ied the other, with a
faint smile, "without any farther burden upon mine. But if it so
please you to wait, do it; but I fear I shall be long."
The visitor, however, signified his acquiescence by bowing his head;
and the other left him without saying anything more.
"Somewhat of the insolence of office!" he said to himself, as his
acquaintance quitted the room: "however, I must not forget the
obligation;" and seating himself, he fell into deep thought, which
seemed of a painful kind; for the muscles of his face moved with the
emotions of his mind, and one or two half-uttered words escaped him.
At length, he seemed weary of his own thoughts, and turning round as
if to look for some occupation for his thoughts, he said, "It matters
not!"
There were no books in the room, nor any pictures; there was nothing
that could attract the eye or amuse the mind, except the beautiful
forms of some of the gilded panel-frames, and the spots of the carpet
beneath his feet. The visitor began to grow weary, and to think that
Lord Portland was very long in returning.
At length, however, when he had been there about half an hour, a
somewhat younger man entered, splendidly dressed according to the
costume of the day, and advancing directly towards the stranger, he
said in very good English--
"My name is Keppel, sir, and I am directed to say that Lord Portland
will really be hardly able to see you to-night, as he is anything but
well; but as it would appear that what you have to say is important,
I wish to know whether it is important to the King or to the Earl
himself. If to the latter, the Earl will see you at two o'clock
to-morrow; if to the King, I am directed to request that you would
communicate it to me, by whom it shall be most faithfully reported,
both to Lord Portland and to the King himself."
"Sir," replied the stranger, "the motive of my coming is on no
private business. It is on business of importance to the state
generally--of the very utmost importance. I had wished to communicate
it to Lord Portland, because that gentleman once performed an act of
great kindness and generosity towards me, and I wished to give him
the means of rendering a great service to his master."
"The King and Lord Portland are both indebted to you, sir," replied
Keppel, better known as the Earl of Albemarle, with a grave smile;
"but in those circumstances, as the greatest favour to all parties,
you will be pleased to communicate anything you have to say to me.
From your whole tone and de