Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-07

y
prison and death. Me, If you can. to ruin
an and ISL shame ne; >, And why? Why, MANI What
"What do, i gain? What shall gain. you
mean, FeFgusoR answered, smiling cum
ningly. Only NoIr grace's signature to
mum. and neither Berwick nor you viii be
q penny the worse
What money! cried my lord. surprised,
"oh. no. not money" said the plotter,
coolly. And yet-it may be moneys worth
TO me over there
Chapter XXI.
1t Is this way. my lord" he continued.
after pause Lord Middleton said some
things over there in your graces name
that would be four years back: but you
never acted on them, though it was whis-
pered you paid dearly for them here. In
the interval it has been the aim of good
many to get something more definite from
your grace; the rather as you stand almost
alone. the main part of the court and more
than you know of, having made their peace.
But their efforts failed because they went
about 1t in the wrong way. Now, l. Rob
ert Ferguson he continued, patting him
self on the chest, and bowling with gro
tesque conceit, have gone about 1t in the
right way, and I shall not fail. You must
either arrest the Duke of Berwick. my lord.
or let him go. That is clear. II you do the
former, you will offend beyond pardon, and
your head will fall at the restoration, who
ever goes clear On the other hand, If you
let the duke escape and 1t comes to the
Prince of Oranges ears that you knew of
his presence you will be ruined with your
present party. The only course left to you,
therefore, is to let him go, but to purchase
my silence-that 1t may not reach the
princes ears-by signing few words en-
no nor htRh t,ah ho
opened only by his majesty In his closet.
Now. my lord, what do you say?' he add
ed with manifest exultation. What do
you say to that Offers?
THAT you are a fool as well as knave!"
was the dukes unexpected reply tie had
recovered his equanimity, and took pinch
of snuff as he spoke.
The plotter's eyes sparkled. why" he
cried with an oath, land is that language
for q gentleman
"A gentleman? Faugh"' cried my lord.
And why? Because you suppose your
word to be of value. Whereas you should
know that were you to go to Kensington
and tell the king that you had informed
me OF this or that or the other, and de-
tain. and to the pillory perhaps--but I
should be not a penny the worse Your
word, forsooth God, man, you are erazed!
AYE, but if I have had you followed
can produce three witnesses to prove You
were with me today, and by stealth! And
by stealth, my lord. what them"
why, then this" the duke answered
shall go hence to the king and tell him all;
and on your information, Mr.. Ferguson,
the Duke of Berwick will be arrested.
Whatever my fate or his after that, shall
oath as a privy councillor. and the rest 1
leave to God. But for you, he continued,
slowly and with solemnity. who, to gain
hold on me, have betrayed the son of
your king, your fate be on your own head.
The plotter, who, 1 think, had expected
any answer but this. and it may be. had
never considered his own position should
the duke stand firm, roared out furious
as the consequences rose more clearly be-
fore him, You Iie!'' he cried, striking his
hand on the table. you will not do 1t!
You will not dare to do it!'
Mr.. Ferguson the duke answered,
haughtily. II do not suffer persons of
your condition to tell me what dare or do
not dare, or persons of any condition to
give me the lie. $ Be good enough to open
the door," /
Sign the paper!' the eonspirator Kissed.
His face. auno Hme slightly. was now dis
torted by fear and the rage of defeat, while
the chair on the. back of which he leaned
his left hand, jerked this way and that as
IL the palsy had him. Sign the paper, will
you? Or your blood be on your own head!'
he cried. 2&
The duke's only answer was to point 20
his breath coming little quickly, but his
manner otherwise unmoved. do you hear
me?" ii Il
But either fFerguson's rage had so much
the mastery, of him that he could no longer
control himself, or he was desperate, see
ing into what an abyss the others firmness
was pushing him; or from the first he had
determined onthis course in the last resort.
AT any, rate, atthat,, and, instead of COM
plying, he fell back STEP and, with a
dark face, drew a pistol from the pocket of
his long coat. "Sign!' he cried. his voice
whistling in his throat. as he leveled the
arm at my lords head. '.Sign, you Roman
devil, or I'll spill your brains! Your time
has come. Sign, or you don't go out of this
room alive, you papist spawn! Has the
Lords foot been put on the neck of his
enemies that such as you should divide the
Spoilv' u"
There was nothing to sign, for he had not
produced the paper. But In the delirium OF
fear and excitement into which he had fall
len. he was unconscious of this, and of all
else except that he was in danger of falling
| into the pit he had digged for another. His
hand shook so violently that every moment
expected the pistol to explode, with his will
or without 1t; his fears no less than his des-
pair putting my lord in danger. What he
who stood thus exposed to naked death
thought in his heart while his existence
hung on shaking finger / cannot say, nor
| II he prayed, for no man talked less of re-
| Hgion, to be, as trust he was, a believer;
| while the pride which supported him in that
| CllSIo was dS pOWcIIul 10 CLOSE his lbs aIIeF
| the event. Put that DOWN. he said and
met the others eyes without blanching,
| though think he was trifle paler than he
| had been.
Sign" answered the mailman, with, an
! oath.
Put it down." repeated the duke, and
without doubt his courage by imposing a
restraint on the others readiness post
poned. though 1t could not avert the catas-
trophe. Every second they stood thus con-
| fronting one another, Ferguson grinning
and gibbering to him to sign, looked to see
| the pistol explode and my lord fall Hfeless.
My knees shook under ne: Mortified at this
murder to be committed under my eyes,
scarce conscious what did or would do, 1
fumbled for the handle of the door-wfich,
luckily, was beside me; and found 1t pre-
cisely the duke, with twirl of his cane
as swift as 1t was unexpected, knocked the
pistol aside and sprang bodily on the VII
lain, striving to bear him down, for he had
no time to draw.
He was the younger man by twenty years
| and the more active, If not the more power
full, 50 that for an instant 1t seemed to me
that the dsnger was over, but 1 counted
without Ferguson, who. leaping back before
the other could grapple with him, with
nimbleness beyond his years. put the table
between them. and leveling the pistol
afresh, with a snarl of rage, pulled the