not two hundred yards away, to the left of the road. There was noother building that I could see, except the roofs of an outhouse or two, and suchlike. However, I nodded, and said nothing. No words were best:in silence we rode on over the bridge, and beyond; and in silence weturned in through a gateway, and up to the house, crossing a moat as wewent. 

Indeed, now I was astonished more than ever at the house. It was liker acastle. There was an arched entrance, very solid, all of brick, with theteeth even of a portcullis shewing. An old man came out of a door on ourright, as our hoofs rang out; but he made no sign or salute; he took ourhorses' heads as we dismounted, and I heard him presently leading themaway. 

Still without speaking, the Colonel led me through the little guard-roomon the right, hung round with old weapons of the Civil War, and up astaircase at the further end. At the head of the staircase a door wasopen on the right, and I saw a bed within; but we went up a couple moresteps on the left, and came out into the principal living-room of thehouse. 

It was a very good chamber, this, panelled about eight feet up thewalls, with the bricks shewing above, but whitewashed. A hearth was onthe right; a couple of windows in the wall opposite, and another doorbeyond the hearth. The furniture was very plain but very good: a greattable stood under the windows with three or four chairs about it. Thewalls seemed immensely strong and well-built; and, though the placecould not stand out for above an hour or two against guns, in the olddays it could have faced a little siege of men-at-arms, very well. 

Rumbald, when he had seen me shut the door behind me, went across to thetable and put down his whip upon it. 

"Sit down, sir, " he said. "Here is my little stronghold. "

He said it with a grim kind of geniality, at which I did not knowwhether to be encouraged or not: I did as he told me, and looked aboutme with as easy an air as I could muster. 

"A little stronghold indeed, " I said. 

He paid no attention. 

"Now, sir, " he said, "we have not very much time. Supper will be up inhalf in hour; we had best have our talk first, and then you may send foryour servant. Old Alick will find him out. "

"With all my heart, " I said, wondering that he made so much of myservant. 

He sat down suddenly, and looked at me very heavily and penetratingly. 

"Sir, " he said, "you are going to hear the truth at last, I said we hadnot much time. Well; we have not. "

"Then let me have the truth quickly, " I said. 

He took his eyes from my face. I was glad of that; as I did not greatlylike his regard. What, thought I, if I be alone with a madman?

"Well, sir, " he said, "we are driven desperate, as you may have guessed. I say, we; for you have identified yourself with our cause a hundredtimes over. My Lord Shaftesbury is gone; my Lord Essex is hanging back. Well; but those are not all. We have other men besides those that havebeen urged on and urged on, and now cannot be restrained. I have triedto restrain them myself"--(here he gulped in his throat: lying was notvery easy to this man, I think)--"and I have failed. Well, sir, I musttrust you more than I have ever trusted you before. "

Again he stopped. 

Then all came out with a rush. 

"Not half a mile from here, " said he, "along the Newmarket road there betwenty men, with blunderbusses and other arms, waiting for His Majestyand the Duke, who will come to-morrow. "

"But how do you know?" cried I--all bewildered for the instant. 

His head shook with passion. 

"Listen, " said he. "We have had certain information that they come thisway--Why, do you think we have not--" (again he broke off; but I knewwell enough what he would have said!) "I tell you we know it. The Kingis not lying at Royston, to-night. He comes by this road to-morrow. Nowthen, sir--what do you say to that?"

My mind was still all in a whirl. I had looked for sudden danger, butnot so sudden as this. Half a dozen questions flashed before me. I putthe first into words:

"Why have you told me?" I cried. 

His face contracted suddenly. (It was growing very dark by now, and wehad no candles. The muscles of his face stood out like cords. )

"Not so loud!" said he; and then: "Well, are you not one of us? You arepledged very deeply, sir; I tell you. "

Then came the blessed relief. For the first moment, so genuine appearedhis passion, I had believed him; and that the ambushment was there, ashe had said. Then, like a train of gunpowder, light ran along my mindand I understood that it was the same game still that they were playingwith me; that there was no ambushment ready; that they had indeed fixedupon this journey of the King's; but that they were unprepared anddesired delay. His anxiety about my servant; his evident displeasure andimpatience; his sending for me at all when he must have known over andover again that I was not of his party--each detail fitted in like apuzzle. And yet I must not shew a sign of it!

I hid my face in my hands for a moment, to think what I could answer. Then I looked up. 

"Mr. Rumbald, " said I, "you are right. I am too deeply pledged. Tell mewhat I am to do. It is sink or swim with me now. "

He believed, of course, that I was lying; and so I was, but not as hethought. He believed that he had gained his point; and the relief ofthat thought melted him. He believed, that is, that I should presentlymake an excuse to get hold of my servant and send him off to delay theKing's coming. Then, I suppose, he saw the one flaw in his design; andhe strove, very pitifully, to put it right. 

"One more thing, Mr. Mallock, " said he, "this is not the only party thatwaits for him. There is another on the Royston road, among the downsnear Barkway. They will catch him whichever way he comes. "

I nodded. 

"I had supposed so, " I said; for I did not wish to confuse him further. 

"Well, " said he, "why I have sent for you is that you may help me here. There may be more guards with the King than we think for. It may come toa fight; and even a siege here--if they come this way. We must be readyto defend this place for a little. "

It was, indeed, pitiful to see how poor he was as an actor. Hissternness was all gone, or very nearly: he babbled freely anddrunkenly--walking up and down the chamber, like a restless beast. Hetold me point after point that he need not--even their very code--how"swan-quills" and "goose-quills" and "crow-quills" stood forblunderbusses and muskets and pistols; and "sand and ink" for powder andballs. It was, as I say, pitiful to see him, now that his anxiety wasover, and he had me, as he thought, in his toils. It was a very strangenature that he had altogether;--this old Cromwellian and Puritan--and Iam not sure to this day whether he were not in good faith in hismurderous designs. I thought of these things, even at this moment; andwondered what he would do if he knew the truth. 

At supper he fell silent again, and even morose; and I think itpossible he may have had some suspicions of me; for he suspectedeveryone, I think. But he brightened wonderfully when I said with a veryinnocent air that I would like my servant to be fetched, and that Iwould give him his instructions and send him back to London, for that Idid not wish to embroil him in this matter. 

"Why, certainly, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "it is what I wish. I trust youutterly, as you see. You shall see him where you will. "

He turned to his old man who came in at that instant, and bade him fetchMr. Mallock's servant from Hoddesdon. I described him to Alick, andscribbled a note that would bring him. Then we fell to the same kind oftalking again. 

 * * * * *

It was eight o'clock, pretty well, by the time that James came to theRye. I had determined to see him out of doors where none could hear us;and before eight I was walking up and down in the dark between the gateand the house, talking to my host. When the two men came through thegate, Rumbald was very particular to leave me immediately, that I might, as he thought, send my man to Newmarket to put off the King's coming;and have no interruption. 

"I will leave you, " said he. "You shall see how much I trust you. "

I waited till he was gone in and the door shut. Then I took James apartinto a little walled garden that I had noticed as I came in, where wecould not by any chance be overheard. Even then too I spoke in a verysmall whisper. 

"James, " said I, "go back to Hoddesdon; and get a fresh horse. Leave allluggage behind and ride as light as you can, for you must go straight toNewmarket; and be there before six o'clock, at any cost. Go straight tothe King's lodgings, and ask for any of Mr. Chiffinch's men that arethere, whom you know. Do you know of any who are there?"

"Yes, sir, " whispered James; and he named one. 

"Very good. With him you must go straight to His Majesty; and have himawakened if need be. Tell him that you come from me--Mr. Chiffinch'smen will support you in that. Tell His Majesty that if he values hislife he must return to town to-morrow--and not sleep anywhere on theway: and that the Duke of York must come with him. Tell him that thereis no fear whatever if he comes at once; but that there is every fear ifhe delays. He had best come, too, by this road and not by Royston. Youunderstand?"

"Yes, sir. "

"I shall remain here until to-morrow night at the earliest. If I am notat home by Sunday night, go to Mr. Chiffinch, as I told you thismorning. Is all clear?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Then go at once. Spare no horses or expense. Good-night, James. "

"Good-night, sir. "

I watched him out of the gate. Then I turned and went back to the house. 

CHAPTER X

It was a strange night and day that followed. On the one side my hostfound it hard, I think, to maintain the story he had told me, in action;for, in accordance with his tale, he had to bear himself as though heexpected before nightfall the assassination of the King and His RoyalHighness half a mile away, and the rush of the murderers to his housefor shelter. On my side, it was scarcely less hard, for I knew nothingof how my man James had fared, or whether or no His Majesty would actupon my message. I guessed, however, that he would, if only my man gotthere; for Chiffinch's men (who now followed him everywhere) would be aseager as I that no danger should come to him. 

My plans therefore were more secure than Rumbald's; since I knew, eitherthat His Majesty would come, and no harm done, or that, merely, he wouldnot come. In the latter case Rumbald would be certified that I had doneas he thought I would; and would, no doubt, let me go peacefully, to useme again later in the same manner, if occasion rose. For myself, then, Iintended after nightfall at the latest to ride back to London and reportall that had passed; and, if the King had not come, to lay all in Mr. Chiffinch's hands for his further protection. 

I was left a good deal to myself during the morning--Mr. Rumbald'spowers of dissimulation being, I think, less than his desire for them;and I did not quarrel with that. I was very restless myself, and spent agood deal of time in examining the house and the old arms, used nodoubt, forty years ago in the Civil War, that were hung up everywhere. Within, as well as without, it was liker an arsenal or a barracks, thana dwelling-house. Its lonely situation too, and its strength, made it avery suitable place for such a design as that which its owner had forit. The great chamber, at the head of the stairs, and over the archway, where we had our food, was no doubt the room where the conspirators hadheld their meetings. 

A little before eleven o'clock, as I was walking in the open spacebetween the house and the gate, I saw a fellow look in suddenly from theroad, and then was away again. Every movement perturbed me, as may beimagined in such suspense; yet anything was better than ignorance, and Icalled out to let him see that I had observed him. So he came forwardagain; and I saw him to be the little carpenter, or what not, that hadwished to speak to Rumbald yesterday at the inn. 

He saluted me very properly. 

"I beg your pardon, sir, " said he, "but is Mr. Rumbald within?"

Now I had seen Mr. Rumbald, not ten minutes ago, slip back into thehouse from the outhouses where he had pretended to go upon somepreparation or other for the reception of the assassins this evening;but he had not known that I saw him. 

"He is very busy at present, " said I. "Cannot I do your business foryou?"

(I tried to look as if I knew more than I did. )

"Why, sir, " he said, "I think not. "

He seemed, I thought, in a very pitiable state. (I learned some monthslater that he was come down expressly to dissuade Rumbald from anyattempt at that time; but I did not know that then. ) Here, only, thoughtI, is one of the chicken-hearted ones. I determined to play upon hisfears, if I could, and at the same time, perhaps, upon his hopes. 

"I think I can, however, " I said. "You would be out of the business, ifyou could, would you not?"

He turned so white that I thought he would have fallen. I saw that myshot had told; but it was not a hard one to make. 

"Hold up, man, " I said. "Why, what do you suppose I am here for?"

"What business, sir?" he said. "I do not know what you mean. "

I smiled; so that he could see me do it. 

"Very good, then, " I said. "I will leave you to Mr. Rumbald;" and Imade as if I would pass on. 

"Sir, " he said, "can you give me any assurance?. .. I am terrified. " Andindeed he looked it; so I supposed that he thought that the attempt wasindeed to be made to-day. I determined on a bold stroke. 

"My man!" I said. "If you will tell me your name, and then begone atonce, back to town, I will tell you something that will be of service toyou. If not--" and I broke off. 

He looked at me piteously. I think my air frightened him. He drew back alittle from the house, though we were in a place where we could not beseen from the windows. 

"My name is Keeling, sir. You will not betray me? What is it, sir?"

"Well, " said I, "I can give you an assurance that what you fear will nottake place. There is not a man here beyond myself and Mr. Rumbald andold Alick. Now begone at once. Stay; where do you live?"

He shook his head. A little colour had come back to his face again atthe news. 

"No, sir; that was not in the bargain. I will begone, sir, as you said;and thank you, sir. "

He slipped back again very quickly, and was vanished. I suppose that hehad ridden down in some cart all night, and that he went back in thesame way, for I saw no more of him. 

Well; I had gained two little points--I had kept him from Mr. Rumbald, which was one--(for I did not want my host to consult with any if Icould help it)--and I had learned what perhaps was his name. This, however, I would test for myself presently. 

At noon we dined; and having observed no difference in my host's manner, that might shew that he had any idea I had met with anyone, I made tworemarks. 

"I talked with a fellow at the gate this morning, " I said; "he seemed toknow nothing of the King's coming. "

Rumbald jerked his head impatiently; and I perceived that we had notbeen seen. Presently I said:

"Who was that pale-looking fellow who wished to speak with youyesterday, Mr. Rumbald, at the _Mitre?_"

He looked sharply at me for an instant. 

"His name is Thompson, " said he. "He is one of my malting-men. "

Then I knew that he had lied. A man does not invent the name of Keeling, but very easily the name of Thompson. So I saw that Rumbald had not yetlost all discretion; and indeed, for all his talk, he had hardly spokena name that I could get hold of. 

After a while I ventured on another sentence which suited my purpose, and at the same time confirmed him in his own view. 

"If by any chance His Majesty should not come to-day--will it be done, do you think, to-morrow? Shall you wait till he does come?"

He shook his head and lied again very promptly. 

"If it is not done to-day, it will never be done. "

Looking back on the affair now, I truly do wonder at the adroitness withwhich we both talked. There was scarcely a slip on either side, thoughwe were at cross-purposes if ever men were. But I suppose that in bothof us there was a very great tension of mind--as of men walking on theedge of a precipice; and it was the knowledge of that which saved usboth. After dinner I said I would walk again out of doors; and hethought it was mere affectation, since I must know by now that HisMajesty was not coming. 

"Well, " I said, "if by any mischance His Majesty doth not come to-day, Iwill get back to town. "

He looked at me; but he kept any kind of irony out of his face. 

"You had best do that, " he said. 

 * * * * *

Now it must have been forty miles from Newmarket to the Rye; and I hadcalculated that His Majesty would not start till nine o'clock at theearliest. He would have four horses and would change them at least threetimes; but they would not be able to go out of a trot for most of theway, so that I need not look for any news of him till three o'clock atthe earliest. From then till five o'clock would be the time. If he werenot come by five, or at the very latest half-past, I should know that mydesign had miscarried. 

It is very difficult for me to describe at all the state I was in--allthe more as I dared not shew it. It was not merely that my Sovereign wasat stake, but a great deal more than that. My religion too was in someperil, for if, by any mischance things should not go as I expected; if, as certainly occurred to my mind as one possibility in ten, I hadcompletely mistaken Rumbald, and he had spoken the truth for once--itwas not the King only who would perish, but the Catholic heir also, andthen good-bye to all our hopes. Yet, I declare that even this did notaffect me so much as the thought that it was the man whom I had learnedto love that was in peril--to love, in spite of his selfishness and hisindolence and his sins. It was all but an intolerable thought to me thatthat melancholy fiery man who had so scolded me--whom, to tell thetruth, I had scolded back--that this man might, even in imagination, bemixed up with the horror of the firing of guns and the plunging of thewounded horses--should himself be shot at and murdered, there in thelonely Hertfordshire lane. 

At about three o'clock I could bear it no more. God knows how manyprayers I had said; for I think I prayed all the time, as even carelessmen will do at such crises. There was the grim house behind me, theleafless trees overhead, the lane stretching up northwards beyond thegate. All was very silent, except for the barking of a dog now andagain. It was a very solitary place--the very place for a murder; therewere no meadows near us, where men might be working, but only the deepwoods. It was a clearish kind of day, with clouds in the west. 

At about three o'clock then I went to the stables to see my horse. Thesewere behind the house. There was no one about, and no other horse in thestables but Rumbald's own black mare that had carried him yesterday. 

It came to me as I looked at my horse that no harm would be done if Iput the saddle on him. Rumbald would but think me a little foolish forso confessing in action that I knew the King would not come; and formyself it would be some relief to my feelings to know that if by anymischance I did hear the sound of shots, I could at least ride up and domy best, though I knew it would be too late. 

I saddled my horse then, and put on the bridle, as quickly as I could. Then, again, I thought there would be no harm done if I led him out tothe gate and fastened him there. I looked out of the stable door, butthere was no one in sight. So I led my horse out, as quietly as I could, yet openly, and brought him round past the front of the house and sotowards the gate. I thought nothing of my valise; for at that time Iintended no more than what I had said. I was uneasy, and had nodetermined plans. I would tell Rumbald, if he came out, that I was butholding myself ready to ride out if I were needed. 

Then, as I came past the front of the house, I heard, very distinctly inthe still air, the tramp of horses far away on the hill to the north;and I knew enough of that sound to tell me that there were at leasteight or nine coming, and coming fast. 

Now it might have been the coach of anyone coming that way. The raceswere at Newmarket, and plenty went to and fro, though it is true thatnone had come this way all day. Yet at that sound my heart leapt up, both in excitement and terror. What if I had made any mistake, andenticed the King to his death? Well, it would be my death too--but Iswear I did not think of that! All I know is that I broke into a run, and the horse into a trot after me; and as I reached the gate heardRumbald run out of the house behind me. 

I paid him no attention at all, though I heard his breathing at myshoulder. I was listening for the tramp and rattle of the hoofs again, for the sound had died away in a hollow of the road I suppose. Thenagain they rang out; and I thought they must be coming very near theplace he had told me of; and I turned and looked at him; but I think hedid not see me. He too was staring out, his face gone pale under itsruddiness, listening for what very well might be the end of all hishopes. 

Then the distant hoofs grew muffled once more, though not altogether;and, at that, Rumbald ran out into the road as he was, bareheaded; and Isaw that he carried a cleaver in his hand, caught up, I suppose, atrandom; for it was of no use to him. 

Then, loud and clear not a hundred yards away I heard the rattle androar of a coach coming down the hill and the tramp of the hoofs. 

"Back, you fool, " I screamed, "back!" for I dared not pull my horse outinto the road. "Throw it away!"

He turned on me with the face of a devil. Though he must have seen theliveries and the guardsmen from where he stood, I think not even yet didhe take in how he had been deceived; but that he began to suspect it, Ihave no doubt. 

He came back at my cry, as if unwillingly, and stood by my side; butnever a word did he say: and together we waited. 

Then, past the gate on the left, over the hedge, I caught a flash ofcolour, and another, come and gone again; and then the gleam of acoach-roof; and, though I had no certainty from my senses, I was as sureit was the King, as if I had seen him. 

So we waited still. I drew up in my hands my horse's bridle, not knowingwhat I did, and moved round to where I could mount, if there were anyroad; and, as I did it, past the gate, full in view there swept at agallop, first three guards riding abreast, a brave blaze of colour inthe dusky lane; then the four grey horses, with their postilionscracking their whips; then the coach; and, as this passed, as plain as apicture I saw the King lean forward and look--his great hat and periwigthrust forward--and behind him another man. Then the coach was gone; andtwo more guards flew by and were gone too. 

I lost my head completely for the single time, I think, in all thisaffair; now that I knew that the King was safe. There, standing where Iwas, I lifted my hat, and shouted with my full voice:

"God save the King!"

 * * * * *

I turned as I shouted; and, as the last word left my lips, I sawRumbald, his face afire with anger, coming at me, round my horse frombehind, with the cleaver upraised. If he had not been near mad withdisappointment, he would have struck at my horse; but he was too intenton me for that. 

I leapt forward, for I had no time to do anything else, dragging myhorse's haunches forward again and round; and with the next movement Iwas across my saddle, all-asprawl, as my horse started and plunged. Iwas ten yards away before the man could do anything, and struggling tomy seat; but, as I rose and gripped the reins, something flew over myhead, scarce missing it by six inches; and I saw the blade of thecleaver flash into the ditch beyond. 

At that, I turned and lifted my hat, reining in my horse; for I was asmad with success as the other man with failure. 

"God save the King!" I cried again. "Ah! Mr. Rumbald, if only you hadlearned to speak the truth!"

Then I put in my spurs and was gone, hearing before me, the hollow trampand rumble of the great coach in front, as the King's party went acrossthe bridge. 

CHAPTER XI

It was three months later that I sat once more, though not for the firsttime since my adventure at the Rye in Mr. Chiffinch's parlour. 

 * * * * *

Of those three months I need not say very much; especially of thebeginning of them, since I received then, I think, more compliments thanever in my life before. My interviews had been very many; not with Mr. Chiffinch only, but with two other personages whose lives, they werepleased to say, I had saved. 

His Majesty had laughed very heartily indeed at the tale of myadventures. 

"Odds-fish!" said he. "We had all been done, but for you, Mr. Mallock. It was three or four days after, at the least, that I had intendedreturning; and by that time, no doubt, our friends would have had theirambushment complete. But when your man came, all a-sweat, into my verybed-chamber, telling me to fly for my life--well; there was no more tobe said. There was a fire too at my lodgings that same morning;--andpoor Sir Christopher's low ceilings all ruined with the smoke--but thatwould not have brought me, though I suppose we must give out that itdid. No; Mr. Mallock, 'twas you, and no other. Odds-fish! I did notthink I had such an accomplished liar in my service!"

His Royal Highness, too, was no less gracious; though he talked in avery different fashion. 

To him there was no humour in the matter at all; 'twas all God'sProvidence; and I am not sure but that he was not more right than hisbrother; though indeed there are always two sides to a thing. His talkwas less of myself, and more of the interests I had served; and theretoo he was right; for, as I have said, if there had been any mistake inthe matter, good-bye to Catholic hopes. 

My first interview with Mr. Chiffinch astonished me most. When he hadfinished paying compliments, I began on business. 

"You will hardly catch Rumbald, " said I, "unless you take him prettysoon. He too will be off to Holland, I think. "

He shook his head, smiling. 

"I am sorry not to be able to give you vengeance for thatcleaver-throwing; but you must wait awhile. "

"Wait?" cried I. 

"What single name do you know besides that of Rumbald, which wascertainly involved in this affair? Why, Mr. Mallock, you yourself havetold me that he observed discretion so far; and did not name a singleman. "

"Well; there is Keeling, " I said. 

"And what is Keeling?" he asked with some contempt. "A maltster, and acarpenter: a fine bag of assassins! And how can you prove anything buttreasonable talk? Where were the 'swan-quills' and the 'sand and theink'? Did you set eyes on any of them?"

I was silent. 

"No, no, Mr. Mallock; we must wait awhile. I have even talked toJeffreys, and he says the same. We must lime more birds before we pullour twig down. Now, if you could lay your hand on Keeling!"

He was right: I saw that well enough. 

"And meantime, " said I, smiling, "I must go in peril of my life. Theysurely know now what part I have played?"

"They must be fools if they do not. But there will be no morecleaver-throwing for the present, if you take but reasonable care. Meanwhile, you may go to Hare Street, if you will; though I cannot say Ishould advise it. And I will look for Keeling. "

 * * * * *

Well; I did not take his advice. That was too much to expect. I went toHare Street in April and remained there a couple of months; but I do notpropose to discourse on that beyond saying that I was very wellsatisfied, and even with Cousin Tom himself, who appeared to me moreresigned to have me as a son-in-law. To neither of them could I say aword of what had passed, except to tell Dolly that my peril was over forthe present, and to thank her for her prayers. During those two months Ihad no word of Rumbald at all; and I suspect that he lay very quiet, knowing, after all, how little I knew. If he went to Holland, hecertainly came back again. Then, in June, once more a man came from Mr. Chiffinch, to call me to town. So here I sat once more, with the birdssinging their vespers, in the Privy Garden, a hundred yards away, andthe river flowing without the windows, as if no blood had ever flowedwith it. 

"Well, " said Chiffinch, when I was down in a chair, "the first news isthat we have found Keeling. You were right, or very nearly. He is ajoiner, and lives in the City. He hath been to the Secretary of theCouncil, and will go to him again to-morrow. "

"How was that done?" I asked. 

"Why, I sent a couple of men to him, " said the page, "when we had markedhim down; who so worked on his fears that he went straight to my LordDartmouth; and my Lord Dartmouth carried him to Sir Leoline Jenkins. TheSecretary very properly remarked that he was but one witness; andKeeling went away again, to see if he can find another. Well; the taleis that he hath found another--his own brother--and that both will goagain to the Secretary to-morrow. So I thought it best that you shouldsee him first here, to-night, to identify him for certain. "

"That is very good, " I said. "But, Mr. Chaffinch, if I appear toopublicly in this matter, I shall be of very little service to the Kinghereafter. "

"I know that very well, " said the page. "And you shall not appearpublicly at all, neither shall your name. Indeed, the King hath a littlemore business for you at last, in France; and you will wish perhaps togo to Rome. So the best thing that you can do, when we have seen thatall is in order, is to wait no longer, but be off, and for a good whiletoo. Your life may be in some peril for the very particular part thatyou played, for though we shall catch, I think, all the principal menin the affair, we shall not catch all the underlings; and even a joineror a scavenger for that matter, if he be angry enough, is enough to letthe life out of a man. And we cannot spare you yet, Mr. Mallock. "

This seemed to me both reasonable and thoughtful; and it was notaltogether a surprise to me. Indeed I had prepared Dolly for a longabsence, thinking that I might go to Rome again, as I had not been therefor a long while. Besides, waiting in England for the time laid down byTom and agreed to by both of us, would make that time come no swifter;and, if there were work to be done, I had best do it, before I had awife to engage my attention. 

But I sighed a little. 

"Well, " said I; "and where is Keeling?"

"I have been expecting him this last ten minutes, " said he. 

Even as he spoke, a knock came upon the door. The page cried to come in;and there entered, first a servant holding the door, and then the littlejoiner himself, flushed in his face, I supposed with the excitement. Hewas dressed in his Sunday clothes, rather ill-fitting. He did not knowme, I think, for he made no movement of surprise. I caught Mr. Chiffinch's look of inquiry, and nodded very slightly. 

