my Lord came to me alone, all
smiles.

"I am very glad you are come, Mr. Mallock," he said. "I was sure that
you would. I have a few friends here who meet to talk politics; and they
would greatly like to hear your views on the points. I think I may now
venture to say that we know who you are, Mr. Mallock, and that you have
done a good deal for His Majesty in France. Your opinion then would be
of the greatest interest to us all."

(I understood why he put so much emphasis on France; it was to quiet me
as to any suspicions they thought I might have as to my being the King's
servant in England too.)

I answered him very civilly, smiling as if I was at my ease; and after a
word or two more he took me in. It was a long low room, with a beamed
ceiling and shuttered windows, in which the men were sitting. There were
six of them there; and I knew two of them, immediately. He that sat at
the head of the table, a very grim-looking man, with pointed features,
in an iron-grey peruke, was no other than my Lord Shaftesbury himself;
and the one on his left, with a highish colour in his cheeks, was my
Lord Grey. Of the rest I knew nothing; but those two were enough to shew
me that I must make no mistakes. There were candles on the table.

My Lord Essex smiled as he turned to me.

"Mr. Mallock," he said, "I see you know some of these gentlemen by
sight."

"I know my Lord Shaftesbury, and my Lord Grey by sight," I said, bowing
to each. They each inclined a little in return.

"And this is Mr. West," said my Lord.

This was a very busy-looking active little fellow, with bright dark
eyes. (He had the name of being an atheist, I learned afterwards.)

"Sit down, Mr. Mallock," said my Lord, pointing to a chair on my Lord
Shaftesbury's right. I did so. There was no servant in the room. The two
other men were presently made known to me as a Mr. Sheppard and a Mr.
Goodenough. I knew nothing of either of these two at this time.

Now it may seem that it was extraordinary bold of all these persons to
admit me, believing as they did, that I was on His Majesty's side, and
would reveal all to him; and it was, in one way, bold of them; yet it
was the more clever. For, as will appear, they said nothing to me at
present that could be taken hold of in any way; and yet they sent, or
rather thought they sent, to the King, false news that would help their
cause.

When he had discoursed for a little while on general matters, yet
drawing nearer e