in the place."

"Why, who is your master?" I asked.

He did not seem to hear my question, for he went on immediately.

"There are only five of the party, sir," he said. "Two gentlemen and
three servants."

I saw that my Cousin Tom was behind me now; and that Dolly was looking
from the door of the Great Chamber.

"You have not yet told us," I said, "what your master's name is."

"I think, sir, he had best answer that," said the fellow.

Now this might very well be a Catholic, and perhaps an important person
who had heard of Mr. Jermyn, but did not wish to advertise who himself
was. I looked at my Cousin Tom; and thought from his look that the same
thought had come to him.

"Well, Cousin?" I said.

"They had best come in--" he said shortly. "Dolly, rouse some of the
servants. They will want supper, I suppose."

He nodded to the man, who went back immediately; and a minute later two
gentlemen came up the flagged path, also in great cloaks that appeared
soaked with the rain.

"By God, sir!" said the first of them, "we are grateful to you. This is
a wild night."

My Cousin, Tom said something civil, and when the door was shut, helped
this man off with his cloak, while I helped the other. The former was
explaining all the while how they were on their way to town from
Newmarket; and how they had become bogged a little after Barkway, losing
their road in the darkness. They had intended to push on to Waltham
Cross, he said, or Ware at the least, and lie there. He spoke with a
merry easy air that shewed him for a well-bred and pleasant fellow. My
own man said nothing, but left it all to the other.

When I turned to see the one who spoke, I was more surprised than ever
in all my life before; for it was no other than the Duke of Monmouth
himself. He looked a shade older than when I had last seen him in the
park above a year ago; but he was the very same and I could not mistake
him. As for me, he would not know me from Adam, for he had never spoken
with me in all his life. I did not know what to do, as to whether I
should make to recognize him or not; but he saved me the trouble; for as
I followed the others into the Great Chamber, he was already speaking.

"It is very good of you, Mr. Jermyn," he said, "to receive us like this.
My name is Morton, and my friend's here Mr. Atkins. You can put us where
you will--on the floor if you have no other place."

"We can do better than that, sir," said Tom. "There is only my