"Well, sir, " began the page in a very severe tone, "so you have made upyour mind to evade the charge of misprision of treason--that, at theleast!"

"Yes, sir, " said the man in a very timid way. (He must have heard thatphrase pretty often lately. )

"Well; and you have found your other witness?"

"Yes, sir; my own brother, sir. "

"Ah! Was he too in this detestable affair?"

"No, sir. "

"Well, then; how do you bring him in?"

"Sir, " said the man, seeming to recover himself a little, "I put mybrother in a secret place; and then caused him to overhear aconversation between myself and another. "

"Very pretty! very pretty!" cried the page. "And who was this other?"

"Sir; it was a Mr. Goodenough--under-sheriff once of--"

I could not restrain a start; for I had not thought Mr. Goodenough, thefriend of my Lord Essex, to be so deep in the affair as this. Keelingsaw me start, I suppose; for he looked at me, and himself showed suddenagitation. 

"Good evening, Keeling, " said I. "We have had a little conversation oncebefore. "

"Oh! for God's sake, gentlemen! for God's sake! I am already within aninch of my life. "

"I know you are, " said Mr. Chiffinch severely, "and you will be nearereven than that, if you do not speak the whole truth. "

"Sir; it is not that I mean, " cried the man, in a very panic of terror. "Rumbald hath been--"

"Eh? What is that?" said Mr. Chiffinch. 

"Rumbald, sir, the old Colonel, of the Rye--"

"God, man! We know all about Rumbald, " said the page contemptuously. "What hath he been at now?"

"Sir; he and some of the others caught me but yesterday. They had heardsome tale of my having been to Mr. Secretary, and--"

"And you swore you had not, I suppose, " snarled the other. 

"Sir; what could I do? Rumbald was all for despatching me then andthere. They caught me at Wapping. I prayed them for God's love not tobelieve such things: I entreated: I wept--"

"I'll be bound you did, " said Mr. Chiffinch. "Well? And what then?"

"Sir! they let me go again. "

"They did? The damned fools!" cried Chiffinch. 

I was astonished at his vehemence. But, like his master, if there wasone thing that the page could not bear, it was a fool. I made him alittle sign. 

"Keeling, " said I, "you remember me well enough. Well; I need not saythat we know pretty near everything that there is to know. But we musthave it from you, too. Tell us both now, as near as you can recollect, every name to which you can speak with certainty. Remember, we want nolies. We had enough of them a while back in another plot. " (I could notresist that; though Mr. Chiffinch snapped his lips together. ) "Well, now, take your time. No, do not speak. Consider yourself carefully. "

It was, indeed, a miserable sight to see this poor wretch so hemmed in. The sweet evening light fell full upon his terrified eyes and hisworking lips, as he sought to gather up the names. He was persuaded, Iam sure, that we were as gods, knowing all things--above all, he fearedmyself, as I could see, having met me first at the very house ofRumbald, as if I were his friend, and now again in the chamber of hisaccuser. It was piteous to see how he sought to be very exact in hismemories, and not go by a hair's breadth beyond the truth. 

At last I let him speak. 

"Now then, " I said, "tell us the names. " (I saw as I spoke that Mr. Chiffinch held a note-book below the table to take them down. )

"Sir, these for certain. Rumbald; West; Rumsey--"

"Slowly, man, slowly, " I cried. 

"Rumsey; Goodenough; Burton; Thompson; Barber--those last three all ofWapping, sir. Then, sir, there is Wade, Nelthrop, West, Walcot--" hehesitated. 

"Well, sir, " demanded Mr. Chiffinch very fiercely. "That is not all. "

"No, sir, no no. .. . There is Hone, a joiner like myself. "

"Man, " cried the page, "we want better names than snivelling tradesmenlike yourself. "

The fellow turned even paler. 

"Well, sir; but how can I tell that--"

"Sir, " said the page to me sharply, "call the guard!"

"Sir, " cried the poor wretch, "I will tell all; indeed I will tell. "

"Well?"

"Sir, the Duke of Monmouth was in it--at least we heard so. He wascertainly in the former plot!"

"And what was that?" asked the other very quietly. 

"Why, sir; the plot to assault Whitehall; it is all one in reality;but--"

"We know all about that, " snapped the page sharply. "Well; and whatother names?"

"Sir; there was my Lord Russell. "

I moved in my chair. Even to this day I cannot believe that that peerwas guilty; though indeed he was found so to be. Mr. Chiffinch cast me alook. 

"Proceed, sir, " he said. 

"And there was Mr. Ferguson, a minister; and Mr. Wildman; and my LordArgyle in Scotland; and my Lord Howard of Escrick; and Mr. Sidney; andmy Lord Essex. I do not say, sir, that all those--"

"There! there: go on. We shall test every word you say; you may dependupon it. What other names have you?"

"There was my Lord Grey, sir; and Sir Thomas Armstrong . .. Sir; I canremember no more!"

"And a pretty load on any man's conscience!" cried the virtuous Mr. Chiffinch. "And so all this nest of assassins--"

"Sir; I did not say that. I said--"

"That is enough; we want no comments and glosses, but the bare truth. Well, Keeling, if this tale be true, you have saved your own life--thatis, if your fellow murderers do not get at you again. You have been introuble before, I hear, too. "

"Sir; it was on the matter of the Lord Mayor--"

"I know that well enough. Well, sir; so this is the tale you will tellto-morrow to Mr. Secretary. "

"Yes, sir, if I can remember it all. "

"You will remember it, I'll warrant. Well, sir; I think I have no morequestions for the present. Sir, have you any questions to ask this man?"

I shook my head. I was near sick at the torture the man was in. 

"Well, sir; you may go, " said the page. "And I would recommend you andyour brother to lie very private to-night. There must be no moreevasion. "

 * * * * *

When he was gone, Mr. Chiffinch turned to me. 

"Well?" he said. "What do you think?"

"Oh! I think he speaks the truth, in the main, " I said wearily. "Shall Ibe needed any more; or when may I leave town?"

"You must wait, Mr. Mallock, until we have laid hands on them. "

 * * * * *

It was not until the middle of July that I was able to leave. On theeighteenth of June a proclamation was issued, with the names of some ofthe conspirators; and numerous arrests were made. One matter pleased mea little, and that was that Keeling had been man enough after all, towarn some of the humbler folk, who had been led into the affair, of whathe had done; and the most of these got clean away. Then Sheppard cameforward and betrayed three or four who had met in his house, as I hadseen for myself: and West added many details. A second proclamationcontaining the names, and offering rewards for the arrest of Monmouth, my Lord Grey, Sir Thomas Armstrong and the Reverend Robert Ferguson, wasmade after my Lord Russell's arrest; but all four of them escaped. MyLords Howard and Essex were taken on the tenth of July; and two dayslater Walcot, Hone and Rouse were convicted. 

As soon as my Lord Russell's trial was begun, and the certainty that hewould be convicted was made plain by my Lord Howard turning King'sevidence, I left London with my man James. And before we were at Doverthe news came to us that my Lord Essex, in despair, had cut his throatin the Tower. As for myself, I was glad enough to leave; for I was bothsick and weary of intrigue. It would be of a very different sort inFrance; and of a kind that a gentleman may undertake without misgivings:so, though I was loth to leave the land where Dolly was, the balancealtogether left me refreshed rather than saddened. 

 * * * * *

It was a clear day as the packet put out from Dover; and, as I stood ondeck, watching the cliffs recede as we went, there came on me again thatsame mood that had fallen on me as I went up the river so long ago fromWapping. Once more it appeared to me as if I were in somewhat of adream. Those men I had left behind, awaiting trial and death; Mr. Chiffinch; the King, the Court, even Dolly herself, appeared to havesomething phantom-like about them. Once more the realities seemed toclose about me and envelop me--or rather that great Reality whom we nameGod; and all else seemed but very little and trifling. 

PART IV

CHAPTER I

Once more it was high summer, a year afterwards, as I rode in, stillwith James, thank God! and three other men, over London Bridge. 

 * * * * *

My life abroad once more must remain undescribed. There is plenty ofreason against the telling of it; and nothing at all for it. One thingonly may I say, that I came last from Rome, having stayed over for theFeast of the Apostles, and carried with me, though verbally only, somevery particular instructions for His Royal Highness the Duke of Yorkfrom personages whom he should respect, if he did not. And what thosecounsels were will appear in the proper place. By those same personagesI had been complimented very considerably, and urged to yet greaterefforts. Briefly with regard to the two Royal Brothers, I was urged topress on the one, and to restrain the other; for I heard in Rome that itwas said that they would listen to me, if I observed discretion. 

As to what had passed in England, a very short account will suffice. 

First, with regard to the conspirators, a number had been executed, among whom I suppose must be reckoned my Lord Russell--an upright man, Ithink; yet one who had at least played with very hot fire. Frankly, I donot believe that he aimed ever at the King's life, but that my LordHoward witnessed that he did, in order to save himself. Of the othersthat were executed, I think all deserved it; and the principal, Isuppose, was Mr. Sidney, that ancient Republican and Commonwealth man, who was undoubtedly guilty. Besides him, my Lord Essex had killedhimself in prison--for I never believed the ugly story of the bloodyrazor having been thrown out of his window--and Sir Thomas Armstrong wasexecuted--and richly he had earned it by a thousand crimes anddebaucheries--and old Colonel Rumbald; whose fate, I must allow, causedme a little sorrow (even though he had flung a sharp cleaver at myhead), for he was very much more of a man than that puling treacheroushound my Lord Howard, who was taken hiding in his shirt, up his ownchimney, and turned traitor to his friends. Holloway too--a merchant ofBristol, and a friend of Mr. Ferguson--was executed, and several inEdinburgh, of the Scottish plotters under Argyle, among whom theprincipal was Baillie of Jerviswood. The torture of the boot and thethumbscrews was used there, I am sorry to say; for they had plenty ofevidence without it. Of the others some evaded altogether, of whom agood number went to Holland, which was their great refuge at this time, and others again saved their lives by turning King's evidence. TheReverend Mr. Ferguson proved himself a clever fellow, as indeed I hadthought him, and a courageous one too, for after attending my LordShaftesbury upon his deathbed, he returned again to Edinburgh, andthere, upon search being made for him, hid himself in the very prison towhich they wished to consign him, and so escaped the death he hadearned. 

With regard to the Duke of Monmouth, affairs had taken a very strangecourse; and His Majesty, as I think, had behaved with less than hisusual wisdom. Before even Mr. Sidney's death, the Duke had made hispeace, both with the King and the Duke of York, and had, afterexpressing extraordinary contrition, and yet denying that he had been inany way privy to any attempt on the King's life, received a pardon. Buthe had not been content with that; and so soon as the _Gazette_announced that it was so, and had given men to understand that Monmouthhad made his peace by turning King's evidence, what must His Grace do, but deny it again, and cause it to be denied too in all thecoffee-houses in town? The King was thrown into a passion by this; andonce again His Grace had to sign and read aloud a paper, in the presenceof witnesses and of the King, in the private parlour of the Duchess ofPortsmouth's lodgings--(where, it must be confessed, His Majesty didmuch of his business at this time). But the paper was not explicitenough, and must be re-written: and so the foolish shilly-shally wenton--and he guilty all the time--and at last he evaded them all, and wentback again to Holland. 

There was another piece of news that had come to me lately that pleasedme better; and that was of the trial of Oates, for treasonous speaking, and his condemnation in one hundred thousand pounds, which caused him tobe shut up in prison without more ado, where he could do no moremischief. Indeed his credit was all gone now, thank God! and all that hehad to do in prison was to prepare himself for his whippings which hegot a year later. A few months earlier too, the four Popish lords thathad been left in the Tower were released again, which I was very glad tohear of. 

Other matters too had passed; but I think I have said enough to shew howaffairs stood in the month of July when I came back to England--with theexception of what I shall relate presently as of my own experience. 

 * * * * *

The evening was as bright and fair as that on which I had come back toLondon near two years and a half ago, with so heavy a heart, to findDolly at Court; but this time the heaviness was all gone. I had hadletters from her continually, and all those I carried with me. She toldme that her father seemed a little moody, now and again; but I did notcare very greatly about that. He could be as moody as he liked, if hebut let her and me alone. It was less than a year now from mytwenty-eighth birthday, which was the period that had been fixed. 

Now a piece of news had reached me at Dover that made me pretty content;and that was that His Majesty desired me to have lodgings now inWhitehall. These were very hard to come by, except a man had greatinfluence; and I was happy to think that such as I had was from the Kinghimself. So I did not return northwards this time from the Strand, butheld on, and so to the gate of Whitehall. Here I was stopped and askedmy name. 

I gave it; and the officer saluted me very civilly. 

"Your lodgings are ready, sir, " said he. "Mr. Chiffinch was very urgentabout them. And he bade me tell you you would find visitors there, ifyou came before eight o'clock. "

It was now scarcely gone seven; but I thought very little of myvisitors, supposing they might perhaps be Mr. Chiffinch himself and afriend: so I inquired very, leisurely where the lodgings were situate. 

"They are my Lord Peterborough's old lodgings, sir, " said the man. "Hehath moved elsewhere. They look out upon the Privy Garden and thebowling-green; or, to be more close, on the trees between them. "

This was a fine piece of news indeed; for these lodgings were among thebest. I was indeed become a person of importance. 

There were two entrances to these lodgings--one from the Stone Gallery, and the other from the garden; but that into the garden was only alittle door, whose use was not greatly encouraged, because of thepersonages that walked there; so I went up the Stone Gallery, betweenall the books and the cabinets, and so to my own door; with my Jamesbehind me. My other men I bade follow when they had bestowed the horsesand found their own quarters. 

It was a fine entrance, with a new shield over the door; lately scrapedwhite, for the reception of my own arms. I knocked upon it, and a fellowopened; and when I had told him my name, he let me through; and I wentupstairs to the parlour that looked over the garden; and there, to myhappiness were my visitors. For they were none other than my dear loveherself and her maid. 

I cannot tell what that was to me, to find her there. .. . The maid wassent into the little writing-room, next door, into which my visitorswould usually be shewn; and we two sat down on the window-seat. Dollylooked not a day older: she was in a fine dress. 

"See, " she said, "you have caught me again at Court? Will you send meaway again this time?"

She told me presently that she and her father were come up to town for afew days; but must be gone again directly. They had written to Mr. Chiffinch demanding news of me, and when should I be at liberty to cometo Hare Street; and he had told them that at anyrate not yet for awhile, and that they had best come and see me in my new lodgings. I wassorry that he had said I could not go to Hare Street for thepresent--though I had expected no less; but I soon forgot it again inher dear presence. 

"You are a great man, now, I suppose, " she said presently, "too great tosee to the pigs any longer. We have no such rooms as this at HareStreet. "

They were indeed fine; and we went through them together. They were allfurnished from roof to floor; there were some good tapestries andpictures; and the windows, as the officer had said, looked out for themost part upon the trees beneath which so long ago I had watched ladieswalking. But I told her that I loved my panelled chamber at Hare Street, and the little parlour, with the poor Knights of the Grail, who rodethere for ever and never attained their quest, more than all Whitehall. Then I kissed her again, for perhaps the thirtieth time; and, as I wasdoing so Cousin Tom came in. 

"Ah!" said he, "I have caught you then!" But he said it without muchmerriment. 

If Dolly was no older, her father was. There were grey hairs in hiseyebrows, for that was all that I could see of his hair, since he wore aperiwig; and his face appeared a little blotchy. 

I met him however with cordiality, and congratulated him on his looks. He sat down, and presently, to my astonishment, he too opened out uponmy prospects, though in a very different manner from Dolly. 

"You are a great man now, " he said, "in these fine lodgings. I wonderHis Majesty hath not made you at least a knight. "

I was a little angry at his manner. He said it not pleasantly at all;but as if he found fault. I determined I would not meet his ambitions atall. 

"My dear Cousin, " said I, "indeed I am not a knight; and have no hope ofbeing so. His Majesty hath a thousand men more competent than I. "

"Then why hath he given you these lodgings?" said he, with a sharp look. 

I shrugged my shoulders. 

"I am of some convenience to His Majesty; and the more so if I am nearhim. I suppose that these lodgings fell vacant in the nick of time. "

He looked at me very earnestly. He had, of course, no idea of in whatmatters I was engaged: I might have been a mere valet for all he knew. 

"That is so?" he said. 

"I have no reason to think otherwise, " I answered him. 

 * * * * *

Well; it was growing late; and I had not supped, as Dolly presentlyremembered; it was near eight o'clock, and after that time there wouldbe formalities at the gate as they went out. So they took their leave atlast; and I kissed Dolly for the thirty-first time, and went downstairswith them, and watched them down the gallery; they having promised tocome again next day. 

 * * * * *

I had scarcely done supper and looked about me a little, when Mr. Chiffinch's name was brought to me; and I went to see him in the littleparlour and bring him through to what would be my private closet--sogreat was I become! He looked older; and I told him so. 

"Well; so I am, " said he. "And so are we all. You will be astonishedwhen you see His Majesty. "

"Is he so much older?" I asked. 

"He has aged five years in one, " said he. 

We talked presently (after looking through my lodgings again, to see ifall were as it should be, and after my thanking Mr. Chiffinch for thepains he had put himself to), first of France and then of Rome. Heshewed himself very astute when we spoke of Rome. 

"I do not wish to pry, " he said, "but I hope to God's sake that the HolyFather hath given you a commission to His Royal Highness, to bid himhold himself more quiet. He will ruin all, if he be not careful. "

"Why; how is that?" said I. 

"Ah! you ecclesiastics, " he cried--"for I count you half an one atleast, in spite of your pretty cousin--you are more close than any ofus! Well; I will tell you as if you did not know. "

He put his fingers together, in his old manner. 

"First, " said he, "he is Lord High Admiral again. I count that veryrash. We are Protestants, we English, you know; and we like not a Papistto be our guard-in-chief. "

"You will have to put up with a Papist as a King, some day, " said I. 

"Why I suppose so--though I would not have been so sure two years ago. But a King is another matter from an High Admiral. "

"Well; what else has he done?" I asked. 

"He hath been readmitted to the Council, in the very face of the TestAct too. But it is how he bears himself and speaks that is the worst ofall. He carries himself and his religion as openly as he can; and doesall that is in His power to relieve the Papists of disabilities. That isvery courageous, I know; but it is not very shrewd. God knows where hewill stop if once he is on the throne. I think he will not be therelong. "

I said nothing; for indeed my instructions were on those very points;and I knew them all as well as Chiffinch, and, I think, better. 

He spoke, presently, of myself. 

"As for you, Mr. Mallock, I need not tell you how high you are in favourhere. _Si monumentum requiris, circumspice_"; and he waved his hands atthe rich rooms. 

"His Majesty is very good, " I said. 

"His Majesty hath a peerage for you, if you want it. He said he had madetoo many grocers and lickspittles into knights, to make you one. "

I cannot deny that to hear that news pleased me. Yet even then Ihesitated. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said I at last, "if you mean what you say, I havesomething to answer to that. "

"Well?" said he. 

"Let me have one year more of obscurity. I may be able to do much morethat way. In one year from now I shall be married, as I told you. Well, when I have a wife she must come to town, and make acquaintances; andso I shall be known in any case. Let me have it then, if I want it--as awedding gift; so that she shall come as My Lady. And I will do what Ican then, in His Majesty's service, more publicly. "

"What if His Majesty is dead before that?" said he, regarding meclosely. 

"Then we will go without, " said I. 

He nodded; and said no more. 

 * * * * *

It was strange to lie down that night in a great room, with four postsand all their hangings about me, with my Lord Peterborough's armsemblazoned on the ceiling; and to know that it was indeed I, RogerMallock, who lay there, with a man within call; and a coronet, if Iwould have it, within reach. It was not till then, I think, that Iunderstood how swift had been my rise; for here was I, but justtwenty-seven years old, and in England but the better part of six years. Yet, even then, more than half my thoughts were of Dolly, and of how shewould look in a peeress' robes. I even determined what my title shouldbe--taken from my French estates in the village of Malmaison, inNormandy, so foolish and trifling are a man's thoughts at such a time. One thing, however, I resolved; and that was to say nothing at all ofall this either to Dolly or her father. It should be a wedding gift tothe one, and a consolation to the other; for dearly would my Cousin Tomlove to speak of his son-in-law the Viscount, or even the plain LordMalmaison. As for His Majesty's death before another year, I thoughtnothing of that; for what young man of twenty-seven years of age thinksever that anyone will die? Even should he die too--which I prayed Godmight not be yet!--there was His Royal Highness to follow; and I hadserved him, all things considered, pretty near as well as his brother. 

So, then, I lay in thought, hearing a fountain play somewhere without mywindows, and the rustle of the wind in the limes that stood along thePrivy Garden. I heard midnight strike from the Clock-Tower at thefurther end of the palace, before I slept; and presently after the cryof the watchman that "all was well, and a fair night. "

CHAPTER II

It was not until the third day after my coming to town that I hadaudience of the Duke--in the evening after supper, having biddengood-bye that morning, with a very heavy heart, to my cousins, atAldgate, whither I had escorted them. I had promised Dolly I would comewhen I could; but God knew when that would be!

Even by then, I think, I had become accustomed to my new surroundings. Ihad made no friends indeed, for that was expressly contrary to mydesires, since a man on secret service must be very slow to do so; but Ihad made a number of acquaintances even in that short time, and hadrenewed some others. I had had a word or two with Sir George Jeffreys, now a long time Lord Chief Justice, in Scroggs' old place; and found hima very brilliant kind of man, of an extraordinary handsomeness, and noless extraordinary power--not at all brutal in manner, as I had thought, but liker to a very bright sword, at once sharp and heavy: and sharp andheavy indeed men found him when they looked at him from the dock. It wasin Mr. Chiffinch's closet that I was made known to him. I had spoken toowith my Lord Halifax--another brilliant fellow, very satirical andwitty, for which the King loved him, though all the world guessed, andthe King, I think knew, that his opposition to our cause was so hot aseven to keep him in correspondence with the Duke of Monmouth, safe awayin Holland. At least that was the talk in the coffee-houses. He, likethe Lord Keeper North, hated a Papist like the Devil, and all his waysand wishes. He said of my Lord Rochester, now made president of theCouncil--a post of immense dignity and no power at all--that "he waskicked upstairs, " which was a very precise description of the matter. 

 * * * * *

I was taken straight through into the Duke's private closet, where heawaited me; and, by the rarest chance His Majesty was just about to takehis leave, and they had me in before he was gone. 

I was very deeply shocked by His Majesty's appearance. He was standingbelow a pair of candles when I came in, and his face was all in shadow;but when, after I had saluted the two, he moved out presently, I couldsee how fallen his face was, and how heavily lined. Since it was eveningtoo, and he had not shaved since morning I could see a littlefrostiness, as it were, upon his chin. He dyed his eyebrows andmoustaches, I suppose, for these were as black as ever. His melancholyeyes had a twinkle in them, as he looked at me. 

"Well, " said he, "so here is our hero back again--come to pay hisrespects to the rising sun, I suppose. " (But he said it very pleasantly, without any irony. )

"Why, Sir, " said I, "I have always understood that there is neitherrising nor setting with England's sun; but that it is always inmid-heaven. The King never dies; and the King can do no wrong. "

(Such was the manner in which we spoke at Court in those days--veryfoolish and bombastic, no doubt. )

"Hark to that, brother, " said the King; "there is a pretty compliment tous both! It is to neither of us that Mr. Mallock is loyal; but to theCrown only. "

"It is that which we all serve, Sir, " said I; "even Your Majesty. "

The King smiled. 

"Well, " he said, "I must be off while you two plot, I suppose. Come andsee me too, Mr. Mallock; when you have done all your duties. "

I took him to the door of the closet where the servants were waiting forhim; and even his gait seemed to me older. 

Now James had very little--(though no Stuart could have none)--of hisfamily's charm. He looked no older, no sharper and no lighter than ayear ago; and he had learned nothing from adversity, as I presentlyunderstood. He very graciously made me sit down; but in even that thecondescension was evident--not as his brother did it. 

"You have been to Rome, again, " he said pretty soon, when he had toldme how he did, and how the King was not so well as he had been. "Andwhat news do you bring with you?"

I told him first of the Holy Father's health, and delivered a fewcompliments from one or two of the Cardinals, and spoke of three or fourgeneral matters of the Court there. He nodded and asked some questions;but I could see that he was thinking of something else. 

"But you have more to say to me, have you not?" said he. "I had a letterfrom the Cardinal Secretary--" he paused. 

"Yes, Sir, " said I. "The Holy Father was graciously pleased to put me atYour Royal Highness' disposal, if you should wish to know His Holiness'mind on one or two affairs. "

I put it like this, as gently as I could; for indeed I had somethingvery like a scolding, in my pocket, for him. He saw through it, however, for he lowered his eyelids a little sullenly as his way was, when he wasdispleased. 

"Well; let us hear it, " said he. "What have I done wrong now?"

This would never do. His Royal Highness resembled a mule in this, atleast, that the harder he was pushed, the more he kicked and jibbed. Hemust be drawn forward by some kind of a carrot, if he were to be moved. I made haste to draw out my finest. 

"His Holiness is inexpressibly consoled, " I said, "by Your RoyalHighness' zeal for religion, and courage too, in that course. He bade metell you that he could say his _Nunc Dimittis_, if he could but see suchzeal and obedience in the rest of Europe. "

The Duke smiled a little; and I could see that he was pleased. (It wasreally necessary to speak to him in this manner; he would have resentedany such freedom or informality as I used towards the King. )

"These are the sweets before the medicine, " he said. "And now for thedraught. "

"Sir, " I said, "there is no draught. There is but a word of warning HisHoliness--"

"Well; call it what you will. What is it, Mr. Mallock?"

