to give it over to them.

"'And is't for rent?' asked I.

"'That it is,' replied she; 'for he who hath the renting of it, one
Whynniard, by name, did offer it for the coming quarter, but it
pleaseth me to store my coals elsewhere.'

"Thou seest, therefore, that this room is for us if we do choose, and
Master Percy, well versed in such matters, has but to bespeak this
Whynniard and possession will be given of a most valuable corner of
the House of Parliament."

This sudden turn of fortune rendered the conspirators for the moment
speechless. Winter was the first to regain his balance.

"It shall be done," cried he; "right glad am I that such a chance hath
come to us. Good Master Percy, bestir thyself, before another seize
the opportunity."

To all, it seemed that the hand of God had opened a way for them, and
Percy made haste to do his errand, and with such success, that ere
another sunrise the room beneath the House of Lords was in the hands
of those who hoped to overthrow the government.

Having gained so easily the place they had sought to acquire by
stealth and painful labor, the conspirators at once set about
conveying into it the powder now stored in the house of Master
Ferrers. Fawkes, to whom this work fell, bought, and ordered deposited
in the chamber, a goodly quantity of coals and faggots, so that one
chancing to enter would note only a pile of such commodities as
dealers in fuel collected for sale. Care was taken that the unfinished
tunnel in the wall should be covered so that none would notice it.
This was easily done by replacing a few of the outer stones and
cementing them together.

Some days yet remained before the opening of Parliament; during that
time Percy, Catesby, Winter and others of the conspirators, formed
such plans as would be to their advantage when the kingdom, shaken to
its center by the death of the King and his ministers, should be
thrown into confusion. As for Fawkes, each day found him in the fatal
cellar, where he studied the condition of his coals and faggots,
making sure that no prying eye had penetrated the covering, under
which was hidden the "devil's powder" awaiting the spark which would
free English Catholics from James of Scotland and his Parliament.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE NOTE OF WARNING.

During the last week of October, sixteen hundred and five, near the
day for the convening of Parliament, Lord Monteagle suddenly appeared
in his house at Hoxton, from which