n tell from the presence of those three what our chief
difficulty will be; for not one of them will hear of even the danger of
any injury to His Majesty or the Duke of York. His Grace of Monmouth, of
course, had to be consulted on one or two points; and he brought those
other two with him to hear what we had to say. Well; I think we have
satisfied them; though I fear, later, that they will not approve of our
methods. But we did not wish my Lord Russell to see you until we had
done talking to him; for fear that he might know something of your
disaffection. We have satisfied him--and, what is more important--His
Grace too, for the present; and they will not interfere with us."

Now this speech was an exceedingly ingenious one. Before he had done
speaking I understood that Mr. Sheppard had suspected that I had seen my
Lord Russell, and that that was why they were so open with me. But the
rest of the speech was very shrewd indeed; and I think it might have
deceived me, if I had not learned by the conversation that it was His
Grace who was trying to reassure my Lord, and no one that was trying to
reassure His Grace. But the web was so well woven that for the moment I
could not see through it all; though I understood it all presently, when
I had had a little time to think. For the instant, however, I saw one
safe answer that I could make.

"I am obliged to your Lordship for telling me," I said, "and I trust
from what you have said that it is but a preliminary to a little more
information. Your Lordship told me in July that there would be more news
for me presently."

He could not resist a glance at my Lord Grey--as if in triumph at his
success.

"That is what we are met for," he said; and then--"Why, Mr. Mallock, I
have not made these other gentlemen known to you."

They turned out to be--on the right of my Lord, the minister, Mr.
Ferguson--he who had been spoken of before as an informant from Bristol;
and a Colonel Rumsey--an old Cromwellian like the maltster of
Hoddesdon--who sat next to Mr. Ferguson. We saluted one another; and
then the affair began.

"Mr. Mallock," said my Lord, "the first piece of news is a little
disappointing. It is that my Lord Shaftesbury is ill. It is not at all
grave; but he is confined to his bed; and that throws back some of our
designs."

(I made a proper answer of regret; and considered what was likely to be
the truth. At the moment I could not see what this would be.)

"The next piec