I told him then, as gently as I could (interlarding all with a greatmany compliments) that His Holiness was anxious that matters should notgo too fast; that there was still a great deal of disaffection inEngland, and that, though the pendulum had swung it would surely swingback again, though, please God! never so far as it had been; and thatmeantime a great deal of caution should be used. For example, it was awonderful thing that His Royal Highness should be Lord High Admiral ofthe Fleet again; but that great care should be observed lest the peopleshould be frightened that a Papist should have the guarding of them; oragain, that the Test Act should be set aside in His Royal Highness'case, yet the exception should not be pressed too far. All this my LordCardinal Howard had expressly told me; but there was one yet moredifficult matter to speak of; and this I reserved for the moment. 

"Well, " said the Duke, when I had got so far, "I am obliged to HisHoliness for his solicitude; and I shall give the advice my closestattention. Was there anything more, Mr. Mallock?"

He had received it, I thought, with unusual humility; so I made haste tobring out the last of what I had to say. 

"There is no more, Sir, " I said, "in substance. There was only that HisEminence thought perhaps that the extraordinary courage and fervour ofYour Royal Highness' Jesuit advisers led them to neglect discretion alittle. "

"Ah! His Eminence thought that, did he?" said James meditatively. 

His Eminence had said it a great deal more strongly than that; but Idared not put it as he had. 

"Yes, Sir, " I said. "They are largely under French influence; and Frenchcircumstances are not at all as in England. The Society is a little aptat present--"

Then the Duke lost his self-command; and his heavy face lightened with akind of anger. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "you have said enough. I do not blame you atall; but His Eminence (with all possible respect to him!) does not knowwhat he is talking about. These good Fathers have imperilled their livesfor England; if any have a right to speak, it is they; and I wouldsooner listen to their counsel than to all the Cardinals in Christendom. They know England, as Rome cannot; and, while I allow myself to be ledby the nose by no man living, I would sooner do what they advise thanwhat a Roman Cardinal advises. It is not by subtlety or plotting thatthe Faith will be commended in this country; but by courageous action;and since God has placed me here in the position that I hold, it is toHim alone that I must answer. You can send that message back to Rome, sir, as soon as you like. "

Now there was James, true to himself; and I could see that further wordswould be wasted. I smoothed him down as well as I could; and I was happyto see that it was not with myself that he was angry--(for he made thatvery plain)--for that I still might hope he would listen to me later on. But anything further at that time was useless; so I prepared to take myleave; and he made no opposition. 

"Well, sir, " he said, "you have given your message very well; and Ithank you for not wrapping it up. You have done very well in France, Ihear. "

"His Majesty hath been pleased to think so, " I said. Then his facelightened again. 

"Ah!" said he, "when the time comes, we shall shew Europe what Englandcan do. We shall astonish even Rome itself, I think. We have long beenwithout the light; but it is dawning once more, and when the sun isindeed risen, as His Majesty said, men will be amazed at us. We shallneed no more help from France then. The whole land will be a garden ofthe Lord. "

His face itself was alight with enthusiasm; and I wondered how, oncemore in this man, as in many others, the Church shewed itself able toinspire and warm, yet without that full moral conversion that shedesires. He was not yet by any means free from the sins of the flesh andfrom pride--(which two things so commonly go together)--he could not bereleased from these until humiliation should come on him--as it did, andmade him very like a Saint before the end. Meanwhile it was something tothank God for that he should be so whole-hearted and zealous, eventhough he lacked discretion. 

As I was going down the stairs whom should I run into, coming up, butFather Huddleston, who stopped to speak with me. I did not know him verywell; though I had talked with him once or twice. He was the one priestof English blood who was tolerated openly and legally in England, andwho had leave to wear his habit, for his saving of the King's life afterthe battle of Worcester. 

"So you are home again, Mr. Mallock, " he said in his cheery voice. 

I told him Yes; and that I was come for a good time. 

"And His Majesty?" he said. "Have you seen him? He is terribly aged, ishe not, this last year. "

This priest was a very pleasant-looking fellow, going on for sixty yearsold, I would say; and, except for his dress, resembled some fine oldcountry-squire. He wore a great brown periwig that set off his rosyface. He was not, I think, a very spiritual man, though good andconscientious, and he meddled not at all with politics or even withreligion. He went his way, and let men alone, which, though not veryapostolic, is at least very prudent and peaceful. He was fond of countrysports, I had heard, and of the classics; and spent his time prettyequally in them both. 

"Yes, " said I; "the King is a year older since this time twelvemonth. "

He laughed loudly. 

"There speaks the courtier, " he said. "And you come from the Duke?"

I told him Yes. 

"And I go to him. Well; good day to you, Mr. Mallock. "

 * * * * *

It was very pleasant to me, this new air in which I lived. Here was I, come from the Duke who had received me as never before, with adeference--(if the Duke's behaviour to any man could be calledthat)--such as he had never shewn me, being greeted too by this priestwho up to this time had never manifested much interest in me, going backto my fine lodgings and my half-dozen servants. Indeed it was a greatchange. As I went past the sentry a minute or two later, he saluted me, and I returned it, feeling very happy that I was come to be of someconsideration at last, with do much more, too, in the background ofwhich others never dreamed. 

 * * * * *

I had my first audience of His Majesty a week later, and confirmed myimpressions of his ageing very rapidly. He received me withextraordinary kindness; but, as to the first part of the interview, since this concerned private affairs in France, I shall give nodescription. It was the end only that was of general interest; and onepart of it very particular, since I was able to speak my mind to himagain. 

He was standing looking out of the window when he said his last word onFrance, and kept silent a little. He stood as upright as ever, but therewas an air in him as if he felt the weight of his years, though theywere scarcely fifty-four in number. His hand nearest to me hung downlistlessly, with the lace over it. When he spoke, he put into words thevery thing that I was thinking. 

"I am getting an old man, Mr. Mallock, " he said, suddenly turning on me;"and I would that affairs were better settled than they are. They arebetter than they were--I do not dispute that--but these endless littlematters distress me. Why cannot folk be at peace and charitable one withanother?"

I said nothing; but I knew of what he was thinking. It was the oldbusiness of religion which so much entered into everything and distortedmen's judgments: for he had just been speaking of His Grace of Monmouth. 

"Why cannot men serve God according to their own conscience?" he said, "and leave others to do the same. "

"Sir, " I said, "there is but one Church of God where men are at unitywith one another. "

He paid no attention to that; and his face suddenly contractedstrangely. 

"Did you hear any gossip--I mean about myself--after the death of theJesuit Fathers?"

I told him No; for I had heard nothing of it at that time. 

He came and sat down, motioning me too to a seat; for I had stood upwhen he did. 

"Well, " he said, "it is certainly strange enough, and I should not havebelieved it, if it had not happened to myself. "

Again he stopped with an odd look. 

"Well, " he said, "here is the tale; and I will swear to it. You know howunwilling I was to sign the death-warrants. "

"Yes, Sir; all the world knows that. "

"And all the world knows that I did it, " he said with a vehement kind ofbitterness. "Yes; I did it, for there was no way out of it that I couldsee. It was they or the Crown must go. But I never intended it; and Iswore I would not. "

"Yes, Sir, " I said quietly, "you said so to me. "

"Did I? Well, I said so to many. I even swore that my right hand mightrot off if I did it. "

His heavy face was all working. I had seldom seen him so much moved. 

"Yes, " he said, "that was what I swore. Well, Mr. Mallock, did you everhear what followed?"

"No, Sir, " I said again. 

"It was within that week, that when I awakened one morning I felt myright hand to be all stiff. I thought nothing of it at the first; Ibelieved I must have strained it at tennis. Well; that day I saidnothing to anyone; but I rubbed some ointment on my hand that night. "

He stopped again, lifted his right hand a little and looked at it, as ifmeditating on it. It was a square strong man's hand, but very wellshaped and very brown; it had a couple of great rings on the fingers. 

"Well, " he said, "the next morning a sore had broken out on it; and Isent for a physician. He told me it was nothing but a little humour inthe blood, and he bade me take care of my diet. I said nothing to anyoneelse, and bade him not speak of it; and that night I put on some moreointment; and the next morning another sore was broken out, between thefinger and the thumb, so that I could not hold a pen without pain; andit was then, for the first time, that I remembered what I had sworn. "

He had his features under command again, but I could see, as he lookedat me, that his eyes were still full of emotion. 

"Well, Mr. Mallock; I was in a great way at that; but yet I dared tellnobody. I wore my glove all day, so that no one should see my hand; andthat evening when I went in to see Her Majesty, what should I seehanging up on the wall of the chamber but the pictures of the five menwhose warrants I had signed!"

Once more he stopped. 

Now I remembered that I had heard a little gossip as to the King's handabout that time; but it had been so little that I had thought nothing ofit. It was very strange to hear it all now from himself. 

"Well, sir, " he said, "I am not ashamed to say what I did. I kissedtheir pictures one by one, and I begged them to intercede for me. Thenext morning, Mr. Mallock, the sores were healed up; and, the morningafter, the stiffness was all gone. "

I said nothing; for what could I say? It is true enough that many mightsay that it had all fallen out so, by chance, that it was no more than astrain at tennis, or a humour in the blood, as the physician hadthought. But I did not think so, nor, I think, would many Catholics. 

"You say nothing, Mr. Mallock, " said the King. 

"What is there to say, Sir?" asked I. 

"What indeed?" he cried, again with the greatest emotion. "There isnothing at all to say. The facts are as I have said. "

Then there came upon me once more that passionate desire to see thisstrange and restless soul at peace. Of those who have never received thegift of faith I say nothing: God will be their Judge, and, I doubt not, their Saviour if they have but been faithful to what they know; but forthose who have received the knowledge of the truth and have drawn backfrom it I have always feared very greatly. Now that His Majesty hadreceived this light long before this time, I had never had any doubt;indeed it had been reported, though I knew falsely, that he hadsubmitted to the Church and been taken into her Communion while he wasyet a young man in France. Yet here he was still, holding back from whathe knew to be true--and growing old too, as he had said. All this wentthrough my mind; but before I could speak he was up again. 

"An instant, Mr. Mallock, " he said, as I rose up with him; and he turnedswiftly towards the door that was behind him, and was out through it, leaving it open behind him. From where I stood I could see what he did. There was a great press in the little chamber next door, and he flungthe doors of this open so that I could see him pull forward hisstrong-box that lay within. This he opened with a key that he carriedhung on a chain, and fumbled in it a minute or two, drawing out at lasta paper; and so, bearing this, and leaving the strong-box open just asit was, he came back to me. 

"Look at that, Mr. Mallock, " said he. 

It was a sheet of paper, written very closely in His Majesty's own hand, and was headed in capital letters. 

Then there followed a set of reasons, all numbered, shewing that theHoly Roman Church was none other than the very Church of Christ outsideof which there is no salvation. (It was made public later, as all theworld knows, so I need not set it out here in full. )

"There, sir, " he said when I had done reading it. "What do you think ofthat?"

I shall never forget how he looked, when I lifted my eyes and regardedhim. He was standing by the window, with the light on his face, andthere was an extraordinary earnestness and purpose in his features. Itwas near incredible that this could be the man whom I had seen socareless with his ladies--so light and indolent. But there are manysides to every man, as I have learned in a very long life. 

"Sir, " I cried, "what am I to say? There is nothing that I can add. Thisis Your Majesty's own conscience, written out in ink. " (I tapped thepaper with my finger, still holding it. )

"Eh?" said he. 

"And by conscience God judges us all, " I cried. Again I stared into hiseyes, and he into mine. 

"Your Majesty will have to answer to this, " said I, "on Judgment Day. "

I could say no more, so great was my emotion; and, as I hesitated achange went over his face. His brows came down as if he were angry, buthis lips twitched a little as if in humour. 

"There! there!" he said. "Give me the paper, Mr. Mallock. "

I gave it back to him; and he stood running his eyes down it. 

"Why, this is damned good!" he murmured. "I should have made atheologian. "

And with that I knew that his mood was changed again, and that I couldsay no more. 

CHAPTER III

I do not know which is the more strange that, when a great time of trialapproaches a man, either he has some kind of a premonition that troubleis coming upon him, or that he has not. Certainly it is strange enoughthat some sense, of which we know nothing, should scent danger whenthere are no outward signs that any is near; but it appears even morestrange to me that the storm should break all of a sudden without anycloud in the sky to shew its coming. It was the latter case with me; andthe storm came upon me as I shall now relate. 

 * * * * *

It was now for the first time that I began to see something of the waythe Court lived--I mean as one who was himself a part of it. I hadlooked on it before rather as a spectator at a show, observing thepageants pass before me, but myself, from the nature of my employment, taking no part in it from within. 

A great deal that I saw was very dreadful and unchristian. Many of thepersons resembled hogs and monkeys more than human beings; and a greatdeal of what passed for wit and merriment was nothing other than pureevil. Virtue was very little reckoned of; or, rather reckoned only asgiving additional zest to its own corruption. I do not mean that therewere no virtuous people at all--(there were virtuous people in Sodom andGomorrah themselves)--but they were unusual, and were looked upon as alittle freakish or mad. Yet, for all that, side by side with the evil, there went on a great deal of seemliness and religion: sermons werepreached before the Court every Sunday; and His Majesty, who by his ownlife was greatly responsible for the wickedness around him, went tomorning-prayers at least three or four times in the week; though Icannot say that his behaviour there accorded very well with the businesshe was engaged upon. Some blamed the Bishops and other ministers fortheir laxity and the flattery that they shewed to His Majesty: but I donot think that charge is a fair one; for they were very bold indeed uponoccasion. Dr. Ken, who preached pretty often, was as outspoken as apreacher well could be, denouncing the sins of the Court in unmeasuredlanguage, even in His Majesty's presence: and a certain Bishop, whosename I forget, observing on one occasion during sermon-time that theKing was fast asleep, turned and rebuked in a loud voice some othergentleman who was asleep too. 

"You snore so loudly, sir, " he cried, "that you will awake His Majesty, if you do not have a care. "

I went sometimes to the chapel, with the crowd, to hear the anthem, asthe custom was; for the music was extraordinary good, and no expensespared; and I heard there some very fine motets, the most of which wereadapted from the old Catholic music and set to new words taken from theProtestant Scripture. 

 * * * * *

I went one night in August to the Duke's Theatre, as it was called, tosee a play of Sir Charles Sedley, called _The Mulberry Garden_. 

This extraordinary man, with whom I had already talked on more than oneoccasion, was, according to one account, the loosest man that everlived; and indeed the tales related of him are such that I could noteven hint at them in such a work as this. But he was now aboutforty-five years old; and a thought steadier. It chanced that he and myLord Dorset--(who was of the same reputation, but had fought too both byland and sea)--were present with ladies, of whom the Duchess ofCleveland was one, in one of the boxes that looked upon the stage; and Iwas astonished at the behaviour of them all. Sedley himself, whoappeared pretty drunk, was the noisiest person in the house; he laughedloudly at any of his own lines that took his fancy, and conversedequally loudly with his friends when they did not. As for the play itwas of a very poor kind, and gave me no pleasure at all; for there wasbut one subject in it from beginning to end, and that was the passionwhich the author would call love. There were lines too in it of thegreatest coarseness, and at these he laughed the loudest. He had a sharpbold face, of an extraordinary insolence; and he appeared to take thehighest delight in the theme of his play--(which he had written for theKing's Theatre a good while before)--and which concerned nothing elsebut the love-adventures of two maids that had an over-youthful fop for afather. 

When the play was over, and I going out to my little coach that I used, I found that the Duchess of Cleveland's coach stopped the way, in spiteof the others waiting behind, and Her Grace not come. However there wasnothing to be done: and I waited. Presently out they came, Sedleyleading the way with great solemnity, who knocked against me as I stoodthere, and asked what the devil I did in his road. 

I saluted them as ironically as I could; and begged his pardon. 

"I had no idea, Sir Charles, " said I, "that the theatre and street wereyours as well as the play. "

He looked at me as if he could not believe his ears; but my Lord Dorsetwho was just behind came up and took him by the arm. 

"He is right, " he said. "Mr. Mallock is quite right. Beg his pardon, Itell you. "

"Why the devil--" began Sir Charles again, still not recognizing me. 

My Lord clapped him sharply on his hat, driving it over his eyes. 

"He is blind now, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "in every sense. You would notbe angry with a blind man!"

When Sir Charles had got his hat straight again he was now angry with myLord Dorset, and very friendly and apologetic to myself, whom I supposehe had remembered by now; so the two drove away presently, after theladies, still disputing loudly. But I think my Lord's behaviour shewedme more than ever that I was become a person of some consequence. Yetthis kind of manners, in the midst of the crowd, though it commendedgentlemen as well known as were those two--to the ruder elements amongthe spectators, who laughed and shouted--did a great deal of harm inthose days to the Court and the King, among the more serious and soberpersons of the country; and it is these who, in the long run, alwayshave the ordering of things. God knows I would not live in a puritanicalcountry if I could help it; yet decent breeding is surely due fromgentlemen. 

 * * * * *

A week or two later I was at a _levée_ in Her Majesty's apartments; andhad a clearer sight than ever of the relations between the King andQueen. 

Now His Majesty had behaved himself very ill to the Queen; he hadflaunted his mistresses everywhere, and had even compelled her toreceive them; he had neglected her very grossly; yet I must say in hisdefence that there was one line he would not pass: he would not on anyaccount listen to those advisers of his who from time to time had urgedhim to put her away by divorce, and marry a Protestant who might bearhim children. Even my Lord Bishop of Salisbury, Dr. Burnet, had, thirteen or fourteen years ago given as his opinion that a barren wifemight be divorced, and even that polygamy was not contrary to the NewTestament! This, however, Charles had flatly refused to countenance;and, when he thought of it, now and again, shewed her a sort ofcompassionate kindness, in spite of his distaste for her company. Yethis very compassionateness proved his distaste. 

It was on occasion of a reception by Her Majesty of some Moorishdeputation or embassage from Tangier, that I was present in herapartments; and it was immediately after this, too--(so that I have goodcause to remember it)--that the first completely unexpected reverse cameto my fortunes. 

I arrived at Her Majesty's lodgings about nine o'clock in the evening;and was pleased to see that the Yeomen of the Guard lined the staircaseup to the great gallery. This was an honour which the Queen did not veryoften enjoy; and very fine they looked in their scarlet and gold, withtheir halberds, all the way up from the bottom to the top. 

The Great Gallery, when I came into it, was tolerably full of people, of whom I spoke to a good number, among whom again were Sir CharlesSedley and my Lord Dorset, as usual inseparable. But I was very muchastonished at the manner in which the Moors were treated, for they wereseated on couches, on one side of the state under which Her Majesty sat, as if they were some kind of raree-show, set there to be looked at. Theywere extraordinary rich and barbaric in their appearance; and when I hadkissed Her Majesty's hand, I too went and looked with the rest of thecrowd who jostled all together to stare at them. They were in verygorgeous silks, and wore turbans; and their jewels were beyond anythingthat I had ever seen--great uncut emeralds, and red stones of which Idid not know the name, and ropes of pearls. The folks about me borethemselves with an amazing insolence, regarding them as if they had beenmonsters, and freely making comments on them which their interpreter, atleast, must have understood. The Moors themselves behaved with greatdignity; and it was impossible not to reflect that these shewed a farhigher degree of dignity and civilization than did my own countrymen. They were very dark-skinned, and three or four of them of a wonderfulhandsomeness. They sat there almost in silence, looking gravely at thecrowd, and observing, I thought, with surprise the bare shoulders andbosoms of the ladies who stared and screamed as much as any. It appearedto me that these poor Moors, too, thought that the civilization layprincipally upon their own side. I presently felt ashamed of myself forlooking at them; and turned away. 

 * * * * *

The gallery and the antechambers had some fine furniture in them, pushedagainst the walls that the crowd might circulate; but all was not nearso fine as the Duchess of Portsmouth's apartments, nor even as theKing's. The cressets, I saw, most of them, were of brass, not silver;the brocades, which were Portuguese, were a little faded here and there;and there was not near the show of gold and silver plate that I hadexpected. But of all the sights there, I think Her Majesty was the mostmelancholy. She was dressed very splendid; and her skirt was so stiffwith bullion that it scarce fell in folds at all. Her pearls weremagnificent, but too many of them; for her _coiffure_ was full of them. She resembled, to my mind, a sorrowful child dressed up for a play. Hercomplexion was very dark and faded, though her features werewell-formed, all except her mouth. She was a little like a very prettymonkey, if such a thing can be conceived. She sat under her state, withan empty chair beside her--very upright, with the Countess of Suffolkand her other ladies round about her and behind her. She appearedaltogether ill at ease, and eyed continually down the length of thegallery along which His Majesty would come, if indeed he came at all;for he had a way of sending a sudden message that he could not; and allthe world knew where he would be instead. 

To-night, however, he kept his word and came. 

I was in one of the antechambers at the time, talking to a couple ofgentlemen and to one of the Queen's Portuguese chaplains who knew alittle Italian, when I heard the music playing, and ran out in time tosee him go past from the way that led from his own lodgings. He seemedin a very merry mood this evening, and was smiling as he walked, veryfast, as usual. He was in a dark yellow and gold brocade that set offthe darkness of his complexion wonderful well, and a dark brown periwigwith his hat upon it; and he wore his Garter and Star. The crowd closedin behind his gentlemen so that I could not get near him; and when Icame up he was on his chair by Her Majesty, and she smiling andtremulous with happiness, and the Moors coming up one by one to kiss hishand. 

I could not hear very well what the interpreter was saying, when allthis was done; but I heard him speak of a gift of thirty ostriches thatthis Moorish mission had brought as a gift to him. 

His Majesty laughed loud when he heard that. 

"I can send nothing more proper back again, " said he, "than a flock ofgeese. I have enough and to spare of them. "

Then, when all about were laughing, he turned very solemn. "You had bestnot tell them that, " he said; "or they might take some of my friendsaway with them in mistake. "

(This was pretty fooling; but it scarce struck me as suited to thedignity of the occasion. )

Presently the interpreter was saying how consumed with loyal envy werethese Moors at all the splendour that they saw about them. 

"It is better to be envied than pitied, " observed His Majesty, with avery serious look. 

 * * * * *

At first be bore himself with extraordinary geniality this evening. Hehad been drinking a little, I think, yet not at all to excess, for thishe never did, though he had no objection to others doing so in hiscompany. There was related of him, I remember, how the Lord Mayor once, after a City Banquet, pressed His Majesty very unduly to remain a littlelonger after he had risen up to go. His Majesty was already at the doorwhen the Mayor did this, even venturing--(for he was pretty far gone inwine)--to lay his fingers on the King's arm. 

His Majesty looked at him for an instant, and then burst out laughing. 

"Ah well!" he said, quoting the old song, "'He that is drunk is as greatas a King. '"

And he went back and drank another bottle. 

 * * * * *

He was in that merry kind of mood, then, this evening: but such moodshave their reactions; and half an hour later he was beginning first toyawn behind his hand and then to wear a heavy look on his face. HerMajesty observed it, too, as I could see: for she fell silent (which wasthe worst thing in the world to do), and began to eye him sidelong witha kind of dismay. (It was wonderful how little knowledge she had of howto manage him; and how she shewed to all present what she was feeling. )

Presently he was paying no more attention to her at all, but was leaningback in his chair, listening to my Lord Dorset who was talking in hisear; and nodding and smiling rather heavily sometimes. I felt very sorryfor the Queen; but I had best have been feeling sorry for myself, for itwas now, that, all unknown to me, a design was maturing against me, though not from my Lord Dorset. 

As I was about to turn away, to go once more through the rooms beforetaking my leave, I observed Mr. Chiffinch coming through very fast fromthe direction of the King's apartments, as if he had some message. Hedid not observe me, as I was within the crowd; but I saw him go up, threading his way as well as he could, and touching one or two to makethem move out of his way, straight up to the King's side of the state. Ithought he would pause then; but he did not. He put his hand on my LordDorset's shoulder from behind, and made him give way; and then he tookhis place and began to whisper to His Majesty. I saw His Majesty frownonce or twice, as if he were displeased, and then glance quickly up atthe faces before him, and down again, as if he looked to see if someonewere there. But I did not know that it was for me that he looked. Thenthe King nodded thrice, sharply--Mr. Chiffinch whispering all thewhile--and then he leaned over and whispered to the Queen. Then both ofthem stood up, the King looking heavier than ever, and the Queen verynear fit to cry, and both came down front the dais together, all thecompany saluting them and making way. And so they went down the gallerytogether. 

I was still staring after him, wondering what was the matter, when Ifelt myself touched, and turned to find Mr. Chiffinch at my elbow. Helooked very serious. 

"Come this way, sir, " said he. "I must speak with you instantly. "

I went after him, down the gallery; and he led me into the little emptychamber where I had been talking with the priest half an hour ago. Heclosed the door carefully behind him; and turned to me again. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "I have very serious news for you. "

"Yes, " said I, never dreaming what the matter was. 

"It touches yourself very closely, " he said, searching my face with hiseyes. 

"Well; what is it?" asked I--my heart beginning to beat a little. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, very gravely, "there is an order for yourarrest. If you will come back with me quietly to my lodgings we caneffect all that is necessary without scandal. "

CHAPTER IV

I said never a word as we went back, first downstairs between theYeomen, then to the right, and so round through the little familiarpassage and up the stairs. I could hear the tramp of guards behind, andknew that they had followed us from the Queen's lodgings and would be atthe doors after we were within. I was completely stunned, except, Ithink, for a little glimmer of sense still left which told me that theleast said in any public place, the better. Mr. Chiffinch, too, I couldsee very well, was as bewildered as myself--for, so far as I wasconcerned, there was not yet the faintest suspicion in my mind as towhat was the matter. At least, I told myself, my conscience was clear. 

So soon as we were within the closet, the page, having again shut thedoor carefully behind me came forward to where I stood. 

"Sit down, Mr. Mallock, " said he, in a low voice, but very kindly. 

I could see that his face was very pale and that he seemed greatlyagitated. When I was seated, he sat himself down at his table a littleway off. 

"This is a terrible affair, " he said, "and I do not know--"

"For God's sake, " I whispered suddenly, "tell me what I am chargedwith. "

He looked up at me sharply. 

"You do not know, Mr. Mallock?"

