y share of
information, yet the inner room of the St. James's Coffee-house might
be considered as representing the leading article to the newspaper of
the day.
To one or two of these houses, then, Wilton repaired, and found the
whole town still busy with the arrest of Sir John Fenwick, and with
the names of persons he was said to have accused. If the rumours were
to be believed, he had brought charges of one kind or another against
half the high nobility and statesmen of the land. The King's servants
and most familiar friends, many who were still actually employed by
him, and many who had aided to seat him on the throne, were all said
to be accused of treasonable communications with the court of St.
Germain; and Wilton had the satisfaction of thinking, that if there
were, indeed, any safety in numbers, the Duke had that security at
least.
When he had satisfied himself on this point, he returned to his own
house, to meditate upon the best defence which could be set up for
the noble prisoner. None, however, suggested itself better than that
which he had sketched out in his conversation with Sir John Fenwick;
and without loss of time he put it down in writing, in order to take
the Duke's opinion upon it. There was one flaw, indeed, in the chain
which he could not but see, and which he feared might be used by an
enemy to the Duke's disadvantage. He could prove, that after Lady
Laura had been carried away the Duke had no opportunity whatever of
disclosing the plot until it was already discovered; but
unfortunately, between the time of the meeting in Leadenhall-street
and the period at which the conspirators so daringly bore off the
lady from the terrace there had been a lapse of some time, during
which her father might have made any communication to the government
that he liked. There was a hope, however, that this might pass
unremarked; and at all events what he proposed was the only defence
that could be set up.
On the following morning, when he saw the Earl of Byerdale, he
inquired if he had seen the Duke; but found that such was not the
case, business being the excuse for having failed in his promise.
Wilton, however, proceeded to the Tower as soon as he was free, and
found Laura now sharing the apartments assigned to her father, and
striving to support and comfort him, but apparently in vain. The
Duke's mind was still in a terrible state of depression; and the want
of all certain intelligence, the failure of the Earl of Byerdale's
promise, and the absen