ght tendency of
every word that he had spoken. William's eyes glistened slightly, and
a glow came up in his pale cheek, but he made no comment till Wilton
seemed inclined to stop. He then bade him again go on, and made him
tell all that had happened till he and Lady Laura had quitted the
house, to make the best of their way to Halstow. He then said--
"Three questions. Why did you not give instant information of this
conspiracy when you came to town?"
"May it please your majesty," replied Wilton, "I found immediately on
my arrival that the conspiracy was discovered, and warrants issued
against the conspirators. Nothing, therefore, remained for me to do,
but to explain to Lord Byerdale the facts, which I did."
"If your majesty remembers," said the gentleman on the King's left,
mingling in the conversation for the first time, "Lord Byerdale said
so."
"Secondly," said the King, "Is it true that this gentleman who came
to your assistance went with you, and under your protection, to the
inn at Halstow, and thence, by your connivance, effected his escape?"
The King's brow was somewhat dark and ominous, and his tone stern, as
he pronounced these words: but Wilton could not evade the question so
put without telling a lie, and he consequently replied at once,
"Sire, he did."
"Now for the third question," said the King,--"What was his real
name?"
Wilton hesitated. He believed he had done right in every respect;
that he had done what he was bound to do in honour; that he had done
what was in reality the best for the King's own service; but yet he
knew not by any means how this act might be looked upon. The minds of
all men were excited, at that moment, to a pitch of indignation
against the whole Jacobite faction, which made the slightest
connivance with any of their practices, the slightest favour shown to
any of their number, a high crime in the eyes of every one. But
Wilton knew that he was, moreover, actually and absolutely punishable
by law as a traitor for what he had done: what he was called upon to
confess was, in the strict letter of the law, quite sufficient to
send him to the Tower, and to bring his neck under the axe; for in
treason all are principals, and he had aided and abetted one marked
as a traitor. But, nevertheless, though he hesitated for a moment
whether he should speak at all, yet he had resolved to do so, and of
course to do so truly, when the King, seeing him pause, and mistaking
the motives, added,--
"You had better tell the truth, sir