"Before God, " I said, "I have no more idea what the pother is aboutthan--"

"Well, shortly, " he said, "it is treason. "

"Treason! Why--"

He leaned forward and took up a pen, to play with as be talked. 

"I will tell you the whole thing from the beginning, " he said. "Youmust have patience. An hour ago a clerk came to me here from the Boardof the Green Cloth to tell me that the magistrates desired my presencethere immediately on a matter of the highest importance. I went theredirectly and found three or four of them there, with Sir George Jeffreyswhom they had sent for, it seemed, as they did not know what course topursue, and had thought perhaps that I might throw some light upon it. They were very grave indeed, and presently mentioned your name, sayingthat a charge had been laid against you before one of the Westminstermagistrates, of having been privy to the Ryehouse Plot. "

"Why--" cried I, with sudden relief. 

He held up his hand. 

"Wait, " he said, "I too laughed when I heard that; and gave them tounderstand on what side you had been throughout that matter, and how youhad been in His Majesty's service and that I myself was privy to everydetail of the affair. They looked more easy at that; and I thought thatall was over. But they asked me to look at papers they had of yours--"

"Papers! Of mine!" I cried. 

"Yes, Mr. Mallock. Papers of yours. I will tell you presently how theycame by them. Well; there were about a dozen, I suppose, altogether; andsome of them I knew all about, and said so. These were notes and reportsthat you had shewed to me: and there were three or four more which, though I had not seen them I could answer for. But there was one, Mr. Mallock, that I could not understand at all. "

He paused and looked at me; and I could see that he was uneasy. 

Now it may appear incredible; but even then I could not think of whatpaper he meant. To the best of my belief I had shewn him everything thatI thought to be of the least importance--notes and reports, as he hadsaid, such as was that which I had made in the wherry on my way up fromWapping one night. 

I shook my head. 

"I do not know what you mean, " I said. "Where did they get the papersfrom?"

"Think again, Mr. Mallock. I said it was on a charge of treason justnow. Well: I will say now that it may be no more than misprision oftreason. "

Still I had no suspicion. I was thinking still, I suppose, of mylodgings here in Whitehall and of a few papers I had there. 

"You must tell me, " I said. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said, "this paper I speak of was in cypher. Itcontained--"

"Lord!" I cried. "Cousin Tom!--"

Then I bit my lip; but it was too late. 

"Yes, " said the other, very gravely. "I can see that you remember. Itwas your cousin who brought them up from Hare Street. He found them allin a little hiding-hole: and conceived it to be his duty--"

"His duty!" I cried. "Good God! why--"

Then again I checked myself. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said I, "I remember the paper perfectly: at least Iremember that I had it, though I have never read it or thought anythingof it. "

"It is in very easy cypher, sir, " said he, with some severity. 

"Well; it was too hard for me, " I said. 

"Then why did you not shew it to me?" he asked. 

"Lord! man, " I said, "I tell you it was gone clean from my memory. I gotit from Rumbald a great while ago--a year or two at the least before thePlot. It was on my mind to send it to you; but I did not. I had no ideathat it was of the least importance. "

"A letter, in cypher, and from Rumbald! And you thought it of noimportance--even though the names of my Lord Shaftesbury and half adozen others are written in full!"

"I tell you I forgot it, " I said sullenly, for I had not looked forsuspicion from this man. 

He still looked at me, as if searching my face: and I suppose that Ipresented the very picture of an unmasked villain; for the whole affairwas so surprising and unexpected that I was completely taken aback. 

"Well, " he said, "if you had but shewn me that paper, we could haveforestalled the whole affair. "

"What was in it?" I asked, striving to control myself. 

"You tell me you do not know?" he asked. 

Then indeed I lost control of myself. I stood up. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " I said, "I see that you do not believe a word that Isay. It will be best if you take me straight to those who have authorityto question me. "

He did not move. 

"You had best sit down again, Mr. Mallock. I do not say that I do notbelieve you. But I will allow that I do not know what to think. You area very shrewd man, sir; and it truly is beyond my understanding that youshould have forgotten so completely this most vital matter. I wish to beyour friend; but I confess I do not understand. Oh! sit down, man!" hecried suddenly. "Do not playact with me. Just answer my questions. "

I sat down again. I saw that he was sincere and that indeed he waspuzzled; and my anger went. 

"Well, " I said, "I suppose it may be difficult. Let me tell you thewhole affair. "

So I told him. I related the whole of my adventure in the inn, and how Igot the paper, and tried to read it, and could not: then, how I took itto Hare Street and put it where he had described: then how I very nearlyhad asked a Jesuit priest if he had any skill in cypher; and then how, once more, it had all slipped my mind, and that, a long time havingelapsed, even when Rumbald became prominent again, even then I had notremembered it. 

"That is absolutely the whole tale, " I said; "and I know no more thanthe dead what it is all about. What is it all about, Mr. Chiffinch?"

He drew a breath and then expelled it again, and, at the same time stoodup, withdrawing his eyes from my face. I think it was then for the firsttime that he put away his doubts; for I had got my wits back again andcould talk reasonably. 

"Well, " he said, "we had best be off at once, and see what they say. "

"Where to?" asked I. 

"Why to His Majesty's lodgings, " he said. "I fetched him out to tellhim. Did you not see me?"

"His Majesty!" I cried. 

"Why yes; I thought it best. Else it would have meant your arrest, Mr. Mallock. "

 * * * * *

I must confess that my uneasiness came back--(which had left me justnow)--as I went with the page to the King's lodgings, more especiallywhen I saw again how the guards fell in behind us and followed us everystep of the way. It was very well to say that I "should have beenarrested" if such and such a thing had not happened: the truth was, Iwas already under arrest, as I should soon have found if I had attemptedto run away. It seemed to me somewhat portentous too that His Majestywas so ready to see us, instead of mocking at the whole tale at once. 

Mr. Chiffinch said nothing to me as we went. I think he himself wasfully convinced of my innocence--at least of any deliberatetreachery--but not so convinced that others would be; and that he wasconsidering how he should put my case. It was a sad humiliation forme--this trudging along like a schoolboy going to be whipped, with acouple of guards following to see that I did not evade it. 

We went straight upstairs, through the antechamber, and to the door ofthe private closet. I heard voices talking there--one of which cried tocome in as the page knocked. Then we entered. 

I had thought to find His Majesty alone, or very nearly so; and I wasastonished and disconcerted at the number of persons that were there. The King himself was seated beyond his great table, with the reststanding about him, five in number. On his right was Sir George Jeffreysin his rich suit, just as he had come from some entertainment, hishandsome face flushed with wine, yet none the less full of wit andattention. The officer of the Green Cloth was on the other side--(it wasthis gentleman's business to deal with all cases, within hisjurisdiction, that took their rise in Whitehall itself); and a couple ofmagistrates beside him, with neither of whom I had any acquaintance. Anofficer, whose face again was new to me--named Colonel Hoskyns--atruculent-looking fellow, in the dress of His Majesty's Lifeguards, stood very upright beside Sir George Jeffreys, with his hat in his hand. A sheaf of papers lay before the King on the table. 

I was even more disconcerted to see how His Majesty looked. An hour ortwo ago he had been smiling and gracious: now he wore a very stern lookon his face; he made no sign of recognition as I came in after Mr. Chiffinch, but, so soon as the door was shut, spoke immediately to thepage. 

"Well?" he said. "What have you got from him?"

Chiffinch advanced a step nearer, glancing at the faces that all lookedon him. 

"Sir, " he said, "I am convinced there has been nothing more than anindiscretion--"

Then the King shewed how angry he was. He threw himself back in hischair. 

"Bah!" he cried--"an indiscretion indeed! With his guilt staring himin the face!"

There was a murmur from the others: and Colonel Hoskyns gave me a lookof very high disdain, as if I had been a toad or a serpent. For myself Isaid nothing: I remained with my eyes down. Once or twice before I hadseen His Majesty in this very mood. For the most part he was the leastsuspicious man I had ever encountered; but once his suspicion was awakethere was none harder to persuade. So he had been with His Grace ofMonmouth on two or three occasions; so, it appeared, he was to be withme now. 

"Sir, " said Mr. Chiffinch again, "I have examined Mr. Mallock veryclosely: but I have told him very little. Will Your Majesty allow himto hear what the case is against him?"

The King, who was frowning and pursing his lips, raised his eyes; andimmediately I dropped my own. He was in a black mood indeed, and all theblacker for his past kindness to me. 

"Tell him, Hoskyns, " he said; and then, before the Colonel could speakhe addressed me directly. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he said sharply, "I will tell you plainly why I have youhere, and why you are not in ward. You have been of service to me; I donot deny that. And I have never known you yet to betray your trust. Well, then, I do not wish to disgrace you publicly without allowing youan opportunity of speaking and clearing yourself if that is possible. Itell you frankly, I do not think you will. I see no loophole anywhere. But--well there it is. Tell him, Hoskyns. "

I will not deny that I was terrified. This was so wholly unlike all Ihad ever known of His Majesty. What in the world could be the caseagainst me? (For I now saw that Mr. Chiffinch had not told me the whole, but only a part of the charge. ) I fixed my eyes upon Mr. Hoskyns forwhom I had conceived, so soon as I had set eyes on him, an extremerepulsion. 

He made a kind of apologetic cringing movement towards the papers. TheKing made no movement, but rested heavily in his chair, with his hatforward, his elbows on the arms of his chair and his fingers knitbeneath his chin. The Colonel took the papers up, shuffled them for aminute, and then began. There was an extraordinary malice in his mannerwhich I could not understand. 

"The charge against the--the gentleman--whose name, I understand, isRoger Mallock, consists of two distinct points:

"The first is that he has received and concealed a paper, containing anaccount of a debate held between certain of His Majesty's enemies, fiveyears ago, in November of sixteen hundred and seventy-nine, with thelist of the persons present and the votes that they gave as regardscompassing the King's death. The first point to which Mr. Mallock has toanswer is, How he came to be in possession of this paper at all?"

I made a movement to speak, as his voice ceased; but the King held uphis hand. Then, as if by an afterthought he dropped it again. 

"Well; speak if you like--point by point. But I would recommend you tohear it all first. "

"Sir, " I said, "I have no reserves, and nothing to conceal. I willanswer point by point if Your Majesty will give me leave. "

He said nothing. I turned back to the other. 

"Well, sir, " I said, "I had that paper from one Rumbald, in a privateparlour in the _Mitre_ inn, without Aldgate. He gave it me with someothers, and forgot to ask for it again. "

No one moved a finger or a feature, except the Colonel, who glanced atme, and then down again. 

"The second point is, Why Mr. Mallock did not hand over the paper to theproper authorities. " Again he paused. 

"It was in cypher, " said I, "and I could not read it. "

"Then why did you preserve it so carefully, sir?" asked the Colonelangrily, speaking direct to me for the first time. 

"I preserved it because it might be of interest, seeing from whom Ireceived it. "

"You preserved it then, because it might be of interest; and you did nothand it over because it might not, " sneered the Colonel. 

"Come! come!" said the King sharply. "We must have a better answer thanthat, Mr. Mallock. "

Then my heart blazed at the injustice. 

"Sir, " I said, "I am telling the naked truth. If I were a liar and aknave I could make up a very plausible tale, no doubt. But I am not. Thenaked truth is that I preserved the paper for what it might contain; andthen--"

I paused then; for I saw plainly what a very poor defence I had. 

"And then--" sneered the Colonel softly. 

"If you must have the truth, " I said, "I forgot all about it. "

Well; it was as I thought. Sir George Jeffreys threw back his head andlaughed aloud--(he was a man of extraordinary freedom with the King)--agreat grin appeared on the Colonel's face; and His Majesty, as I saw inthe shadow beneath his hat, smiled bitterly, showing his white teeth. Even the magistrates chuckled together. 

"Ah, sir, " said Jeffreys, "for a clever man that is truly a little dull. You might have done better than that. "

Then desperation seized me; and I flung all prudence to the winds. 

"I thought you wanted the truth, " said I. "I will lie if you drive memuch further. Go on, sir, " I cried to Hoskyns. "Let us have the rest. "

The King stared at me, and his face was terrible. 

"A word more like that in my presence, sir--"

"Sir, " I cried, "I mean no disrespect. But I am hard put to it--"

"You are indeed, " said Jeffreys. "Go on, Colonel Hoskyns. "

The Colonel sniffled through his nose, lifting his papers once more. 

"The next main charge against Mr. Mallock is even more grave. It is tothe effect that when His Majesty and His Royal Highness were together atNewmarket, Mr. Mallock, knowing that there was a plot against theirlives--of which the Rye was the centre--despatched a messenger to HisMajesty bidding him come immediately, by the road that leads past theRye, instead of directing him by Royston. "

At that monstrous charge my spirit almost went from me. That it shouldbe this thing, above all others that should be brought against me! Iglanced this way and that; and saw how even Chiffinch, who had fallenback a little as I advanced, was looking askance at me!

"That is perfectly true, " I said. "What of it?"

"Mr. Mallock does not seem to perceive, " snarled the Colonel, "that thefact itself is enough. It is true that no harm came of it; but Mr. Mallock will scarcely deny that an armed man stood by him, waiting forthe coach. "

"Armed with a cleaver, " said I, "which he presently flung at my head. "

"So Mr. Mallock says, " observed the Colonel. 

"You say I am a liar?" I cried. 

The King struck suddenly upon the table. 

"Silence, sir!" he said. "Mr. Chiffinch, you told me before that you hadsomething to say. You had best say it now. "

I fell back, for I saw that my bolt was shot. If Chiffinch could notsave me, no man could. It was gone clean beyond mere misprision oftreason now: I saw that plain enough. 

Then Mr. Chiffinch began; and I am bound to say that he shewed himself abetter pleader than myself. I thanked God, as he spoke, that I hadtreated him with patience just now in his lodgings. 

First, he remarked that I had been in His Majesty's service now for nearsix years, and that in all that time I had proved myself loyal andfaithful. Then he proceeded to deal with the charges. 

First, he said that the very weakness of my excuse with regard to thepaper was my strength. If I were indeed the villain that I seemed, whyin God's name had I not destroyed the paper? I had had near five yearsto do it in! Was not that an additional sign that I had, as I said, merely forgotten it? (As be said this I marvelled that I had not thoughtof that answer myself. ) It was true that the paper was of the highestimportance, but, as my story stood, I had not known that. Should not myword then be taken, considering all the other services I had done to HisMajesty?

With regard to the second point, first let them divest their minds ofany prejudice caused by the first; for the first was not proved. Havingdone that, it was necessary to remember how carefully I had reportedevery movement of the King's enemies to himself--Mr. Chiffinch. It wastrue that there had been found other papers in the hiding-hole which hehimself had not seen, but he had at least known the substance ofthem--except of course of the cypher of which he had already treated. With regard to the affair at the Rye it was necessary to remember thatmy policy throughout had been to report all that I had learned and tointerpret it as directly contrary to the truth; and that this policy hadproved successful. (I saw the Colonel give a very odd look as this wassaid; and I saw that Mr. Chiffinch had seen it too. ) At the worst it hadbeen an error of judgment on my part that I had recommended the road bythe Rye; but it was an error that had had no bad consequences; and tohave recommended it was only in accordance with all my policy of takingas true the precise opposite to all that the conspirators had told me. So far as my policy was sound, all that I knew was that the Rye roadwould be safe on that one day; of the Royston road I knew little ornothing. As regards the incident of the cleaver, I had spoken of that tohim immediately I returned to town; and, surely, it was true that asingle man with a cleaver could do very little damage to a gallopingcoach. In short, though the evidence might be interpreted as againstme--(here he shot a look at the Colonel)--it might also be interpretedfor me, and, that this was the fairer interpretation, he pleaded myrecord of other services done to the King. 

When he ended, there was a dead silence; and I think I knew even at thatmoment that the worst at any rate had been averted. But I was not sure:and I waited. 

 * * * * *

Sir George Jeffreys was the first to move. He had remained motionless, smiling a little, while the page had been speaking, watching him as aman may watch an actor who pleases him. At the end, after a littlepause, he jerked his head a little, as if to throw off the situation. Ithink he had had no malice to me, but had watched the whole affair as akind of sport, which was what he did upon the Bench too. He made amovement as if to move away, but remembered where he was, and stoodstill. 

The two magistrates began to move also; and one nodded at the other. 

Colonel Hoskyns shook his head sharply, and began to speak. 

"Sir-" he began in his harsh voice. 

The King held up his hand; and all was dead still again. 

It was strange to me to watch the King, or rather to shoot a glance athim now and again; for I saw presently, in spite of the shadow of hishat and his dusky face, that he was looking from one to the other of us, as if appraising what had been said. I heard a fellow cough somewhere, not in the chamber, and knew by that that it was the guards, mostlikely, who were waiting for the verdict. Truly, during those momentsall my confidence left me again; for this was a mood of the King that Inever understood and had never seen so clearly as I saw it now. It was asort of heaviness of mind, I think, that fell on him sometimes andobscured his clear wit, for to my mind nothing could be more plain thanMr. Chiffinch's argument. Yet I depended now, not only for my liberty, but for my very life, on the King's judgment. As a Catholic and a memberof the secret service I could look for no hope at all if I were sent fortrial. I looked at Mr. Ramsden, the Officer of the Green Cloth; for Ihad scarcely noticed him before, so quiet was he. It was through hishands first, I supposed, that the case would pass. He was stillmotionless, looking down upon the table. 

Then the King spoke, not moving at all. 

"Go into the antechamber, Mr. Mallock, " he said dully, "and wait theretill you be sent for. "

 * * * * *

I suppose that that waiting was the hardest I have ever done. Again mysuspense came down on me, and I had no idea as to which way the matterwould go. I sat very still there, hearing again one of the men hemmingwithout the door on the one side: and very low voices talking in thechamber I had come from. 

Then all of a sudden the door opened sharply, and Mr. Chiffinch camethrough. He smiled and nodded, though a little doubtfully, as he camethrough; and my heart gave a great leap, for I knew that the worstwould not happen to me. 

He said nothing, but beckoned me to follow, and we went straight throughto where the guards wailed. 

"You can go, " he said; "this gentleman is no longer under arrest. "

Still, all the way as we went, he said nothing; neither did I. He saidnothing at all till we were back again in his closet, and the door shut. Then he faced me, smiling. 

"Well, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "His Majesty has determined to do nothing. You may even keep your lodgings for the present; but you will bewatched, I need not tell you, very closely indeed: and you must expectno more employment for a while. "

"But--"

"Wait, " said he. "That black mood is on His Majesty; and you are veryfortunate indeed to have come out of it so well. It was a very cleverlittle design--"

"Design!" cried I. 

"Why, of course, " he said. "Did you not see that? I should have thoughtanyone--"

"Design, " I said again. "Of whom? And why?"

He smiled. 

"You are a very innocent young gentleman, " he said, "in spite of yourdexterity. Of course it was a design; and it nearly deceived evenme--"

"My Cousin Tom--" I began. 

"Your Cousin Tom is an ass, " he said, "a malicious one, no doubt; but amere tool. I have no doubt he intended to injure you; but he could havedone nothing if he had not met with the right man. I have no doubt thathe came up with the papers, and gossiped in the coffee-houses till hemet other of your enemies: and they have done the rest. But it wasColonel Hoskyns no doubt who manipulated the affair. "

"Colonel Hoskyns!" I said. "Why, I have never set eyes on the manbefore. "

"I daresay not, " said the page, still smiling. "But I have had his namein my books for a great while. "

"Who is he?" I cried. "And what reason had he--"

Mr. Chiffinch shook his head at me lamentably. 

"Why he is one of the party, " he said, "though I can get no evidencethat would hang a cat. I have no doubt whatever that he has been in thewhole Shaftesbury affair from the beginning, and knows that they madeshipwreck principally upon yourself. It is sheer revenge now, no doubt;for they cannot hope to make any further attempts upon His Majesty. "

"But he is in the Guards!" I said, all in amazement. 

The page shrugged his shoulders. 

"What would you have?" he said. "I can get no evidence, even to warn HisMajesty, though I have told him what I think. And, to tell the truth, Ibelieve His Majesty to be safe enough. But that does not hinder themfrom wishing to have their revenge. Mr. Mallock--"

"Yes, " I said, still all bewildered. 

"I wonder what he will attempt next, " said Mr. Chiffinch. 

CHAPTER V

The dreariness of the time that followed is beyond my power ofdescription. I besought Mr. Chiffinch to let me go abroad again, but heforbade me very emphatically; and I owed so much to him that I could notfind it in my heart to disobey. For so desperate was I, at the ruin ofall my hopes, that the thought even came to me that I would go back andtry to be a monk again; for how, thought I, can I keep my word even toDolly herself? Every prospect I had was ruined; my coronet was gone likethe dream which it had always been; I had failed lamentably andhopelessly; and it was through her father's treachery and malice thatall had come about. This I felt in my heaviest moods; but Mr. Chiffinchwould hear none of it. He said that it was but a question of time, andHis Majesty would come round once more; that he would never be contentuntil I was reinstated; that he had not for an instant lost heart. Besides, he said, I was of use in another way, and that was to makeHoskyns disclose himself. Hoskyns would never rest, he said, till he hadmade at least one more attempt upon me; and next time, he hoped, hewould catch him at it, and get rid of the fellow once and for all. 

Neither could I even go to Hare Street; for how could I live again evenfor an hour in the house of my Cousin who had betrayed me? I could noteven tell Dolly all that had fallen; for I was as sure as of anything inthe world that her father would tell her nothing, and I did not have theheart to disgrace him in her eyes. I but wrote to her that I was alittle out of favour with His Majesty at present, though I kept mylodgings, and that I must not stir from Court till I had regained myposition. Meanwhile I reserved what I had to say to my Cousin Tom, untilI should meet with him alone. I had no doubt whatever that he had donewhat he had, thinking to get rid of me as his daughter's lover. 

The time dragged then very heavily; for I did not care to go much intothe society of others, and had nowhere else to go, since I must notleave Whitehall; for it soon became known that I was out of favour, though I do not suppose that the reason was ever named. I spent my daysprincipally in my own lodgings, and did a good deal of private work forMr. Chiffinch, which occupied me. I went to the play sometimes, takingmy man James with me; and I rode out with him usually, down Chelsea way, or to the north, coming back for dinner or supper. I never went alone, by Mr. Chiffinch's urgent desire. 

 * * * * *

It was after Christmas that matters were brought to a head, and that thelast great adventures of my life came about that closed all that Ithought to be life at that time. Even now, so many years after, I canscarce bear to write them down, though, as I look back upon them now, there were at least two matters for which I should have thanked God eventhen. I thank Him now. 

 * * * * *

It was on the last Thursday but one, in January, to be precise, that Iwas coming back from a ride, having been down the river-bank pastChelsea, where I had seen, I remember, Winchester House--that greatplace with all its courts--and my Lord Bishop returning in his coach: Ido not remember anything else that I saw, for I was very heavy indeedand more than ever determined that, if matters did not mend very soon, Iwould be off to France (where, six months later, I should be obliged togo in any case when my estates would come to me), if not to Rome. It wasnear five months now that I had lived in disgrace, His Majesty notspeaking to me above three or four times all that while, and then onlyto avoid incivility. 

I could not understand why it was that he behaved so to me. He must knowby now, surely, that I had never been anything but faithful to him; andI strove to put away the thought that it was mere caprice, and that heoften behaved so to others. But I am afraid that such was the case. There were plenty of folks at Court, or who had left it, who had oncebeen in high favour and had ceased to be, through no fault of their own. Neither would I seek consolation from any other source. The Duke wascivil to me whenever we met, and I suppose he knew that I was introuble, but he never spoke of it. Indeed it was a sad change from thetime when I had returned so joyfully, and found my new lodgings waitingfor me. 

 * * * * *

As we came up through Westminster I was riding alone, for I had biddenmy man James to go aside to a little shop that was almost on our route, behind the abbey, to buy me something that I needed--I think it was apair of cuffs; but I am not sure. It was very near dark, and the lampswere not yet lighted. 

As I came towards the gate of Whitehall, I was riding very carelesslyand heavily, paying little attention to anything, for I was thinking, asit happened, of Dolly, with an extraordinary misery in my heart, and ofhow I should ever tell her (unless matters mended soon) of what herfather had done; and whether in some manner he would not yet contrive toseparate us. My horse swerved a little, and I pulled him up, for therewere a couple of fellows immediately crossing before me. I saw that theylooked hard at me; but I noticed no more, for at that instant I heard ahorse coming up behind me, and turned to see that it was James. Helooked a little strange, thought I, but he said nothing: only he cameup, right beside me, and so rode with me through the gate. 

He said nothing then, nor did I; and it was not until I was dismountedand a fellow had run out to take the horses that he asked if he mightspeak with me. 

"Why, certainly, " said I; and we turned together into the Court. 

"Sir, " he said, so soon as we were out of earshot of the guard, "did yousee those two fellows without the gate?" I said that I had. 

"Sir, " he said, "they were following you all the way from Chelsea. Isaw them at Winchester House; and I have seen them before to-day, too. "

"Eh?" said I, a little startled. 

Then he told me he had seen them for the last fortnight, three or fourtimes at least, and that he was sure they were after some mischief. Oncebefore to-day too, as we were riding in Southwark, and he had delayedfor a stone in his horse's foot, he had seen them run out from behind awall, but that they had made off when they saw him coming. 

Now I knew very well what he meant. London was very far from being asafe place in those days for a man that had enemies. There was scarcelya week passed but there was some outrage, in broad daylight too, in lesspopulated parts, and in the various Fields, and after dark men were notvery safe in the City itself. 

A year ago I should have thought nothing of it; but I was down in theworld now, I knew very well, and I had enemies who would stick atnothing. It was true that they had let me alone for a while--no doubtlest any suspicion should attach to them--but the winter was on us now, and the mornings and evenings were dark; and, too, a good deal of timehad elapsed. I remembered what Mr. Chiffinch had said to me at thebeginning of the trouble. 

"You did very well to tell me, " I said. "Would you know them again ifyou saw them?"

"I think so, sir, " he said. 

