rned to the gaily dressed man we have mentioned, saying, "Charnock,
tell Sir John Friend and Captain Rookwood what we were saying as we
came along; and all that has happened in London."
The dull countenance of Charnock was lighted up in a moment by one of
those quick looks we have mentioned. "Listen, Parkyns, too," he
said, "for you have not heard the whole."
"Be quick, be quick, Charnock," said Sir George Barkley.
"Well, thus it is then, gentlemen," said Charnock--"matters do not
go so favourably as we could have wished. Sir John Fenwick, here,
the most active of us all, had got the Duke of Gaveston to join us
heartily, to concur in the rising, or, at all events, to hear all
that we propose, with a promise of perfect secrecy; but most
unfortunately, at the meeting at the Old King's Head, some one
unwisely suffered it to slip out that we were to have thirty thousand
French troops, forgetting that what is good to tell the lower classes
and those who are timid and fearful of not having means enough, does
not do to be told to the bold and high-minded, who are apt to be
foolishly confident. The Duke cried out at that, and vowed that if
his opinion were to have any weight, or if his co-operation was of
any import, not a foreign soldier should come into the land. This was
bad enough; but we might have smoothed that down, had not Lowick
chanced to hint the plan for getting rid of this Prince of Orange as
the first step. Thereupon both the Duke and the Earl of Aylesbury,
who were present, flew out like fire; and the Duke, vowing he would
hear no more, took up his hat and sword and walked away, in spite of
all that could be said. The Earl, for his part, stayed the business
out, saying, that he would have nothing to do with the affair, but
that he remained to show us that he would not betray anything."
"That is to say," exclaimed one of the others, "that the Duke will
betray all."
"Not exactly," said Sir John Fenwick, with a grim smile. "We have
taken care of that, and perhaps may compel the Duke to join us
whether he likes it or not, when once the matter's done. However, Sir
George and I have determined that it is absolutely necessary and
needful for us all to understand, that we, who take the deeper part
in the matter, must keep our own counsel better for the future. Of
course, we must still endeavour to enrol as many names as possible;
but to all ordinary supporters we must tell nothing more, than that
the general rising is to take place, and that we have