"Well, " I said, "I have no doubt that they are after me. You will tellmy other men, will you not?"

"I told them a week ago, " he said. 

I said no more to him then; but instead of going immediately to mylodgings, I went first to see Mr. Chiffinch, and found him just come in. I told him very briefly what James had told me; but made no comment. Hewhistled, and bade me sit down. 

"They are after you then, " he said. "I thought they would be. "

"But who are they?" said I, a little peevishly. 

"If I knew their names, " said the page, "I could put my hands on themon some excuse or other. But I do not know. It is the dregs of the oldcountry-party no doubt. "

"And what good do they think to get out of me?"

"Why, it is revenge no doubt, " he said. "They know that you are downwith the king and have not many friends; and they suspect that you arestill in with the secret service, no doubt. "

"They are after my life, then?" I asked. 

"I should suppose so. "

He considered a minute or two in silence. At last he spoke again. 

"I will have a word with His Majesty. He is treating you shamefully, Mr. Mallock; and I will tell him so. And I will take other measures also. "

I asked what those might be. 

"I will have my men to look out closely when you go about. You had bestnot go alone at all. Within Whitehall you are safe enough; but I wouldnot go out except with a couple of men, if I were you. "

I told him I always took one, at least. 

"Well; I would take two, " he observed. "There was that murder last week, in Lincoln's Inn Fields--put down to the Mohocks. Well; it was agentleman of my own who was killed, though that is not known; and it wasno more Mohocks than it was you or I. "

 * * * * *

As we were still talking my man James came up to seek me, with a letterthat he had found in my lodgings, waiting for me. I knew the hand wellenough; and I suppose that I shewed it; for when I looked up fromreading it, Mr. Chiffinch was looking at me with a quizzical face. 

"That is good news, Mr. Mallock, is it not?"

I could not refrain from smiling; for indeed it was as if the sun hadrisen on my dreariness. 

"It is very good news, " I said. "It is from my cousin--the 'prettycousin, ' Mr. Chiffinch. She is come to town with her maid; and asks meto sup with her. "

"Well; take your two men when you go to see her, " said he, laughing alittle. "They can entertain the maid, and you the mistress. "

 * * * * *

I cannot say how wonderfully the whole aspect of the world was changedto me, as I set out in a little hired coach I used sometimes, with mytwo men, half an hour later, for my old lodgings in Covent Garden where, she said, she had come that evening. It was a very short letter; but itwas very sweet to me. She said only that she could wait no more; thatshe knew how ill things must be going with me, and that she must seewith her own eyes that I was not dead altogether. I had striven in myletters to her to make as light as I could of my troubles; but I supposethat her woman's wit and her love had pierced my poor disguises. Atleast here she was. 

 * * * * *

She was standing, all ready to greet me, in that old parlour of minewhere I had first met her six years ago; and she was more beautiful now, a thousand times, in my eyes, than even then. The candles were lightedall round the walls, and the curtains across the windows; and her maidwas not there. She had already changed her riding dress, and was in herevening gown with her string of little pearls. As I close my eyes now Ican see her still, as if she stood before me. Her lips were a littleparted, and her flushed cheeks and her bright eyes made all the roomheaven for me. I had not seen her for six months. 

"Well, Cousin Roger, " she said--no more. 

 * * * * *

Presently, even before supper came in, she had begun her questioning. 

"Cousin Roger, " she said--(we two were by the fire, she on a couch and Iin a great chair)--"Cousin Roger, you have treated me shamefully. Youhave told me nothing, except that you were in trouble; and that I couldhave guessed for myself. I am come to town for three days--no more: myfather for a long time forbade me even to do that. If he were not goneto Stortford for the horse-fair I should not be here now. "

"He does not know you are come to town!" I cried. 

She shook her head, like a child, and her eyes twinkled with merriment. 

"He thinks I am still minding the sheep, " she said. "But that is not thepoint. Cousin Roger, I care nothing whatever for His Majesty's affairs, nor for secret service, nor for anything else of that kind. But I carevery much that you should be in trouble and not tell me what it is. "

Now I had not had much time to think what I should say, if shequestioned me, as I knew she would; for it would not be an easy thing totell her that her father was at the root of my troubles and had behavedlike a treacherous hound. Yet sooner or later she must be told, unless Ilost heart altogether. I might soften it and soften it--pretend that herfather owed a greater duty to the King than to me, and must have thoughtit right to do as he had done. But she would see through it all: that Iknew very well. 

"Dolly, " said I, very slowly, "I have not told you yet, because therewas nothing in the world that you could do to help me. I have waited, thinking that matters might come straight again; but they have not. Iwill tell you, then, before you go home again. I promise you that. Andon my side I ask you not to question me this evening. Let us have thisone evening without any troubles at all. "

She looked at me very earnestly for a moment without speaking; and Icould see that her lightness of manner had been but put on to disguisehow anxious she was. It is wonderful how a woman--in spite of herfoolishness at other times--can read the heart of a man. I had said verylittle to her in my letters; and yet I could see now how she hadsuffered all the while. I had thought myself to have been alone in myunhappiness; now I understood that never for an instant had I been so;and my whole heart rose up in a kind of exultation and longing. Then sheswallowed down her anxiety. 

"I take you at your word, Cousin Roger, " she said lightly. "I will askno question at all. "

Then Anne and my man James came in with the supper. 

 * * * * *

I think there is not one moment of that evening in my old lodgings thatI have forgotten. As now I look back upon it it seems to me to have thatkind of brightness which a garden has when a storm is coming up veryquickly, and the clouds are very black, and yet the shadow has not yetreached it. I remember how the curtains hung across the windows; theywere my own old curtains of blue stuff, a little faded but still richand good; how the fire glowed in the wide chimney; how Dolly lookedacross the table, in her blue sac, with lace, and her wide sleeves, andher little pearls. She had dressed up, all for me, as indeed I had forher, for I was in my maroon suit, with my silver-handled sword and myblack periwig. Ah! and above all I remember the very look in her eyes asshe suddenly clapped her hands together. (The servants were out of theroom at that instant. )

"Cousin Roger!" she said, "I shall never keep my promise unless I amdistracted. We will go to the play: you and I and Anne, all together:and your man James shall wait upon us with oranges. "

Well; she had said it; and I laughed at her merriment: she was so like achild on her holiday, and a stolen holiday too. The ways of God are verystrange--that so much should hang upon so little! It was upon thatsudden thought of hers that the whole of my life turned; and hers too!As it was, I said nothing but that it should be as she wished; and thatmy coach should set us down there and come again when the play was over. So the threads are caught up in those great unseen shuttles that areguided by God's Hand, and the whole pattern changed, it would appear, bya moment's whim. And yet I cannot doubt--for if I did, my whole faithwould be shattered--that even those whims are part of the Divine design, and that all is done according to His Holy Will. 

The rest of supper was hastened, lest we should be late for the play;and then, when James came up to tell us that the coach waswaiting--though it was scarcely a hundred yards to the King'sTheatre--and Dolly was gone for her hood and cloak, I stood, with aglass of wine in my hand, on the hearth, looking down at the fire. 

Now I cannot tell how it was; but I suppose that the shadow that I spokeof just now, began to touch that little garden of love in which I stood;for a kind of melancholy came on me again. While she had been with cue, it had all seemed gone; we had been as merry at supper as if nothing atall were the matter; but now, even while she was in the next chamberwith her maid, I fell a-brooding once more. I thought--God knowswhy!--of the little parlour at Hare Street which I had not seen for solong, and of the fire that burned there, upon that hearth too--thehearth on which I had stood in my foolish patronizing pride when I hadfirst asked her to be my wife and she had treated me as I deserved. Idid not think then of how we had sat there together afterwards so often;and of the happiness I had had there, but only of that miserableChristmas night when I thought I had lost her. The mood came on mesuddenly; and I was still brooding when she came in again, alone. Shewas in her hood, and her face looked out of it like a flower. 

"Cousin Roger, " she said, "I have never told you why I came up to-day. "

"My dear; you did, " I said. "It was your father who--"

"No; no; but this day in particular. Cousin Roger, the woman came againlast night. "

"The woman! What woman?" I asked. 

"Why--the tall old woman--to my chamber, up the stairs. You remember?She came the night before you were sent for--why--six years ago. "

I stared on her; and a kind of horror came on me. 

"Ah! do not look like that, " she said. "It is nothing. " She smiled fullat me, putting her hand on my arm. 

"You saw her!" I said. 

"No; no. I heard her only. It was just as it was before. But I came upto town to--to see if all were well with you. And it is: or will be. Kiss me, Roger, before we go. "

CHAPTER VI

I cannot think without horror, even now, of that play we saw on thatnight in the King's Theatre. It was Mrs. Aphra Behn's tragedy, called_Abdelazar_, or _The Moor's Revenge_, and Mrs. Lee acted the principalpart of _Isabella_, the Spanish Queen. We sat in a little box next thestage, which we had to ourselves; and in the box opposite was my Lordthe Earl of Bath with a couple of his ladies. He was a pompous-lookingfellow, and a hot Protestant, and he looked very disdainfully at thecompany. In the box over him was Mistress Gwyn herself, and the peoplecried at her good-humouredly when she came in, at which she bowed verymerrily as if she were royal, this way and that, so that the wholeplay-house was full of laughter. It was turned very cold, with a frost, and before the play was half done the whole house was in a steam underthe glass cupola. Folks were eating oranges everywhere in the higherseats, and throwing the peel down upon the heads of the people below. The stage was lighted, as always, with wax candles burning on cressets;and the orange girls were standing in the front row of the pit withtheir backs to the stage. 

Dolly, who was a little quiet at first, got very merry and excitedpresently at all the good-humour, as well as at the actors. She hadthrown her hood back, so that her head came out of it very sweet andpretty; and a spot of colour burned on each cheek. I saw her watchingMistress Nell once or twice with a look of amazement--for she knew whoshe was--for Nell, though she was not on the stage, bore herself asthough she were, and never ceased for an instant, though full ofmerriment and good humour, to turn herself this way and that, and bow toher friends, some of whom relished it very little; and to applaud veryheartily, and then, immediately to throw a great piece of orange peel atMr. Harris, who played the King. She had her boy with her--whom HisMajesty had made Duke of St. Albans--and two or three gentlemen whom Idid not know. 

Dolly whispered to me once, to know who the boy was. 

"That is her boy, " I said. 

Dolly said nothing; but I understood the kind of terror that she had tosee them both there, so outrageous and bold; but she presently turnedback again to the stage to observe the play. 

 * * * * *

I said just now that the play which we saw has very dreadful memoriesfor me; but I do not know that more than once or twice at the time I hadany such feeling. There were some pretty passages in the play thatdistracted me altogether, and a song or two, of which I remember verywell one sung by a _Nymph_, and answered by her swain with hisshepherds, of which the refrain was:

 _The Sun is up and will not stay;_ _And oh! how very short's a lover's day!_

For the rest there was a quantity of bloodshed and intrigue and falseaccusation, but I was surprised, considering the subject, how little wasagainst Popery; but Mrs. Behn was content at the end of it to make the_Cardinal_ beg pardon of _King Philip_. 

For the most part then I attended to the action--(and to Dolly, ofcourse, all the while). Yet certainly there were other moments for me, when the shadow came down again, and I saw the actors and the wholehouse as if in a kind of bloody mist, though I had at that time noreason for it at all, and do not think that I shewed any sign of it. Twoor three times before, as I have related, there came on me a strangemood--once when I came up from Wapping, and once as I put out from Doverin the packet. But it was not that kind of mood this time. Then it wasas if all the world of sense were but a very thin veil, and all that washappening a kind of dream, or play. Now it was as if the play had ashocking kind of reality, as if the audience and the actors weremonstrous devils in hell; and the paint on Mrs. Lee's cheeks her truecolour, and her gestures great symbols, and the noise of the people theroar of hell. This came and went once or twice; and at the time Ithought it to be my own humour only; but now I know that it wassomething other than this. When I looked at Dolly it went again in aninstant, and she and I seemed to me the heart of everything, and allelse but our circumstances and for our pleasure. 

Well; it ended at last, and there was a great deal of applauding, andMrs. Lee came on to the stage again to bow and smile. It was then, forthe third time, I think, that my horror fell on me. As I stared at her, all else seemed to turn dim and vanish. She was in her costume with theblood on her arm and breast, and her great billowy skirts about her, andher stage-jewels, and she was smiling; and I, as I looked at her, seemedto see the folly and the shame of her like fire; and yet that folly andshame had a power that nothing else had. Her smile seemed to me like thegrin of a devil; and her colour to be daubs upon her bare cheek-bones, and she herself like some rotten thing with a semblance of life that wasnot life at all. I cannot put it into words at all: I know only that Iceased applauding, and stared on her as if I were bewitched. 

Then I saw my dear love's fingers on my arm, and her face looking at meas if she were frightened. 

"What is the matter, Cousin Roger?" she whispered; and then: "Come, Cousin Roger; it is late. "

Then my mood passed, or I shook myself clear of it. 

"Yes; yes, " I said. "It is nothing. Come, my dear. "

 * * * * *

The little passage by which we went out was crammed full of folk, talking and whistling and laughing; some imitating the cries of theactors, some, both men and women, looking about them freely with boldeyes. I saw presently that Dolly did not like it, and that we should bea great while getting out that way; and then I saw a little door besideme that might very well lead out to the air. I pushed upon this, and sawanother little passage. 

"James, " said I, for he was close behind me, "go out and bring thecoach round to this side if there is a way out. " (And then to Dolly. )"Come, sweetheart, we will find a way out here. "

I pushed my way behind a fellow who was just in front, and got throughthe door, and Dolly and her maid followed me. 

It was a little passage with doors on the right which I think led to theactors' rooms and the stage, for I heard talking and laughing behind;but I made nothing of that, and we went on. As we went past one of thedoors it opened all of a sudden and Mrs. Lee herself came out, still inher dress and her jewels, and her face all a-daub with paint, and theblood on her arm and dress, and ran through another door further along, leaving behind her a great whiff of coarse perfume. It was but for aninstant that we saw her; yet, even in that instant, a sort of horrorcame on me again as if she were something monstrous and ominous, though--poor woman!--I have never heard anything against her more thanwas said at that time against all women that were actresses--all, thatis, except Mrs. Betterton. She appeared more dreadful even than in theplay, or than when she had spoken those terrible words as she sat in herchair, all bloody, as she died--stabbed by the mock Friar:

 --_but 'tis too late-- And Life and Love must yield to Death and Fate. _

I looked at Dolly; but she was laughing, though with a kind of terror inher eyes too at that sudden apparition. 

"Oh, Roger!" she said, "and now she will go and wash it all off, willshe not?"

"Yes, yes, " I said. "She will wash it all off. " And I looked at her, andmade myself laugh too. She said nothing, but took my arm a littlecloser. 

 * * * * *

I was right about the passage, that it led out to the air, yet not intoLittle Russell Street, but to a little yard by which, I suppose, theplayers came to their rooms. The frost had fallen very sharp while wehad been in the theatre; overhead the stars tingled as if they shook, beyond the chimneys, and there were little pools of ice between thestones. 

I stayed an instant when we came down the three steps that led into theyard, to pull Dolly's hood more closely about her head, for it wasbitter cold, and to gather up my own cloak, and, as I did this, I sawthat three men had followed us out, and were coming down the stepsbehind us. There was no one else in the yard. There was one littleoil-lamp burning near one of the two entrances to shew the players theway, I suppose. 

Then, when I had arranged my cloak, I gave Dolly my arm once more, and, as I did so, heard Anne, who was behind us, suddenly give a greatscream; and, at the sound, whisked about to see what was the matter. 

There was a man coming at me from behind with a dagger, and the twoother fellows were behind him. 

 * * * * *

Now I had not an instant in which to think what to do, though I knewwell enough what they were and whom they were after. What I did, I did, I suppose, by a kind of instinct. I tore my arm free from Dolly's hand, pushing her behind me with my left hand, and at the same time dashed mycloak away as well as I could, to draw out my sword. The fellow was alittle on my right when I was so turned about, but appeared a littleconfounded by my quickness, for he hesitated. 

"Back to the wall, Dolly!" I shouted. "Back to the wall"; and, at thesame time I began to back myself, with her still behind me, to the wallthat was opposite to the steps we had just come down. My cloak was sadlyin my way; but, as I reached the wall, still going backwards, I had mysword out just in time to keep off, by a flourish of it, the fellow whohad recovered himself, and was coming at me again. 

So for a moment, we stood; and in that moment I heard Anne screamingsomewhere for help. 

 * * * * *

Then I saw how the two other men, at a swift sign from their leader, spread out on this side and that, so as to come at me from threedirections together; and, at that saw that I must delay no longer. Before, I think, they saw what I intended, I leapt forward at the fellowin front, and lunged with all my force; and though he threw up his arms, with the dagger in one of his bands, and tried to evade a parry all atonce, he was too late; my point went clean through his throat, and hefell backwards with a dreadful cry. And, at the same moment his twocompanions ran in on me from either side. 

Now I do not even now see what else I could have done. I felt sure thatone of them would have me, for I could not properly deal with them both;but I turned and stabbed quickly, with a short arm, at the face of theone on my right, missing him altogether, and, at the same time strove tostrike with my left elbow the face of the other. 

But, ah! Dolly was too quick for me. She must have run forward on myleft to keep the fellow off, for I heard a swift dreadful sound as Ishortened my right arm to stab at the other again; and I felt somethingfall about my feet. 

I turned like a madman, screaming aloud with anger, careless of allelse, or of whether or no anyone ran at me again, for I knew, in part atleast what had happened; and, at the same moment the yard seemed allalive with folks running and crying out. The door at the head of thesteps was open, and three or four players ran out and down; while fromLittle Russell Street on the right, where the coaches were, a greatnumber ran in. 

But I cared nothing for that at that instant. I had flung away my swordon to the stones and was stooping to pick up my dear love who had savedmy life. There was already a great puddle of blood, and I felt it runhot over my left hand that was about her--hot, for it flowed straightfrom her heart that had been stabbed through by the knife that was aimedat me. 

 * * * * *

When I looked up again, I saw, standing against the light in the dooropposite, at the head of the steps, the woman that had played the Queenwith that mock-blood still on her arm and breast. 

CHAPTER VII

"Mr. Mallock, " said the page, "the King is heartily sorry, and wishes totell you so himself. "

I said nothing. 

Of all that happened, after Dolly's death in the theatre-yard, I thinknow as of a kind of dream, though it changed my whole life and has mademe what I am. I have, too, scarcely the heart to write of it; and what Isay of it now is gathered partly from what I can remember and partlyfrom what other folks told me. 

It must have been a terrible sight that they all saw as they ran in fromthe lane, my man James first among them all. There lay, bloodying allthe ice about him, the fellow whom I had run through the throat, as deadas the rat he was, but still jerking blood from beneath his ear; andthere in my arms, as I kneeled on the stones, lay Dolly, her head fallenback and out of her hood, as white as a lily, dead too in an instant, for she was stabbed through her heart, with her life-blood in a greatsmear down her side, and all over my hands and clothes. 

My man James proved again as faithful a friend as he had always been tome; for the affair had been no fault of his: I had sent him for thecoach, and he was bringing it up to the yard-entrance from the lane, asAnne had run out screaming. Then he had run in, and my other man withhim, and the crowd after him, in time to see the two living assassinsmake off into the dark entrance on the other side. A number had runafter them, but to no purpose, for we never heard of them again; and myDolly's murderer, I suppose, is still breathing God's air, unless he hasbeen hanged long ago for some other crime. 

The next matter was to get us home again; for James has told me that Iwould allow no one to touch either her or me, until a physician cameout of the crowd and told me the truth. Then I had gathered her up in myarms like a child without a word to any; and went out, the crowd fallingback as I came, to where the coach waited in Little Russell Street. Still carrying her I went into the coach, and would allow no one elsewithin; and so we drove back to Covent Garden. 

When we came there a part of the crowd had already run on before and waswaiting. When the coach drew up, I came out of the coach, with my dearlove still in my arms, and went upstairs with her to her own chamber andlaid her on her bed; and it was a great while before I would let thewomen come at her to wash her and make all sweet and clean again. I layall that night in the outer parlour that had been my own so long ago, or, rather, I went up and down it till daybreak; and no one dared tospeak to me or to move away the supper-things from the table where sheand I had supped the night before. 

The inquest was held that day, but nothing came of it. I related mystory in the barest words, saying that I knew nothing of the three men, and leaving it to Mr. Chiffinch to whisper in the officer's ear toprevent him asking what he should not. Of the man I had killed nothingwas ever made public, except that he was a tanner's man and lived inWapping, and that his name was Belton. 

On the Saturday we went down to Hare Street, all together, with the bodyof the little maid in a coach by itself. I rode my horse behind, butwould speak never a word to my Cousin Tom who went in a coach, neitherthen nor at any other time; neither would I lie in Hare Street House, nor even enter it; but I lay in the house of a farmer at Hormead; andwaited outside the house for the funeral to come out next day, after theMorning Prayer had been said in the church. She lies now in thechurchyard of Hormead Parva, where we laid her on that windy Sunday, inthe shadow of the little Saxon church. I rode straight away again withmy men from the churchyard gate, and came to London very late thatnight. I went straight to my lodgings, and refused myself to everyonefor three days, writing letters here and there, and giving orders as tothe packing of all my effects. On the Thursday, a week after my CousinDolly had come to town, I went to Mr. Chiffinch to take my leave. 

Now of those days I dare say no more than that; and even if I would Icould add very little. My mind throughout was in a kind of dark tumult, until, after my three days of solitude, I had determined what to do. There were hours, I will not deny, in which my very faith in God Himselfseemed wholly gone; in which it was merely incredible to me that if Hewere in Heaven such things could happen on earth. But sorrow of such adreadful kind as this is, in truth, if we will but yield to it, a sortof initiation or revelation, rather than an obscurer of truth; and, bythe time that my three days were over I thought I saw where my duty lay, and to what all those events tended. I had come from a monk's life thatI might taste what the world was like; I had tasted and found it verybitter; there was not one affair--(for so it appeared to me then)--thathad not failure written all over it. Very well then; I would go back tothe monk's life once more if they would have me. On the third day, then, I had written to my Lord Abbot at St. Paul's-without-the-Walls, tellinghim that I was coming back again, and had thrown up my affairs here. 

"You were right, my Lord, " I wrote at the end of it, "and I was wrong. My Vocation seems very plain to me now; and I would to God that I hadseen it sooner, or at the least been more humble to Your Lordship'sopinion. "

At first I had thought that I would take no leave of the King; and hadtold Mr. Chiffinch so, after I had announced to him what my intentionswere, and announced them too in such a manner that he scarcely evenattempted to dissuade me from them. But he had begged me to take myleave in proper form; no harm would be done by that; and then he hadtold me that His Majesty knew all that had passed and was very sorry forit. 

I sat silent when he said that. 

"Yes, Mr. Mallock, " he said again, "and I mean not only for your ownsorrow, but for his own treatment of you. It hath been a whim with him:he treats often so those whom he loves. His Majesty hath something of awoman in him, in that matter. His suspicions were real enough, at leastfor a time. "

"I had done better if I had been one of his enemies, then, " said I. 

"It is of no use to be bitter, sir, " said the page. "Men are what theyare. We would all be otherwise, no doubt, if we could. See the King, Mr. Mallock, I beg of you: and appear once at least at Court, publicly. Youshould allow him at least to make amends. "

I gave a great sigh. 

"Well: it shall be so, " I said. "But I must leave town on Tuesday. "

 * * * * *

It was with a very strange sense of detachment that I went about myaffairs all Friday and Saturday; for I had still plenty to do, and wasnot to see His Majesty till the Saturday night after supper. The weatherwas turned soft again, and we had sunshine for an hour or two. On oneday I watched His Majesty go to dinner, with his guards about him, andhis gentlemen; but I did not see it with the pleasure I had once had insuch brave sights. It was with me, during those days, as it had beenwith me for those two or three moments during the play, though in agentler manner; for I thought more of the humanity beneath than of theshow above; and a rotten humanity most of it seemed to me. These werebut men like myself, and some pretty evil too. Those gentlemen that werewith the King--there was scarcely one of them about whom I did not knowsomething considerably to his discredit: there was my Lord Ailesbury instrict attendance on him; and Killigrew--he that had the theatre--andthe less said of him the better: and there were three or four more likehim; the Earl of Craven was there, colonel of the foot-guards; and LordKeeper Guildford; and the Earl of Bath; and there, in the midst, theKing himself, with his blue silk cloak over his shoulders, and hisprincely walk, going fast as he always did, and smiling-well, what ofthose thirteen known mistresses of his that he had had, as well as ofthose other--God knows how many!--poor maids, who must look upon him astheir ruin? It was a brave sight enough, there in the sunshine--I willnot deny that--with the sun on the jewels and the silks, and on the buffand steel of the guards, with that swift kingly figure going in themidst; and it was a brave noise that the music made as they went withinthe Banqueting-Hall; but how, thought I, does God see it all? And forwhat do such things count before His Holy Presence?

I had not rehearsed what I should say to His Majesty when I saw him; forindeed it was of no further moment to me what either I or he should say. I should be gone for ever in three days to the secret service of anotherKing than him--to that secret service where men need not lie and cheatand spy and get their hearts broken after all and no gratitude for it;but to that service which is called _Opus Dei_ in the choir, and isprayer and study and contemplation in the cloister and the cell. There Ishould sing, week by week:

"Oh! put not your trust in princes nor in any child of man: for there isno help in them. "

In such a mood then--not wholly Christian, I will admit!--I came intothe King's closet, to take my leave of him, on that Saturday night, thelast day of January, in the year of Salvation sixteen hundred andeighty-five. 

He was standing up when I entered his private closet, with a veryserious look on his face; and, to my astonishment, took a step towardsme, holding out both his hands. I will not deny that I was moved; but Ihad determined to be very stiff. So I saluted him in the proper manner, very carefully and punctually, kneeling to kiss his hand, and thenstanding upright again. A little spaniel barked at me all the time. 

"There! there! Mr. Mallock, " he said. "Sit you down! sit you down!There are some amends due to you. "

I seated myself as he bade me; and he leaned towards me a little fromhis own chair, with one leg across the other. I saw that he limped alittle as he went to his chair; and learned afterwards that he had asore on his heel from walking in the Park. 

"There are some amends due to you, " he said again: "but first I wish totell you how very truly I grieve at the sorrow that has come on you, andin my service too, as I understand. "

(Ah! thought I: then Mr. Chiffinch has made that plain enough. ) He spokewith the greatest feeling and gravity; but the next moment he nearruined it all. 

"Ah! these ladies!" he said. "How they can torment a man's heart to besure! How they can torture us and yet send us into a kind of ecstasy allat once! We hate them one day, and vow never to see them again, and yetwhen they die or leave us we would give the world to get them backagain!"

For the moment I felt myself all stiff with anger at such a manner ofspeaking, and then once more a great pity came on me. What, after all, does this man, thought I, know of love as God meant it to be?

"Well, well!" he said. "It is of no use speaking. I know that wellenough. And it was that very cousin, I hear, that was Maid to HerMajesty!"

"Yes, Sir, " said I, very short. 

I wondered if he would say next that that circumstance made it all thesadder; but he was not gross enough for that. 

"Well, " he said, "I will say no more on that point. I am only grievedthat it should have come upon you in my service; and I wish to makeamends. I already owed you a heavy debt, Mr. Mallock; and this has madeit the heavier; and before saying any more I wish to tell you that I amheartily sorry for my suspicions of you. They were real enough, I amashamed to say: I should have known better. But at least I have got ridof Hoskyns; and he hath gone to the devil altogether, I hear. He had acunning way with him, you know, Mr. Mallock. "

He spoke almost as if he pleaded; and I was amazed at his condescension. It is not the way of Kings to ask pardon very often. 

"Well, Mr. Mallock, " he said next; "and I hear that you wish to leave myservice?"

"If Your Majesty pleases, " said I. 

"My Majesty doth not please at all; but he will submit, I suppose. Tellme, sir, why it is that you wish to leave. "

"Sir, " I said, "the reasons are pretty plain. I have displeased YourMajesty for the past half-year; and I cannot forget that, even though, Sir, you are graciously pleased to compliment me now. Then I havequarrelled with my Cousin Jermyn, so that I have not a kinsman left inEngland; and--and I have lost her whom I was to make my wife this year. Finally, if more reasons are wanting, I am weary of a world in which Ihave failed so greatly; and I must go back again to the cloister, ifthey will have me there. "

All came with a rush when I began to speak, for His Majesty's presencehad always an extraordinary effect upon me, as upon so many others. Ihad determined to say very little; yet here I had said it all, and Ifelt the blood in my face. He listened very patiently to me, with hishead a little on one side, and his underlip thrust out, and his greatmelancholy eyes searching my face. 

"Well! well! well, " he said again, "if you must be a monk there is nomore to be said. But what of your apostleship in the world?"

"Sir, " I cried--for I knew what he meant--"my apostleship as you nameit has been a greater disaster than all the rest: and God knows that isgreat enough. "

He was silent a full half minute, I should think, still looking on meearnestly. 

"Are you so sure of that?" said he. 

My heart gave a leap; but he held up his hand before I could speak. 

"Wait, sir, " he said. "I will tell you this. You have said very littleto me; but I vow to you that what you have said I have remembered. It isnot argument that a man needs--at least after the first--but example. That you have given me. "

Then I flushed up scarlet; for I was sure he was mocking me. 

"Sir, " I cried, "you might have spared--"

He lifted his eyes a little. 

"I assure you, Mr. Mallock, " he said, "that I mean what I say. You havebeen very faithful; you have ventured your life again and again for me;you have refused rewards, except the very smallest; you have lost evenyour sweetheart in my service; and now, when all is within your reachagain, you fling it back at me. It is not very gracious; but it is veryChristian, as I understand Christianity. "

I said nothing. What was there to say? I seemed a very poor Christian tomyself. 

"Come! come, Mr. Mallock, " pursued the King very gently and kindly. "Think of it once again. You shall have what you please--your Viscountyor anything else of that sort; and you shall keep your lodgings andremain here as my friend. What do you say to that?"

For a moment again I hesitated; for it is not to everyone that a Kingoffers his friendship. If it had been that alone I think I might haveyielded, for I knew that I loved this man in spite of all his wickednessand his treatment of me--for that, and for my "apostleship" as he calledit, I might have stayed. But at the word _Viscounty_ all turned tobitterness: I remembered my childish dreams and the sweetness of them, and the sweetness of my dear love who was to have shared them; and allturned to bitterness and vanity. 

"No, Sir, " said I--and I felt my lips tremble. "No, Sir. I will beungracious and--and Christian to the end. I am resolved to go; andnothing in this world shall keep me from it. "

The King stood up abruptly; and I rose with him. I did not know whetherhe were angry or not; and I did not greatly care. He stepped away fromme, and began to walk up and down. One of his bitch-spaniels whined athim from her basket, lifting her great liquid eyes that were not unlikehis own; and he stooped and caressed her for a moment. Then the clocksbegan to chime, one after the other, for it was eight o'clock, and Iheard them at it, too, in the bed-chamber beyond. There would be thirtyor forty of them, I daresay, in the two chambers. So for a minute or twohe went up and down; and I have but to close my eyes now, to see himagain. He was limping a little from the sore on his heel; but he carriedhimself very kingly, his swarthy face looking straight before him, andhis lips pursed. I think that indeed he was a little angry, but that hewas resolved not to shew it. 

Suddenly he wheeled on me, and held out his hand. 

"Well, Mr. Mallock; there is no more to be said; and I must honour youfor it whatever else I do. I would that all my servants were asdisinterested. "

I knelt to kiss his hand. I think I could not have spoken at thatmoment. As I stood up, he spoke again. 

"When do you leave town?" he said. 

"On Tuesday, Sir. "

"Well, come and see me again before you go. No, not in private: you neednot fear for that. Come to-morrow night, to the _levée_ after supper. "

"I will do so, Sir, " said I. 

 * * * * *

On the following night then, which was Sunday, I presented myself forthe last time, I thought, to His Majesty. 

I need not say that half a dozen times since I had left him, myresolution had faltered; though, it had never broken down. I heard massin Weld Street; and there again I wondered whether I had decidedrightly, and again as I burned all my papers after dinner--(for when aman begins afresh he had best make a clean sweep of the past). I went totake the air a little, before sunset, in St. James' Park, and from agood distance saw His Majesty going to feed the ducks, with a dozenspaniels, I daresay going after him, and a couple of gentlemen with him, but no guards at all. The King walked much more slowly that day thanwas his wont--I suppose because of the sore on his heel. But I did notgo near enough for him to see me; for I would trouble him now no furtherthan I need. All this time--or at least now and again--I wondered alittle as to whether I was right to go. I will not deny that theprospect of remaining had a little allurement in it; but it was trulynot more than a little; and as evening fell and my heart went inwardsagain, as hearts do when the curtains are drawn, I wondered that it hadbeen any allurement at all: for my life lay buried in the churchyard ofHormead Parva, and I had best bury the rest of me in the place where atleast I had a few friends left. After supper, about ten o'clock, I puton my cloak and went across to the Duchess of Portsmouth's lodgings, where the _levée_ was held usually on such evenings. My man James wentwith me to light me there. 

I do not think I have seen a more splendid sight, very often, than thatgreat gallery, when I came into it that night, passing on my way throughthe closet where I had once talked with Her Grace. It was all alightfrom end to end with candles in cressets, and on the great round tableat the further end where the company was playing basset, stood tallcandlesticks amidst all the gold. I had not seen this great gallerybefore; and it was beyond everything, and far beyond Her Majesty's owngreat chamber. If I had thought the closet fine, this was a thousandtimes more. There were great French tapestries on the walls, and betweenthem paintings that had been once Her Majesty's, and those not the worstof them. The quantity of silver in the room astonished me: there werewhole tables of it, and braziers and sconces and cressets beyondreckoning; and there were at least five or six chiming clocks that theKing had given to Her Grace; and tall Japanese presses and cabinets oflacquer which she loved especially. 

There was a fire of Scotch coal burning on the hearth, as in HisMajesty's own bedchamber; and on a great silver couch, beside this, covered with silk tapestry, sat the King, smiling to himself, with twoor three dogs beside him, and Her Grace of Portsmouth on the samecouch. The Duchesses of Cleveland and Mazarin were on chairs very nearthe couch. 

There was a great clamour of voices from the basset-table as I came inand the King looked up; and, as I went across to pay my respects to HisMajesty, he said something to the Duchess, very merrily. She too glancedup at me; and indeed she was a splendid sight in her silks and in thejewels she had had from him. 

"Why; here is my friend!" said the King, as he put out his hand to me;and once more the dogs yapped at me from his side. He put his left handout over their heads and pressed them down. 

"You must not bark at my friend Mr. Mallock, " he said. "He is off to bea holy monk. "

For a moment I thought the King was making a mock of me; but it was notso. He was smiling at me very friendly. 

 * * * * *

He was in wonderful good humour that evening; and I heard more of hispublic talk than ever before; for he made me draw up a stool presentlyupon the hearth. Now and again a gentleman came across to be presentedto him; and others came and looked in for a while and away again. Therewere constant comings and goings; and once, as a French boy was singingsongs to a spinet, near the door, I saw the serious face of Mr. Evelyn, with two of his friends, look in upon the scene. 

I cannot remember one quarter of all the things that were said. Now theKing was silent, playing with the ears of his dogs and smiling tohimself; now he would say little things that stuck in the memory, Godknows why! For example, he said that he had eaten two goose's eggs forsupper, which shewed what a strong stomach he had; and he described tous a very fierce duck that had snapped his hand that afternoon in thepark. History is not made of these things; and yet sometimes I thinkthat it should be; for those be the matters that interest little folk;and most of us are no more than that. I do not suppose that in all theworld there is one person except myself who knows that His SacredMajesty ate two goose's eggs to his supper on that Sunday night. 

He spoke presently of his new palace at Winchester that he wasa-building, and that was near finished. 

"I shall be very happy this week, " said he, "for my building will be allcovered in with lead. " (He said the same thing again, later, to my LordAilesbury, who remembered it when it was fulfilled, though in anothermanner than the King had meant. )

He talked too of "little Ken, " as he named him (who had been made Bishoplast week), and of the story that so many told--(for the King told hisstories several times over when he was in a good humour)--and the way hetold it to-night was this. 

"Ah! that little Ken!" said he. "Little black Ken! He is the man totell me my sins! Your Grace should hear him"--(added he)--"upon theSeventh Commandment! And such lessons drawn from Scripture too-from theOld Testament!"

He looked up sharply and merrily at Her Grace of Portsmouth as he saidthis. 

"Well; when poor Nell and I went down to Winchester a good while ago, "he went on, "what must little Ken do but refuse her a lodging! This is aman to be a Bishop, thought I. And so poor Nell had to sleep where shecould. "

Her Grace of Portsmouth looked very glum while this tale was told; forshe hated Mrs. Nelly with all her heart. She flounced a little in herseat; and one of the dogs barked at her for it. 

"First a monk and then a Duchess!" said the King. "Did you ever hear ofthe good man of Salisbury who put his hand into my carriage to greet me, and was bitten for his pains? 'God bless Your Majesty, ' said he, 'andGod damn Your Majesty's dogs!'--Eh, Fubbs?"--(for so he called theDuchess). 

So he discoursed this evening, very freely indeed, and there was anumber of men presently behind his couch, listening to what he said. Agreat deal of what he said cannot be set down here, for it wasextraordinary indecent as well as profane. Yet there was a wonderfulcharm about his manner, and there is no denying it; and in this, Isuppose, lay a great deal of the injury he did to innocent souls, for itall seemed nothing but merriment and good-humour. His quickness ofconception, his pleasantness of wit, his variety of knowledge, histales, his judgment of men--all these were beyond anything that I haveever met in any other man. 

There was silence made every now and then for the French boy to singanother song; and this singing affected me very deeply, so long as I didnot look at the lad; for he was a silly-looking creature all dressed uplike a doll; but he sang wonderfully clear and sweet, and one of theKing's chapel-gentlemen played for him. His songs were all in French, and the substance of some of them was scarcely decent; but I had not thepain of hearing any that I had heard in Hare Street. During the singingof the last of these songs, near midnight, again that mood fell on methat all was but a painted show on a stage, and that reality wassomewhere else. The great chamber was pretty hot by now, with theroaring fire and all the folks, and a kind of steam was in the air, asit had been in the theatre ten days ago; and the faces were some of themflushed and some of them pale with the heat. The Duchess of Clevelandwas walking up and down before the fire, with her hands clasped as ifshe were restless; for she spoke scarce a word all the evening. 

When the song was done the King clapped his hands to applaud and stoodup; and all stood with him. 

"Odd's fish!" said he, "that is a pretty boy and a pretty song. " Then hegave a great yawn. "It is time to go to bed, " said he. 

As he said that the door from the outer gallery opened; and I saw myLord Ailesbury there--a young man, very languid and handsome who wasGentleman of the Bed chamber this week, though his turn ended to-morrow;and behind him Sir Thomas Killigrew who was Groom--(these two slept inthe King's bedchamber all night)--and two or three pages, one of themof the Backstairs. My Lord Ailesbury carried a tall silver candlestickin his hand with the candle burning in it. He bowed to His Majesty. 

"Did I not say so?" said the king. 

He did not give his hand to anyone when he said good-night, but turnedand bowed a little to the company about him on the hearth, and they backto him, the three duchesses curtseying very low. But to me he gave hishand to kiss. 

"Good-night, Mr. Mallock, " said he, in a loud voice; then, raising it--

"Mr. Mallock goes abroad to-morrow; or is it Tuesday?"

"It is Tuesday, Sir, " said I. 

"Then God go with you, " he said very kindly. 

I watched him go out to the door with his hat on, all the othergentlemen uncovered and bowing to him, and him nodding and smiling invery good humour, though still limping a little. And my heart seemed togo with him. At the door however he stopped; for a strange thing hadhappened. As my Lord Ailesbury had given the candle to the page who wasto go before them, it had suddenly gone out, though there was no draughtto blow it. The page looked very startled and afraid, and shook his heada little. Then one of the gentlemen sprang forward and took a candlefrom one of the cressets to light the other with. His Majesty stoodsmiling while this was done; but he said nothing. When it was lighted, he turned again, and waved his hand to the company. Then he went outafter his gentlemen. 

CHAPTER VIII

It was a little after eight o'clock next morning that I heard first ofHis Majesty's seizure. 

I had drunk my morning and was on the point of going out with myman--indeed I was descending the stairs--when I heard steps run past inthe gallery outside; and then another man also running. I came out as hewent past and saw that he was one of Mr. Chiffinch's men, verydisordered-looking and excited. I cried out to know what was the matter, but he shook his head and flapped his hand at me as if he could notstay, and immediately turned off from the gallery and ran out to theright in the direction of the King's lodgings. 

I turned to my man James who was just behind me. 

"Go and see what the matter is, " I said; for after seeing the King sowell and cheerful last night, I never thought of any illness. 

While he was gone, I waited just within my door, observing one of myengravings, with my hat on. It was a very bitter morning. In less thanfive minutes James was back again, very white and breathing fast. 

"His Majesty is ill, " said he. "Mr. Chiffinch--"

I heard no more, for I ran out past him at a great pace, and so to theKing's lodgings. 

 * * * * *

When I came to the door of them, all was in confusion. There was but oneguard here--(for the other was within with the Earl of Craven)--and alittle crowd was pestering him with questions. I made no bones with him, but slipped in, and ran upstairs as fast as I could. There was no one inthe first antechamber at all, and the door was open into the privatecloset beyond. It was contrary to all etiquette to enter this unbidden, but I cared nothing for that, and ran through; and this again was empty;so I passed out at the further door and found myself at the head of alittle stair leading down into a wide lobby, from which opened out twoor three chambers, with the King's bedchamber at the further end. Andhere, in the lobby, I ran into the company. 

There was above a dozen persons there, at least, all talking together inlow voices; but I saw no one I cared to speak with, since I had nobusiness in the place at all. But no one paid any attention to me. Itwas yet pretty dark here, for there were no candles; so I waited, leaning against the wall at the head of the stairs. 

Then the voices grew louder; and the crowd opened out a little to letsomeone through; and there came, walking very quickly, and talkingtogether, my Lord Craven leaning on the arm of my Lord Ailesbury. MyLord Craven--near ninety years old at this time--was in his full-dressas colonel of the foot-guards, for he had attended a few minutes beforeto receive from His Majesty the pass-word of the day: and my LordAilesbury was but half dressed with his points hanging loose; for he hadbeen all undressed just now, when the King had been taken ill. 

After they had passed by me I stood again to wait; but, almostimmediately, across the further end of the lobby I saw Mr. Chiffinchpass swiftly from a door on the left to a door on the right. At thatsight I determined to wait no longer: for there was but one thought inmy mind, all this while. 

I said nothing, but I came down the stairs and laid my hand on theshoulder of a physician (I think he was), who stood in front of me, andpushed him aside, as if I had a right to be there; and so I went throughthem very quickly, and into the room where I had seen Mr. Chiffinch go. The door was ajar: I pushed it open and went in. 

It was a pretty small room, and there were no beds in it; it had pressesround the walls: a coal fire burned in the hearth in a brazier, and around table was in the midst, lit by a single candle, and near thecandle stood a heap of surgical instruments and a roll of bandages. (This was the room, I learned later, next to the Royal Bedchamber, wherethe surgeons had attended half an hour ago to dress the King's heel. )There were three persons in the room beyond the table, talking veryearnestly together. Two of them I did not know; but the third was Mr. Chiffinch. They all three turned when I came in, and stared at me. 

"Why--" began the page--"Mr. Mallock, what do you--"

He came towards me with an air of impatience. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said I, in a low voice--"how is His Majesty. I--"

The further door which stood at the head of three or four steps leadingup to it opened sharply, and the page whisked round to see what it was. A face looked out, very peaked-looking and white, and nodded briskly atthe bandages and the instruments; the two other men darted at those, seized them, ran up the stairs and vanished, leaving the door but acrack open behind them. 

Then Mr. Chiffinch turned and stared at me again. He appeared very paleand agitated. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said I, "I will take no refusal at all. How is HisMajesty?"

His lips worked a little, and I could see that he was thinking more ofwhat was passing in the chamber beyond than of my presence here. 

"They are blooding him again, " he said; and then--"What are you doinghere?"

I took him by the lapel of his coat to make him attend to me; for hiseyes were wandering back like a mule's, at every sound behind. 

"See here, " said I. "If His Majesty is ill, it is time to send for apriest. I tell you--"

"Priest!" snapped the page in a whisper. "What the devil--"

I shook him gently by his coat. 

"Mr. Chiffinch; I will have the truth. Is the King dying?"

"No, he is not then!" he whispered angrily. "Hark--"

He tore himself free, darted back to the further door, and stood there, at the foot of the stairs, with his head lowered, listening. Even fromwhere I was I could hear a gentle sort of sound as of moaning or veryheavy breathing, and then a sharp whisper or two; and then the noise ofsomething trickling into a basin. Presently all was quiet again; and thepage lifted his head. I stood where I was; for I know how it is with menin a sudden anxiety: they will snap and snarl, and then all at once turnconfidential. I was not disappointed. 

After he had waited a moment or two he came towards me once more. 

"Mr. Mallock, " he whispered, "the King needs no priest. He is not so illas that; and he is unconscious too at present. "

"Tell me, " I said. 

Again he glanced behind him; but there was no further sound. He came alittle nearer. 

"His Majesty was taken with a fit soon after he awakened. Mr. King washere, by good fortune, and blooded him at once. Now they are bloodinghim again. Her Majesty hath been sent for. "

"He is not dying? You will swear that to me?"

He nodded: and again he appeared to listen. I took him by his buttonagain. 

"Mr. Chiffinch, " said I, "you must attend to me. This is the very thingI have waited for. If there is any imminent danger you must send for apriest. You promise me that?"

He shook his head violently: so I tried another attack. 

"Well, " I said, "then you will allow me to remain here? Is the Dukecome?"

"Not yet, " said he. "Ailesbury is gone for him. "

"Well--I may remain then?"

There came a knock on the inner side of the further door; and he torehimself free again. But I was after him, and seized him once more. 

"I may remain?"

"Yes, yes, " he snapped, "as you will! Let me go, sir. " He whiskedhimself out of my hold, and went swiftly up the stairs and through thedoor, shutting it behind him, giving me but the smallest glimpse of avast candle-lit room and men's heads all together and the curtains of agreat bed near the door. But I was content: I had got my way. 

 * * * * *

As I walked up and down the antechamber, very softly, on tip-toe, itappeared to me that I was, as it were, two persons in one. On the oneside there was the conviction and the determination that, come whatwould, I must get a priest to the King if he took a turn at all for theworse--since, for the present, I believed Mr. Chiffinch's word that HisMajesty was not actually dying. (This was not at all what the physiciansthought at that time; but I did not know that. ) This conviction, Isuppose, had always been with me that it was for this that in God'sProvidence I had been sent to England; at least, seven in the momentthat I had left my house and run down the gallery, there it was, allfull-formed and mature. As to how it was to be done I had no idea atall; yet that it would be done I had no doubt. On the other side, however, every faculty of observation that I had, was alert andtight-stretched. I remember the very pattern of the carpet I walked on;the pictures on the walls; and the carving on the presses. Above all Iremember the little door in the corner of the chamber--the third; andhow I opened it, and peeped down the winding staircase that led from it. (I did not know then what part that little door and winding staircasewas to play in my great design!) Now and again I looked out of thesingle window at the river beneath in the early morning sunshine; now Ipaced the floor again. It seemed to me that I had found a very prettypost of observation, as this appeared a very private little room, andthat I should not be troubled here. The great anterooms, I knew, wherethe company would be, must lie on the further side of the bedchamber. 

I suppose it would be about five minutes after Mr. Chiffinch had left methat Her Majesty came. The first I knew of it was a great murmur ofvoices and footsteps without the door. I went to the door and pulled ita little open so that I could see without being seen, and looked up thelobby beyond the King's chamber; for in that direction, I knew, lay HerMajesty's apartments. A couple of pages came first, very hastily, withrods; and then immediately after them Her Majesty herself, hurrying asfast as she could, scarce decently dressed, with a cloak flung over all, with a hood. Behind her came two or three of her ladies. I saw the poorwoman's face very plain for a moment, since there was no one between meand her; and even at that distance I could see her miserable agitation;her brown face was all sallow and her mouth hung open. Then she whiskedafter the pages through the door into the great antechamber that laybeyond the bedroom. I went back again, to shut the door and listen atthe other; for I knew that the King's bed was close to it (though he wasnot in it at this time, but still in the barber's chair where he hadbeen blooded); and presently I heard the poor soul begin to wail aloud. I heard voices too, as if soothing her, for all the physicians werethere, and half a dozen others; but the wailing grew, as she saw, Isuppose, in what condition His Majesty was--(for he still seemed allunconscious)--till she began to shriek. That was a terrible sound, forshe laughed and sobbed too, all at once, in a kind of fit. I could hearthe tone very plain through the door, though I could not hear what shesaid; and the voices of Mr. King and others who endeavoured to quiether. Gradually the wailing and shrieking grew less as they forced heraway and out again; till I heard it, as she went back again to her ownapartments, die away in spasms. Poor soul indeed! she was nothingaccounted of in that Court, yet she loved the King very dearly in spiteof his neglect towards her. She could not even speak to him (I heardafterwards), though he had spoken her name and asked for her, after hisfirst blooding. 

 * * * * *

Half an hour later--(in the meantime no one had come in to me, and Icould only walk up and down and listen as well as I could)--I heardagain the murmur of voices in the lobby, and steps coming swiftly downfrom the private closet. Again I was in time at the door to see who itwas that went by; and it was the Duke of York, with my Lord Ailesburywho had gone to fetch him from St. James'. He went by me so near that Icould hear his quick breathing from his run upstairs; and he had come insuch a hurry that he had only one shoe on, and on the other foot aslipper. He went very near at a run up the lobby, and up a step or two, and into the great antechamber and so round to the Bedchamber; and Ipresently heard him enter it. Indeed I was very favourably placed forobserving all that went on. 

 * * * * *

It was about eleven o'clock, as I suppose, when I first heard HisMajesty's voice; and the relief of it to me was extraordinary. 

I had ventured up the stair or two that led from this room into theBedchamber, and had, very delicately, opened the door a crack so as tohear more plainly; but I dared not look through for fear that I shouldbe seen. 

For a long while I had heard nothing but whispers; and once the yappingof a little dog, very sharp and startling, but the noise was stifledalmost immediately, and the dog, I suppose, taken out at the other door. Once or twice too had come the sudden chiming of all the clocks thatwere in the Bedchamber. 

I heard first a great groan from the bed, to which by now they had movedhim from the chair, and then Ailesbury's name spoken in a very brokenvoice. (My own heart beat so loud when I heard that, that I could scarcelisten to what followed. )

"Yes, Sir, " came Ailesbury's voice; and then a broken murmur again. (Hewas thanking him, I heard afterwards from Mr. Chiffinch, for hisaffection to him, and for having caused him to be bled so promptly byMr. King, and for having sent Chiffinch to him to bring him back fromhis private closet. )

Presently he grew stronger; and I could hear what he said. 

"I went there, " he said, "for the King's Drops. .. . I felt very ailingwhen I rose. .. . I walked about there; but felt no better. I nearly fellfrom giddiness as I came down again. "

He spoke very slowly, but strongly enough; and he gave a great sigh atthe end. 

Presently he spoke again. 

"Why, brother, " he said. "So there you are. "

I heard the Duke's voice answer him, but so brokenly and confusedly thatI could hear no words. 

"No, no, " said His Majesty, "I do very well now. "

 * * * * *

I came down the stairs again, shaking all over. I cannot say howaffected I was to hear his voice again; and I think there could scarcebe a man in the place any less affected. He was a man who compelled lovein an extraordinary fashion. I felt that if he died I could bear no moreat all. 

I was walking up and down again very softly, when the door into theBedchamber was noiselessly pulled open, and Mr. Chiffinch came down thestairs. That dreadful look of tightness and pain was gone from his face:he was almost smiling. He nodded at me, very cheerful. 

"He is better. The King's Majesty is much better, " he whispered. Thenhis face twitched with emotion; and I saw that he was very near crying. I was not far from it myself. 

CHAPTER IX

How the hours of that day went by I scarcely know at all. I went back todine in my lodgings, and to counter-order all preparations for my goingon the morrow, so soon as I knew that His Majesty was out of anyimmediate danger; for I could not find it in my heart to leave townuntil he was altogether recovered. In the afternoon, before going backto inquire how he was, I walked a good while in the court and the PrivyGarden, though the day was very raw and cold. 

Whitehall had been put as in a state of siege from the first moment thatthe King's illness was known. The gates were closed to all but those whohad lodgings in the Palace, and those who were allowed special entry byHis Royal Highness. The sentries everywhere were greatly augmented; bothhorse and foot were placed at every entrance; and the greateststrictness was observed that no letter should pass out either to HisGrace of Monmouth or to the Prince of Orange: even M. Barillon had butpermission to send one letter to the French King as to His Majesty'sstate. All this was to hinder any rising or invasion that might be madeeither within or without the kingdom. I was in the court when thecouriers rode out with despatches to the Lords Lieutenant of theCounties with advices as to what to do should His Majesty die; and I wasthere too when the deputies came from the Lord Mayor and Aldermen andLieutenants of the City to inquire for the King and to assure His RoyalHighness of their loyalty and support. This was of the greatestsatisfaction to the Duke; for I suppose that he did not feel verysecure. 

A little before supper I went round to Mr. Chiffinch's; and, by thegreatest good fortune found him on the point of returning to HisMajesty's lodgings. He gave me an excellent account as we went together. 

"The physicians declare, " said he, "that His Majesty is out of danger:and bath permitted the Duke to tell the foreign ministers so. They havehad another consultation on him; and have prescribed God knows what!Cowslip and Sal of Ammoniac, sneezing mixtures, plasters for his feet;and he is to have broth and ale to his supper. They are determined tocatch hold of his disorder somehow, if not by one thing then by another. To tell the truth I think they know not at all what is the matter withhim. They have taken near thirty ounces of blood from him too, to-day. If the King were not a giant for health he would have died of hisremedies, I think!"

He talked so; but he was in very cheerful spirits; and before he left meat the door of the lodgings I had got an order from him to admit meeverywhere within reason. It was something of a surprise to me to seehow dearly this man--whose name was so evil spoken of, and, I fear withgood cause enough--yet loved his master. 

 * * * * *

On Tuesday morning I was up again very early, and round at His Majesty'slodgings. I went up by the other way and into the great antechamber; andthere I met with one of the physicians who was just come from theconsultation that twelve of them had held together. He was a verycommunicative fellow and told me that six of them had been with HisMajesty all night, and that His Majesty had slept pretty well; andthat--to encourage him, I suppose!--ten more ounces of blood had beentaken from his neck. He was proceeding to speak of some newremedies--and mentioned an anti-spasmodic julep of Black Cherry Waterthat had been prescribed, when another put out his head and called tohim from the Bedchamber; and he went away back into it with an importantair. 

All that day too I never left Whitehall. There were great crowds in allthe streets and outside the gates, I heard, but their demeanour was veryquiet and sorrowful; and prayers were said all day long in the churches. When I went back to the antechamber in the evening I saw my Lord Bishopof Ely there, and heard from one of the pages that he was to spend thatnight in His Majesty's room. So I gathered from that that the physicianswere not very confident even yet, though couriers had been sent outagain to-day to bear the news of the King's happy recovery; and I was, besides, in two minds, when I saw the Bishop there, as to what I shoulddo about a Catholic priest. If I had seen His Royal Highness then, Ithink I should have said something to him upon it; but the Duke was inthe Bedchamber; and there I dared not yet penetrate. 

 * * * * *

On the Wednesday morning, when I went early to inquire, I heard thatagain His Majesty had slept well, and that the physicians were wellsatisfied; I saw no one but a man of Mr. Chiffinch's, who told me that;and that Dr. Ken, my Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, was with the King;and I went away content: but when I went back again, for the third timethat day, just before supper-time, I saw from the faces in theantechamber that all was not so well. Yet I could get nothing out ofanyone, and did not wish to press too hard lest I should be turned outaltogether. I saw my friend of yesterday, whose name I have never yetlearned, hurrying across the end of the chamber into another little roomwhere the physicians had their consultations--(it was, I think, my LordAilesbury's dressing-room)--but I was not in time to catch him; so Iwent away again in some little dismay, yet not greatly alarmed even now. The Bishop, I thought, could at least do him no great harm. 

On the Thursday morning, before I was dressed, my man brought me the_London Gazette_ that had been printed about six o'clock the eveningbefore. The announcement as to the King's health ran as follows. (I cutout the passage then and there and put it in my diary. )

 * * * * *

 "At the Council Chamber, Whitehall, the 4th of February, 1684 [1685 N. S. ], at five in the afternoon. 

 "The Lords of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council have thought fit, for preventing false reports, I make known that His Majesty, upon Monday morning last, was seized with a violent fit that gave great cause to fear the issue of it; but after some hours an amendment appeared, which with the blessing of God being improved by the application of proper and seasonable remedies, is now so advanced, that the physicians have this day as well as yesterday given this account to the Council, viz. --That they conceive His Majesty to be in a condition of safety, and that he will in a few days be freed from his distemper. 

 "JOHN NICHOLAS. "

Yes, thought I, that is all very well; but what of yesterday after fiveo'clock, and what of this morning?

 * * * * *

As I went to His Majesty's lodgings an hour afterwards I heard the bellsfrom the churches beginning to peal, to call the folks to give thanks;yet the faces within the Palace were very different. When I went up intothe great antechamber, the physicians were just dispersing; and, by goodfortune I was at hand when my Lord Keeper North questioned Sir CharlesScarburgh as he went back to His Majesty's chamber. 

"Well?" said he, very short. "What do you say to-day?"

"My Lord!" said Sir Charles, "we conclude that His Majesty hath anintermittent fever. "

"And what the devil of that?" asked my Lord. "Could anything be worse?"

(There was a little group round them by now; and I could see one of theBishops listening a little way off. )

"My Lord, " said the other, "at least we know now what to do. "

"And what is that?" snapped my Lord who seemed in a very ill humour. 

"To give the Cortex, my Lord, " said Sir Charles with great dignity; forindeed the manner of my Lord was most insolent. 

My Lord grunted at that. 

"Peruvian Bark, my Lord, " said the physician, as if speaking to a child. 

Well; there was no more to be got that morning. I was in and out for alittle, again in two minds as to what to do. His Royal Highness wentthrough the antechamber at one time (to meet M. Barillon, as I sawpresently, and conduct him to the King's chamber), a little beforedinner, but at such a quickness, and with such sorrow in his face that Idared not speak to him. I went back to dinner; and fell asleepafterwards in my chair, so greatly was I wearied out with anxiety; anddid not wake till near four o'clock. Then, thank God! I did awake; and, with all speed went again to His Majesty's lodgings; and this time, guided, I suppose, by Divine Providence, for I had no clear intention inwhat I did, I went up the private way, through the King's closet where Ifound no one, down the steps, and so into the little chamber where I hadtalked with Mr. Chiffinch on the first morning of His Majesty'sdistemper. 

The chamber was empty; but immediately after I had entered--firstknocking, and getting no answer--who should come through, his face alldistorted with sorrow, but Mr. Chiffinch himself! There was but onecandle on the table, but by its light, I saw how it was with him. 

I went up immediately, and took him by the arms; he stared at me like aterrified child. 

"My friend, " said I, "I must have no further delay. You must take me toHis Majesty. "

He shook his head violently; but he could not speak. As for me, all myresolution rose up as never before. 

I gripped him tighter. 

"I ask but five minutes, " I said. "But that I must have!"

"I--I cannot, " said he, very low. 

I let go of him, and went straight towards the steps that led up intoHis Majesty's room. As I reached the foot of them, he had seized my armfrom behind. 

"Where are you going?" he whispered sharply. "That is the way to theKing's room. "

I turned and looked at him. 

"Yes, " I said very slowly, "I know that. "

"Well--well, you cannot, " he stammered. 

"Then you must take me, " I said. 

He still stared at me as if either he or I were mad. Then, of a suddenhis face changed; and he nodded. I could see how distraught he was, andunsettled. 

"I will take you, " he whispered, "I will take you, Mr. Mallock. ForGod's sake, Mr. Mallock--"

He went up the steps before me, in his soft shoes; and I went after, asquietly as I could. As he put his hand on the handle he turned again. 

"For Christ's sake!" he whispered in a terrible soft voice. "ForChrist's sake! It must be but five minutes. I am sent to fetch theBishops, Mr. Mallock. "

He opened the door a little, and peered in. I could see nothing, so darkwas the chamber within--but the candles at the further end and a fewfaces far away. A great curtain, as a wall, shut off all view to myleft. 

"Quick, Mr. Mallock, " he whispered, turning back to me. "This side ofthe bed is clear. Go in quick; he is turned on this side. I will fetchyou out this way again. "

He was his own man again, swift and prompt and steady. As for me, thebeating of my heart made me near sick. Then I felt myself pushed withinthe chamber; and heard the door close softly behind me. 

 * * * * *

At first I could see nothing on this side, as I had been staring overthe candle just now, except a group of persons at the further end of thegreat room, and among them the white of a Bishop's rochet; and thecandlelight and firelight on the roof. The clocks were all chiming fouras I came in, and drowned, I suppose, the sounds of my coming. 

Then, almost immediately I saw that the curtains were drawn back on thisside of the great bed that stood in this end of the room, and that theywere partly drawn forward on the other side, so as to shroud from thecandlelight him who lay within them, and beneath the Royal Arms ofEngland emblazoned on the state. 

And then I saw him. 

He was lying over on this side of the bed, propped on high pillows, butleaning all over, and breathing loudly. His left, arm was flung over thecoverlet; and his fingers contracted and opened and contracted again. Iwent forward swiftly and noiselessly, threw myself on my knees, laid myhand softly beneath his, and kissed it. 

"Eh? eh?" murmured the heavy voice. "Who is it?"

I saw the curtain on the other side pulled a little, and the face of SirCharles Scarburgh all in shadow peer in: it looked very lean and sharpand high-browed. The King flapped his hand in a gesture of dismissal, and the face vanished again. 

"Sir, " whispered I, very earnestly, yet so low that I think none but hecould have heard me. "Sir: it is Roger Mallock--"

"Mallock, " repeated the voice; yet so low that it could not have beenunderstood by any but me. His face was very near to me; and it wasshockingly lined and patched, and the eyes terribly hollow and languid:but there was intelligence in them. 

"Sir, " said I, "you spoke to me once of an apostleship. "

"So I did, " murmured the voice. "So I--"

"Sir: I am come to fulfill it. It is not too late. Sir; the Bishops aresent for. Have nothing to say to them! Sir, let me get you a truepriest--For Christ's sake!"

The cold fingers that I yet held, twitched and pressed on mine. I wassure that he understood. 

He drew a long breath. 

"And what of poor little Ken?" he murmured. "Poor little Ken: he willbreak his heart--if he may not say his prayers. "

"Let him say what he will, Sir. But no sacrament! Let me send for apriest!"

There was a long silence. He sighed once or twice. His fingers all thewhile twitched in mine, pressing on them, and opening again. Ah! how Iprayed in my heart; to Mary conceived without sin to pray for this poorsoul that had such a load on him. The minutes were passing. I thought, maybe, he was unconscious again. And the Bishops, if they were in thePalace, might be here at any instant, and all undone. I am not ashamedto say that I entreated even my own dear love to pray for us. She hadlaid down her life in his service and mine. Might it not be, thought I, even in this agony, that by God's permission, she were near to help me?

He stirred again at last. 

"Going to be a monk, " said he, "going to be a monk, Roger Mallock. Prayfor me, Roger Mallock, when you be a monk. "

"Sir--"

He went on as if he had not heard me. 

"Yes, " murmured he. "A very good idea. But you will never do it. Go toFubbs, Roger Mallock. Fubbs will do it. "

"For a priest, Sir?" whispered I, scarcely able to believe that hemeant it. 

"Yes, " he murmured again, "for a priest. Yes: for God's sake. Fubbs willdo it. Fubbs is always--"

His voice trailed off into silence once more; and his fingers relaxed. At the same instant I heard the door open softly behind, and, turning, Isaw the page's face again, lean and anxious, peering in at me. Then hisfinger appeared in the line of light, beckoning. 

I kissed the loose cold fingers once again; rose up and went out ontip-toe. 

CHAPTER X

Then began for me the most amazing adventure of all. My adventures hadindeed been very surprising--some of them; and my last I had thought tobe the greatest of all, and the most heart-breaking, in the yard of theTheatre Royal. I had thought that that had drained the last energy fromme and that I had no desires left except of the peace of the cloisterand death itself. Yet after my words with the King and his to me, thereawakened that in me which I had thought already dead--a fierceovermastering ambition to accomplish one more task that was the greatestof them all and to get salvation to the man who had again and againflouted and neglected me, whom yet I loved as I had never yet loved anyman. As I went to and fro, as I shall now relate, until I saw him again, there went with me the vision of him and of his fallen death-strickenface there in the shadow of the great bed; and there went with me too, Ithink, the eager presence of my own love, near as warm as in life. 

"What shall we do next? What shall we do next, Dolly?" I caught myselfmurmuring more than once as I ran here and there; and I had almost swornthat she whispered back to me, and that her breath was in my hair. 

 * * * * *

Within five minutes of my having left the King's bedchamber, I wasrunning up the stairs to Her Grace of Portsmouth's lodgings. I had saidscarce a word to Mr. Chiffinch when I came out into the little anteroom, except that I was sent on a message by His Majesty; and he stared on meas if I were mad. Then I was out again by the private way, through thecloset and the rooms beyond, and down the staircase. 

At the door of Her Grace's lodgings there stood a sentry who lowered hispike as I came up, to bar my way. 

"Out of the way, man!" I cried at him. "I am on His Majesty's business. "

He too stared on me, and faltered, lifting his pike a little. All weredistraught by the news that was run like fire about the place that theKing was dying, or he would never have let me through. But I was pasthim before he could change his mind again, and through a compile ofantechambers in one of which a page started up to know my business, butI was past him as if he were no more than a shadow. 

Then I was in the great gallery, where I had sat with the King and hiscompany but four days ago. 

 * * * * *

It presented a very different appearance now. Then it had been allablaze with lights and merry with laughter and music. Now it was lit bybut a pair of candles over the hearth and, the glow of a dying fire. Overhead the high roof glimmered into darkness, and the gorgeousfurniture was no more than dimness. I stopped short on the threshold, bewildered at the gloom, thinking that the chamber was empty; then I sawthat a woman had raised herself from the great couch on which the Kinghad lolled with his little dogs last Sunday night, and was staring at melike a ghost. 

At that sight I ran forward and kneeled down on one knee. 

"Madame, " I said in French, "His Majesty hath sent me--"

At that she was up, and had me by the shoulders. Her face was ghastly, all slobbered over with crying, and her eyes sunken and her lips pale aswax. God knows what she was dressed in; for I do not. 

"His Majesty, " she cried, "His Majesty! He is not dead! For the love ofGod--"

I stood up; she still gripped me like a fury. 

"No, Madame, " said I, "His Majesty is not dead. He hath sent me. I spokewith him not five minutes ago. But he is very near death. "

"He hath sent for me! He hath sent for me!" she screamed, as if inmingled joy and terror. 

"No, Madame; but he hath sent to you. His Majesty desires you to get hima priest. "

Her hands relaxed and fell to her side. I do not know what she thought. I do not judge her. But I thought that she hesitated. I fell on my kneesagain; and seized her hand. I would have kneeled to the Devil, if hecould have helped me then. 

"Madame--for the love of Christ do as the King asks! He desires apriest. For the love of Christ, Madame!"

She was still silent for an instant, staring down on me. Then she toreher hand free, and I thought she would refuse me. But she caught meagain by the shoulders. 

"Stand up, sir; stand up. I--I will do whatever the King desires. Butwhat can I do? God! there is someone coming!"

There came very plainly, through the antechambers I had just runthrough, the tramp of feet. I stood, as in a paralysis, not knowing whatto do next. Then she seized on me again as the steps came near. 

"Stand back, " she said, "stand back, sir. I must see--"

There came a knocking on the door as I sprang back away from the hearth, and stood out of the firelight. Then the door opened, as Her Grace madeno answer, and the page whom I had seen just now stood bowing upon thethreshold. 

"Madame, " said he. "M. Barillon, the French ambassador--"

She made a swift gesture, and he fell back. There was a pause; and then, through the door came M. Barillon, very upright and lean, walkingquickly, all alone. He stopped short when he saw Her Grace, put hisheels together and bowed very low. 

She was at him in an instant. 

"Monsieur!" she cried. "Yon are come in the very nick of time. How isHis Majesty?"

He said nothing as he walked with her towards the hearth. She stood, waiting, with her hands clasped, and a face of extraordinary anguish. 

"Madame, " he said, "there is very bad news. I am come on behalf of HisMajesty King Louis--"

"Sh!" she hissed at him, with a quick gesture to where I stood. He hadnot observed me. He straightened himself, as he saw me, and then bowed alittle. 

The Duchess went on with extraordinary rapidity, still talking inFrench. 

"This is Mr. Mallock, " said she, "Mr. Mallock--but just now come fromHis Majesty. He brings me very grave news. Monsieur Barillon, you willhelp us, will you not? You will help us, surely?"

All her anguish had passed into an extraordinary pleading: she was as achild begging for life. 

"Madame--" began the ambassador. 

"Ah! listen, Monsieur, the king desires a priest. He is a Catholic atheart, you know. He hath been a Catholic at heart a long time, eversince--" she broke off. "You will help us, will you not, Monsieur?"

He threw out his hands: but she paid no attention. 

"Monsieur, I swear to you that it is so. Yet what can I do? I cannot goto him, with decency. The Queen is there continually, I hear. The Dukeis taken up with a thousand affairs and does not think of it. Go to theDuke, I entreat you, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur; go to the Duke and tell himwhat I say. Mr. Mallock shall go with you. He is a friend of the Duke. He will bear me out. Monsieur, for the love of God lose no time. Comeand see me again; but go now, or it may be too late. Monsieur, I entreatyou. "

She had seized him by the arm as she spoke. Even his rigid face twitcheda little at the violence of her pleading. I knew well what was in hismind, and how he wondered whether he dared do as she asked him. God knewwhat complications might follow!

"Monsieur--"

He nodded suddenly and sharply. 

"Madame, " said he, "I will go. Mr. Mallock--"

He bowed to me. 

"Ah! God bless you, sir--"

He stooped suddenly to her hand, lifted it and kissed it. I think inthat moment something of the compassion of the Saviour Himself fell onhim for this poor woman who yet might be forgiven much, for indeed, under all her foolishness and sin, she loved very ardently. Then hewheeled and went out of the room again; and I followed. No sound camefrom the Duchess as we left her there in the half lit twilight. She wasstanding with her hands clasped, staring after us as we went out. 

 * * * * *

He said nothing as we passed again through the anterooms and down thestairs. Then, as we went on through the next gallery he spoke to me. Hismen were a good way behind us, and another in front. 

"Mr. Mallock, " said he--(for he had known me well enough inFrance)--"His Majesty told you this himself?"

"Yes, sir, " said I, "not a quarter of an hour ago. "

"Then the Duke is our only chance, " he said. 

He said no more till we came to the great antechamber by the King'sbedroom. It was half full of people; but the Duke was nowhere to beseen. I waited by the door as M. Barillon went forward and spoke tosomeone. Then he came back to me. 

"The Duke is with the Queen, " he said. "We must go to him there. "

It was enough to send a man mad so to seek person after person in such asimple matter as this. Why in God's name, I wondered, might not even aKing die in what religion he liked, without all this plotting andconspiring? Was I never to be free from these things?

At the door to the Queen's apartments M. Barillon turned to me. 

"You had best wait here, sir, " he said. "I will speak with the Dukeprivately first. "

He was admitted instantly so soon as he knocked; and went throughleaving me in a little gallery. 

 * * * * *

Of all that went through my mind as I walked up and down, with a pagewatching me from the door, I can give no account at all. Again one halfof my attention was fixed, though with out any coherency, on thebusiness I was at; the other half observed the carpet under my feet, the cabinets along the wall, and the pictures. It was not near assplendid as were the rooms I had left so short a while ago. 

I had not to wait long. There was a sudden talking of voices beyond thedoor that the Ambassador had just passed through; and I heard the Duke'stones very plain. Then the page stiffened to attention, the door wasflung open suddenly, and the Duke came out alone at a great pace, leaving the door open behind him. He never saw me at all. The pagedarted after him, and the two disappeared together round the corner inthe direction of the King's rooms. As soon as they were gone, M. Barillon came out and beckoned to me; and together we went up and downthe gallery. 

"You are perfectly right, sir, " he said. "His Royal Highness shewedgreat sorrow for not leaving thought of it. He is gone instantly to HisMajesty. "

"He will fetch a priest?"

"He will speak to His Majesty first. He will find out, at least, what hethinks. "

"But, good God!" said I. "His Majesty hath told me himself what hewishes. "

"You must let His Royal Highness do it in his own way, " he said. "Hemust not be pushed. But I think you have done the trick, Mr. Mallock. "

"How is Her Majesty?" I asked abruptly. 

"The physicians have been at her too, " he said dryly. "She had afainting-fit just now in His Majesty's presence; and they have beenblooding her. "

"What priest can be got?" I asked next. 

He made a gesture towards the chamber he had just come out of. 

"There is a pack of them in there, " he said, "next to Her Majesty'sprivate closet. They have been praying all day in the oratory. "

 * * * * *

It was fallen dark by now; for it was long after five o'clock; and therewere no candles lighted here. We went up and down a good while longer, for the most part in silence, speaking of this and that; and I will notdeny that we talked a little of French affairs, though God knows I wasin no heart for that, and answered very indifferently. It appeared to meextraordinary that a man could think of such little things as theaffairs of kingdoms when an immortal soul was at stake. 

A little before six o'clock, when at last the servants brought lights, the Ambassador left me again to go in to see the Queen, leaving me towatch for the Duke; and I had not very long to wait, for soon after Ihad heard a clock chime the hour, His Royal Highness came again, walkingvery quickly as before; and, when he saw me waiting there, beckoned meto follow him. We went through two or three rooms, all lighted up andempty--the Duke sending a page to fetch M. Barillon out of the Queen'sprivate closet where he was talking with her--into a little chamberthat looked out upon the court, where there was a fire lighted. We hadhardly got there before the Ambassador came, all in haste, to hear whathad been done. 

"I have spoken with His Majesty, " said the Duke, looking very white anddrawn in the face. "He is in most excellent dispositions. He tells methat he hath put off the Bishops and has not received the sacrament fromthem and will not. "

"And what of a priest, Sir?" asked the Ambassador sharply. 

"I did not speak to him of that, " answered the Duke so pompously that Iraged to hear him. "He said that Dr. Ken hath read prayers over him, andtold him that he need make no confession unless he willed; and that hewilled not, and did not; but that Dr. Ken read an absolution over himwhich he values not at a straw. "

"Sir, " said I, very boldly, "this is very pretty talk; but it is not apriest. His Majesty wishes for a priest; he told me so himself. "

The Duke turned on me very hotly. 

"Eh, sir?"

I made haste to swallow down my wrath. 

"Sir, " I said, "I did not mean to be discourteous. But I assure YourRoyal Highness that the King said so to me expressly. It is his immortalsoul that is at stake. "

Then I understood what was the matter. The Duke flung out his hands asif in despair. 

"But what can I do?" he cried. "I am watched every instant. They willnot leave me alone with him. Dr. Ken eyed me very sharply. They suspectsomething--I know they do--from my brother's having refused theirministrations. How can I get a priest to him?"

Then again, by God's inspiration as I truly believe, a thought came tome. 

"Sir, " I said, "I myself spoke with the King a while ago: and I do notthink that a soul saw who I was. I came through the little door at theback of the bed. Why should not--"

The Ambassador struck his hands together. 

"_Bon Dieu_!" he said. "I believe Mr. Mallock hath hit it again. "

The Duke turned and eyed me very sternly. 

"Well, sir, what is your plan?"

"Sir, " I said, "let the chamber be cleared, or almost. Then let M. Barillon here go in as if he had a message from the French King. Whilehe is there let a priest be brought by the back way, not through theantechamber at all--"

M. Barillon held up his hand. 

"There would not be time, " he said. "It does not take half an hour todeliver a message; and the priest's business would take full half anhour?"

"No! no!" cried James. "They would suspect something. Let Her Majestycome again to take her leave of the King; and then I will go in afterfor the same thing. While we are there, let the priest come, as Mr. Mallock has said--"

"Sir, " said the Ambassador, "we must not have too many folks in thisbusiness--"

All this bargaining drove me near mad. Once more I broke in; and thistime with more effect. 

"Sir, " I said to the Duke, "I entreat you to hear me. There is thelittle room at the back of His Majesty's bed, all ready, and empty too. We do not need all these devices. If you, Sir, will go to the King andprepare him for it, I will find a priest and bring him up the other way. I do not believe that even if there were folks in the bedchamber theywould hear what passed. "

"Which way would the priest come?" asked the Duke. 

"There is a little stair in the corner of the room--"

"God! There is, " cried the Duke. "I had forgotten it. "

We stared on one another in silence. My mind raced like a mill. Thenonce more the Duke near ruined the whole design by his diplomacy. 

"Gentlemen, " he said, "we are too precipitate. His Majesty hath not yettold me that he wishes for a priest--"

"Sir--" I began in desperation. 

He looked at me so fiercely that I stopped. 

"Listen to me, " said he very imperiously. "I will have it my own way. M. Barillon, do you come with me now to His Majesty. I will bid the companywithdraw into the antechamber--Bishops and all--on the pretext that Iwish to consult with my brother privately. M. Barillon shall be in thedoorway that none may come through. Mr. Mallock shall be with thecompany and hear what they say. Then, if the King wishes for a priest, we will consult again here, and see if Mr. Mallock's plan is a possibleone. "

He strode towards the door. There was no more to be said. It was adreadful risk that we ran in so long delaying; but there was nogainsaying James when he had made up his mind. 

 * * * * *

The great antechamber was near full of folks of all kinds when we threecame to it again. They fell back as they saw the Duke; and he passedstraight through, as was arranged, with M. Barillon, leaving me behind, near the door. The King's bedchamber was pretty dark, and I could see nomore of the bed at the far distant end than its curtains. 

Presently I heard the Duke in a low voice saying something to thecompany that was within: and immediately they began to come out, threeor four Bishops, among them, my Lord Halifax, Lord Keeper North, and myLord Craven; I noticed that M. Barillon was very careful to let all inthe antechamber have a clear view of the bed, at which, by now the Dukewas kneeling down, having drawn back the curtains a little, yet not somuch as to shew us the King lying there. 

Round about me they talked very little, though I saw the Bishopswhispering together. The two brothers spoke together, very low, for tenminutes or a quarter of an hour; and I could hear the murmur of theDuke's voice. Of His Majesty's I heard nothing except that twice hesaid, very clear:

"Yes. .. . Yes, with all my heart. "

And I thanked God when I heard that. 

 * * * * *

Yet, even so, all was not yet done. 

So soon as I saw the Duke stand up again from his kneeling, and comingdown the chamber, I slipped away to the door that leads out towards HerMajesty's apartments, that I might be ready for him. I saw him comethrough, all the people standing and bowing to him, and M. Barillonfollowing him; and I noticed in particular a young gentleman whose nameI did not know at that time--(it was the Comte de Castelmelhor, a verygood Catholic)--standing out, a little by himself. I noticed this manbecause I saw that the Duke looked at him as he came and presentlysigned to him very slightly, with his head, to follow. So all four of uspassed through the door into the long gallery that unites theirMajesties' apartments and found ourselves alone in it. The Count was alittle behind. 

"He has consented, " said the Duke in a low voice, "to my bringing him apriest. We must send for one. But I dare not bring one of the Duchess':they are too well-known. "

"Sir, " said Monsieur Barillon, "I will do so with pleasure. Why not oneof Her Majesty's priests?"

The Duke nodded. We three were all standing together about the middle ofthe gallery. The Comte de Castelmelhor was halted, uncovered, a littlebehind us. The Duke turned to him. 

"Count, " said he, speaking in French, "we are on a very urgent business. His Majesty hath consented that a priest should come to him. Will yougo for us to the Queen and ask for one of her chaplains?"

The young man flushed up with pleasure. 

"With all my heart, Sir, " he said. "Which priest shall I ask for? Isthere one that can speak English?"

The Duke struck his forehead with his open hand. 

"Lord!" he said. "I never thought of that. We must have an Englishman. Where shall we send?"

"Sir, " said the Ambassador; "there is one at least at the VenetianResident's. "

Again I broke in. (My impatience drove me near mad. Time was passingquickly. I could have fetched a priest myself ten times over if the Dukehad but allowed me to go in the beginning. )

"Sir, " said I, "for God's sake let me go first to Her Majesty'sapartments. I'll be bound there's one at least there that knows English. Let this gentleman come with me. "

The Duke stared at me as if bewildered. I think he saw that he had donelittle but hinder the business, so far. 

"Go, " he said suddenly. "Go both of you together--Stay. Bring a priestwith you, if you can find one, to the little room behind the King's bed;but bring him up the stairs the other way. Bid him stay till I sendChiffinch to him. "

Then we were gone at full speed. 

CHAPTER XI

It was eight o'clock at night; and the priest and I were still waitingin the little room; and no word was come through from the Bedchamber, beyond that Mr. Chiffinch had come through once to bid us be ready. 

 * * * * *

Once again God had favoured us in spite of all our blunders. The Countand I had run together through to Her Majesty's lodging and there we hadfound, as I knew we should, a priest that knew English. But I had notthought that God's Hand should be so visible in the matter as that weshould find none other but Mr. Huddleston himself, the Scotsman, thathad saved the King's life after the battle of Worcester. There was avery particular seemliness in this--though I had not much time to thinkof it then. But our difficulties were not all over. 

First, Mr. Huddleston declared that he had never reconciled a convert inhis life; and did not know how to set about it. Next he said that he wasthe worst man in the world to do it, as his face was very well known, and that he would surely be suspected if he were seen: and third thatthe Most Holy Sacrament was not in Whitehall at all, and that thereforehe could not give _Viaticum. _ He looked very agitated, in spite of hisruddy face. 

I was amazed at the man; but I forced myself to treat him with patience, for he was the only priest we could get. 

First I told him that nothing was needed but to hear the King'sconfession, give him absolution and anoint him: next, that we woulddisguise him in a great periwig and a gown, such as the ProtestantDivines wore--(for, as I spoke, I actually spied such a gown hanging onthe wall of the chamber in which I was speaking with him). Third, thatanother priest could go to St. James' and bring the Most Holy Sacramentto him from there. 

At that point Father Bento de Lemoz, who was listening to our talk, came forward and interposed. He would get a little Ritual directly, hesaid (in very poor English)--that had in it all that was necessary: andhe would go himself, not to St. James', for that was too far off, but toSomerset House, and get the Holy Sacrament from the royal chapel there. Mr. Huddleston had nothing to say to that; and in five minutes we hadhim in his periwig and gown, with the book in his pocket, with the holyoils, and away downstairs, and along the passage beneath, and up againby the little winding stair into the chamber beyond the King's bed. Igave him no time to think of any more objections. 

 * * * * *

That was a very strange vigil that we held for very near, I shouldthink, twenty minutes or half an hour. We both sat there togetherwithout speaking. For the most of the time Mr. Huddleston was reading inhis Ritual, and I could see his brow furrowed and his lips moving, as beconned over all that he would have to do and say to His Majesty. He wasa man, as he had said, completely unaccustomed to such ministrations, though he was a very good man and a good priest too, in other matters. After a while he laid aside his book, and prayed, I think, for hecovered his face with his hands. 

 * * * * *

A minute or two later I could bear the delay no longer. I rose and wentup the three or four steps that led to the King's Bedchamber, andlistened. There was a low murmur of voices within; so that it seemed tome that the room was not yet cleared. I put my hand upon the door andpushed it a little; and to my satisfaction it was not latched, butopened an inch or two. But someone was standing immediately on the otherside of it. I stepped back, and the door opened again just enough for meto see the face of Mr. Chiffinch. He looked past me quickly to see thatthe priest was there, I suppose, and then nodded at me two or threetimes. Then he pushed the door almost to, again. A moment after I heardthe Duke's voice within, a little unsteady, but very clear and distinct. He was standing up, I think, on the far side of the bed. 

"Gentlemen, " he said, "the King wishes all to retire excepting theEarls of Bath and Feversham. "

(Bath and Feversham! thought I. Why those two, in God's name, that weresuch a pair of Protestants? But, indeed, it was the one good stroke thatthe Duke made, for the names reassured, as I heard afterwards, all thathad any suspicions, and even the Bishops themselves. )

There was a rustle of footsteps, very plain, that followed the Duke'swords. I turned to the room behind me, again, and saw that Mr. Huddleston too had heard what had passed. He was standing up, very paleand agitated, with the book clasped in his hands. I moved down the stepsagain so as not to block the way; and again there followed a silence, inthe midst of which I heard a door latched somewhere in the Bedchamber. 

Then, suddenly, the door opened at the head of the stairs; and the Dukestood there, he too as pale as death. He nodded once, very emphatically, and disappeared again. Then the priest went by me without a word, up thesteps and so through. The door, as before, remained a crack open. I wentup to it, and put my eye to the crack. 

On the left was the end of the bed, with the curtains drawn across it;and beyond the bed I could see the whole room down to the end, for thecandles were burning everywhere, as well as the fire. I could see thegreat table before the hearth, the physician's instruments and bottlesand cupping-glasses upon it, the chairs about it; the tall furnitureagainst the walls, and at least half a dozen clocks, whose ticking wasvery plain in the silence. Three figures only were visible there. Thatnearest, standing very rigid by the table, was Mr. Chiffinch: of the twobeyond I could recognize only my Lord Bath whose face looked this way:the other I supposed to be my Lord Feversham. The Duke was not withinsight. He was kneeling, I suppose, out of my sight, beyond the bed. 

Then I heard His Majesty's voice very plain, though very weak and slow. 

"Ah!" said he, "you that saved my body is now come to save my soul. "

There was the murmur of the priest's voice in answer. (The two of themwere not more than three or four yards away from me, at the most. ) Thenagain I heard the King, very clear and continuous, though still weak, and not so loud as he had first spoken. 

"Yes, " said he, "I desire to die in the Faith and Communion of the HolyRoman Catholic Church. I am sorry with all my heart that I have deferredit for so long; and for all my sins. "

(He said it quite distinctly, as if he had rehearsed it beforehand. )

Then the priest and he spoke together--the King repeating the priest'swords sometimes, and sometimes volunteering word or two of his own. 

He said that through Christ's Passion he hoped to be saved; that he wasin charity with all the world; that he pardoned his enemies mostheartily, and desired pardon of all whom he had offended; that if Godwould yet spare him, he would amend his life in every particular. 

All that I heard with my own ears, and with inexpressible comfort. HisMajesty's voice was low, but very distinct, though sometimes he spokescarce above a whisper; and I do not think that any man who heard himcould doubt his sincerity--however late it was to shew it. But he wasnot altogether too late, thank God!

 * * * * *

So soon as His Majesty began his confession, after Mr. Huddleston'smoving him to it, I slipped away from the door and began, as softly as Icould to walk up and down the little chamber again. I was satisfiedbeyond measure: yet it seemed to me sometimes near incredible that Ishould in very truth, be here at such a time, and that I should havebeen, under God's merciful Providence, the instrument in such an affair. My life was ended, I knew well enough now, in all matters that the worldcounts life to consist of; yet was there ever such an ending? I had seenall else go from me--my natural activities of every kind, my ambitions, even the most sacred thing that the world can give, after the Love ofGod, and that is the love of a woman! Yet the one purely supernaturalend that I had set before me--that end to which, four days ago, I hadsaid, as I thought, good-bye for ever in the Duchess of Portsmouth'sgallery--this was the one single thing that was mine after all. I couldtake that at least with me into the cloister, and could praise God forit all my life long--I mean the conversion of the man that was calledKing of England, the man who, for all his sins and his treatment of me, I yet loved as I have never loved any other man on earth. I think thatin those minutes of sorrow and joy as I paced up and down the littleroom, my dearest Dolly was not very far away from me and that she knewall that I felt. 

Once--in a loud broken voice through the door--I heard these words:

--"Sweet Jesus. Amen. .. . Mercy, Sweet Jesus, Mercy!"

That was the King's voice that I heard: and I kneeled down when I heardthem. 

 * * * * *

It would be about ten minutes later, as I still kneeled, that I heard, upon the outside of the door that led down the winding stairs, a verysmall tapping. 

I ran to the door to open it, wondering who it could be; for I hadforgotten all about the Portuguese priest, though I had set the candlesready burning, with a napkin on the table between them, in readiness forhis coming. And there he stood, with his eyes cast down, and his handsclasped upon his breast. 

I beckoned him forward, pointing to the table, and kneeled down again. 

He went past me without a word, kneeled himself before the table andthen, unbuttoning his cloak he drew from round his neck the chain andthe Pyx from his breast, and laid it all upon the table, continuinghimself to kneel. 

Presently he turned and looked at me, lifting his brows. 

I knew what he wished; rose from my knees and went up the stairs, butvery cautiously, lest I should hear anything that I should not. Therewas but a very faint murmur of the priest's voice, so I took courage andpushed the door a little open so that I could see the King. 

It was very dark within the curtains, for they were drawn against thecandlelight; but I could see what was passing. His Majesty was lyingflat upon his back, with his hands clasped beneath his chin, and Mr. Huddleston was in the very act of arranging the coverlet over him again, after the last Anointing. As I looked the priest turned and caught myeyes, as he put the oil-stock and the wool away again in his cassockbreast. I nodded three times very emphatically--(His Majesty did not seeme at all, for his eyes were closed)--and went back again down thestairs and kneeled once more. A few moments later Mr. Huddleston camethrough. 

I have never seen so swift a change in any man's face. He had beenterrified as he had gone in--all pale and shaking. Now he was stillpale, but his eyes shone, and there was a look of great assurance in hisface. He came straight down the steps without speaking, kneeled, roseagain, took up the Pyx and the corporal which Father de Lemoz had spreadbeneath it, and passed up and out again. His priesthood, I suppose, hadrisen in him like a great tide, and driven out all other emotions. 

 * * * * *

Again I followed him to the door, and kneeled there where I could see;and then there followed such a scene as I had never dreamed of. 

The curtains on the other side of the bed had been drawn back justenough to admit the face of the Duke who now kneeled there, yet not somuch that any of the three others at the further end of the chambercould see into the bed. The candlelight streamed in through the openingabove the Duke's head; and in it, I saw His Majesty, all weak as he was, striving to rise, with his eyes fixed on That which the priest washolding in his right hand. I saw the priest's left hand go out torestrain him; but I heard the King's voice distinctly. 

"Father, " he said very brokenly, "let me receive my Heavenly Saviour ina better posture than lying on my bed. "

"Sir, " said Mr. Huddleston with great firmness, "lie down again, if youplease. God Almighty who sees your heart will accept your goodintention. "

(But neither of them spoke loud enough to be heard at the further end ofthe great chamber. )

And so he was persuaded to lie down again. 

Then the priest repeated again, still holding the Blessed Sacramentbefore the King's eyes, the Act of Contrition of which I had heard aword or two a while ago; and His Majesty repeated it after him, word forword, very devoutly. 

Then, as the time was short Mr. Huddleston omitted several of the properprayers, and proceeded at once to the Communion, saying but the _AgnusDei_ three times, and then communicating him immediately. With my owneyes I saw that holy act which sealed all and admitted the dying man tosacramental union with his God. His eyes were closed throughout; andwhen it was done he lay as still as a stone, his poor wasted face alldark against the white pillows. I caught a glimpse too of the Duke: hisface was bowed in his hands, and he was weeping so that his shouldersshook with it. 

Presently the priest was reading again as well as he could in a very lowwhisper the prayers for the Recommendation of a Departing Soul, down tothe very end. His Majesty lay motionless throughout. At the end heopened his eyes. 

"Father, " he whispered, "the Act of Contrition once more, if you please. I have sinned, I have sinned very--" He could speak no more forweeping. 

Then, once more, very slowly and tenderly, the priest repeated it; downto _Mercy, Sweet Jesus, Mercy!_ My own eyes were all dim with tears, andas fast as I brushed them away, they came again. When at last I couldsee plainly once more, the priest was holding up a little crucifixbefore the King's eyes; and he made him a short address, very Christianand forcible. I remember near every word of it, as he said it. 

"Lift up the eyes of your soul, Sir, " he said, "and represent toyourself your sweet Saviour here crucified, bowing down His Head to kissyou; His Arms stretched out to embrace you; His Body and members allbloody and pale with death to redeem you. Beseech Him, Sir, with allhumility that His most Precious Blood may not be shed in vain for you;and that it will please Him, by the merits of His bitter Death andPassion, to pardon and forgive you all your offences; and, finally, toreceive your soul into His Blessed Hands; and, when it shall please Himto take it out of this transitory world, to grant you a joyfulresurrection, and an eternal crown of glory in the next. "

He bent lower, making a great sign of the cross with his righthand--(and the King too tried to bless himself in response). 

"In the Name, " said he, "of the Father and of the Son and of the HolyGhost. Amen. "

 * * * * *

One more joy and sorrow all in one was yet to be mine before the end. AsI opened the door for the priest to come back, His Majesty lifted hiseyes and saw me there; and I perceived that he recognized me. The Dukehad already risen up and gone down the room to bid them, I suppose, toopen the door and let the folks in again. Then, as the King's eyes metmy own he made a sign with his head that I should come near. I thinkthat if the chamber had been filled with but one mob of priest-huntersand Protestants, I should have obeyed him then, even though I shouldhave been torn to pieces the next instant. 

I went forward without a word, leaving the door open behind me, andflung myself on my knees at the bedside. 

His Majesty was too weary to speak, but, as I kneeled there, with myface in my hands on the bedclothes, and my tears raining down, he liftedhis right hand and put it on my head, leaving it there for an instant. It was all he could do to thank me; and I value that blessing from him, a penitent sinner as he was, with the Body of our Saviour still in hisbreast, as much as any blessing I have ever had from any man, priest orbishop or Pope. 

As he lifted his hand off again, I caught at it, and kissed it three orfour times, careless whether or no my tears poured down upon it. 

 * * * * *

As I passed back again through the door to where Mr. Huddleston waswaiting for me, I heard the doors at the further end of the chamberunlatched and the footsteps of the folks--physicians, courtiers, Bishopsand the rest--that poured in to see the end. 

EPILOGUE

I have said again and again how strange this or that moment or incidentappeared to me as I experienced it; yet as I sit here now in my cell, thirty years later, looking out upon the cloister-garth with its twistedcolumns, and the cypresses and the grass, it is not so much this or thatthing that appears to me strange, but the whole of my experiences andindeed human life altogether. For what can be more extraordinary than alife which began as mine did, when I first went to England in sixteenhundred and seventy-eight, should be ending as mine will end presently, if God will, as a monk of St. Paul's-Without-the-Walls, in Holy Rome? Towhat purpose, I ask myself, was that part of my life designed by DivineProvidence? For what did I labour so long, when all was to come tonothing? For what was I to learn the passion of human love; if but tolose it again? For what was I to intrigue and spy and labour andadventure my life, for the cause of England and the Catholic Church, when all a year or two later was to fall back, and further than it hadever fallen before, into the darkness of heresy? There is but one effortin all those years of which I saw the fruition, and that was theconversion of my master upon his deathbed. 

However, I have not yet related what passed after I had gone from theKing again, and took Mr. Huddleston downstairs. I will relate that veryshortly; and make an end. I had it all from Mr. Chiffinch before I leftLondon. 

 * * * * *

His Majesty, after we were gone from him, rallied a little, in so far asto make some think that he would recover altogether; but the physicianssaid No; and they were right for near the first time in all theirdiagnosis of his state. But they continued to give him their remedies ofSal Ammoniac and Peruvian Bark, and later the Oriental Bezoar Stone, which is a pebble, I understand, taken from the stomach of a goat. Alsothey blooded him again, twelve ounces more, and all to no purpose. 

His Majesty said a number of things that night that were verycharacteristic of him; for God gave him back his gift of merriment, nowthat he had the Gift of Faith as well: and he shewed a great tendernesstoo from time to time and a very Christian appreciation of his owncondition. 

For example, he said that he was suffering very much, but he thanked Godfor it and that he was able to bear it with patience, as indeed he did. 

Two or three times however he seemed to sigh for death to come quickly;and once he looked round with his old laughter at the solemn faces roundhis bed, and begged their pardon that he was "such an unconscionabletime in dying. " "My work in this world seems over, " he said--"such as ithas been. I pray God I may be at a better occupation presently. "

He thanked His Royal Highness the Duke of York (who was by his bed allthat night, weeping and kissing his hand repeatedly) for all hisattention and love for him, and asked his pardon for any hardship thathad been done to his brother, through his fault. He gave him his clothesand his keys; telling him that all was now his; and that he prayed Godto give him a prosperous reign. 

To Her Majesty who came to see him again about midnight, he shewed thetenderest consideration and love: but the Queen, who swooned again andagain at the sight of him, and had to be carried back to her apartments, sent him a message later begging his pardon for any offence that she hadever done to him. 

"What!" whispered the King. "What! She beg my pardon, poor woman! RatherI beg hers with all my heart. Carry that message back to Her Majesty. "

No less than twice did the King commend the Duchess of Portsmouth to theDuke's care--poor "Fubbs" as he had called her to me. Some blamed himfor thinking of her at all at such a time; as also for bidding hisbrother "not to let poor Nell starve"; but for myself I cannotunderstand such blame at all. If ever there were two poor souls whoneeded care and forgiveness it was those two women, Mrs. Nell and HerGrace. 

All his natural sons were there--all except the Duke of Monmouth whosename never passed his lips from the beginning of his sickness to theend--and these too he recommended to his brother--the three sons of theDuchess of Cleveland, and the rest. I do not wonder that he left out HisGrace of Monmouth: it seems to me very near prophetical of what was tofall presently, when the Duke was to revolt against his new Sovereignand suffer the last penalty for it, at his hands. But His Majestyblessed all the rest of his children one by one, drawing them down tohim upon the bed--they weeping aloud, as I heard. 

A very strange scene followed this. One of the Bishops fell down uponhis knees, and begged him, who was the "Lord's Anointed"--(and anointedtoo, lately, in a fashion the Bishop never dreamed of!)--to bless allthat were there, since they were all his children, and all his subjectstoo. The Bedchamber was now full from end to end; and all the companyfell together upon their knees. His Majesty, raising himself in bed, first begged the pardon of all in a loud voice for anything in which hehad acted contrary to the interests of his country or the principles ofgood government; and then, still in a loud voice, pronounced a blessingon them all. Then he fell back again upon his pillows. 

So that night went slowly by. The dogs were still in the room, whiningfrom time to time, as Mr. Chiffinch told me afterwards--(for it wasthought better that I myself, as one so deeply involved in what hadlately passed should not be present)--and one of the little dogs soughtrepeatedly to leap upon the bed, but was prevented; and at last wascarried away, crying. Again and again first one Bishop and then anotherbegged him to receive the sacrament; but he would not: so they prayed byhim instead, which was all they could do. 

At about six o'clock, when dawn came, he begged that the curtains of hisbed might be drawn back yet further, and the windows opened, that hemight see daylight again and breathe the fresh air: and this was done. Then, at the chiming of the hour by the clocks in the room, heremembered that one of them, which was an eight-day one, should be woundup, for it was a Friday on which it was always wound. And this too wasdone. 

At seven o'clock breathlessness came on him again, and he was compelledto sit up in bed, with his brother's arm about him on one side, and aphysician's upon the other. They blooded him again, to twelve ouncesmore, which I suppose took his last remnant of strength from him; for inspite of their remedies, he sank very rapidly; and about half-past eightlost all power of speech. He kept his consciousness, however, moving hiseyes and shewing that he understood what was said to him till teno'clock; and then he became unconscious altogether. 

At a little before noon, without a struggle or agony of any kind, HisSacred Majesty ceased to breathe. 

Of all that followed, there is no need that I should write; for Iremained in England only till after the funeral in WestminsterAbbey--which was very poorly done--eight days later; and I left on theSunday morning, for Dover, after being present first, for a remembrance, at the first mass celebrated publicly in England, with open doors, inthe presence of the Sovereign, since over a hundred and thirty years. Ihad audience with King James on the night before, when I went to take myleave of him; and he renewed to me the offer of the Viscounty, of whichI think Mr. Chiffinch had spoken to him. But I refused it as courteouslyas I could, telling him that I was for Rome and the cloister. 

All the rest, however, is known by others better than by myself; and theevents that followed. His Majesty shewed himself as he had alwaysbeen--courageous, obstinate, well-intentioned and entirely withoutunderstanding. He was profuse in his promises of religious equality; butslow to observe them. He shewed ruthlessness where he should have shewntenderness, and tenderness where he should have shewn ruthlessness. So, once more, all our labours went for nothing; and William came in; andthe Catholic cause vanished clean out of England until it shall pleaseGod to bring it back again. 

So here I sit near sixty years old, a monk of the Order of Saint Benet, in my cell at St. Paul's-Without-the-Walls. I have been Novice Masterthree times; but I shall never be more than that; for governmentalaffairs and I have said farewell to one another a long while ago. It wasthrough my telling of my adventures to my Novices at recreation-timethat the writing of them down came about; for my Lord Abbot heard ofthem, and put me under obedience to write them down. He did this when heheard one of my Novices name me to another as Father Viscount! I havewritten them, then, down all in full, leaving nothing out except theFrench affairs on which I was put under oath by His Majesty never toreveal anything: I have left out not even the tale of my Cousin Dolly;for I hold that in such a love as was ours there is nothing that a monkneed be ashamed of. I will venture even further than that, and will saythat I am a better monk than I should have been without it; and as onelast piece of rashness I will say that amongst "those good things whichGod hath prepared for them that love Him" in that world which is beyondthis (if I ever come at it by His Grace), will be, I think, the look onmy Cousin Dolly's face when I see her again. 

Of other personages whose acquaintance I made in England--exceptingalways His Majesty, and my master, Charles the Second--I neither speaknor think very much now. My Cousin Tom died of an apoplexy three yearsafter I left England, and God knows who hath Hare Street House to-day!His Majesty James the Second, as all the world knows, made a mostexcellent end of it in France, dying as he had never lived till afterhis coming to France, a very humble and Christian soul. In regard to Mr. Chiffinch, I think of him sometimes and wonder what kind of an end hemade. He was very reprobate while I knew him; yet he had the gift offidelity, and that, I think, must count for something before God whogave it him. Of the ladies of the Court I know nothing at all, nor howthey fared nor how they ended, nor even if they are all dead yet--I meansuch ladies as was Her Grace of Portsmouth. 

But all of them I commend to God every day in my mass living or dead;and trust that all may have found the mercy of God, or may yet find it. But most of all I remember at the altar the names of two persons, thanbetween whom there could be no greater difference in this world--thenames of Dorothy Mary Jermyn, the least of all sinners; and of CharlesStuart, King of England, the greatest of all sinners, yet a penitentone. For these are the two whom I have loved as I can never love anyothers.