Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-09

years. Ahd now pay Tor IL. But Tor
this and with the word my lords voice
grew full and round and he stood erect.
one hand among the lace of his steink:rk
tie and his eyes turned steadfaStly on his
accuser. for this which that man. pre-
Stunning en- AM old fault and using his
knowledge of IL would foist on me. 1 know
nothing Of it! 4 know nothing Of it. 1t is
some base andedamnable practice. At this
the proper time and in another place l
shall refute it, And now and here I say.
hoRcr!"
As the last word rang through the room
ne sat down, lopking round him with kind
OF vague defiance. 4 There was a silence
broken presently by sthe lord steward. who
rose, his voice and manner betraying no
little emotion. HIS grace Is right, sir, 1
think he said. II believe with him that
this IS some evil practice, but it is plain that
1t has gone so fer that it cannot stop here.
would suggest, therefore. that ii your
majesty sees fit"
A knock at the door interrupted him, and
he turned that way impatiently, and
paused. The king, too. glanced round with
gesture of annoyance. See what it is, %
he said.
Sir William Trumball rose and went. and
after a brief conference during which
the lords at the table continued to cast
impatient glances toward the door, ne re-
witness desires to be heard. And with that,
his face expressed so much surprise that
the king stared at him III wonder.
"A Witness?" said the king; and pished
not a court of justice" he continued
peevishly. We shall have all the world
here Presently. But-well. let him in"
Sir William obeyed, and went and re-
turned under the eyes OF the council, nor
| will the reader who has perused with at
tention the earlier part of this history be
greatly astonished to hear that when he re-
turned. l. Richard Price, was with him.
am Nnt er,iv, 1,uyaI1 tHA
through which l had gone in anticipation
of that appearance, the fears which
had been forced to combat, or the night
watches through which 1 had lain. sweat
ing and awake. Suffice it that l stood there
at last, seeing in kind of maze the sober
lights and dark, rich colors of the room.
and the faces at the table all turned toward
me; and stood there. not in the humble
guise BETTING my station, but in velvet
and raffies. sword and peruke, the very
double, as the mirrors before which / had
dressed had assured me, of my noble
patron This at Mr. Vernons suggestion
and by his contrivance.
" lille had lived in my lords house and
moved to and fro sobery CARRIED, in a lie
wig or my own hair, the likeness had been
no more than ground for a nudge and
joke among the servants. Now, dressed
once more, as Smith had dressed me, in a
suit of the dukes clothes, and one of his
perukes and trimmed and combed by one
who knew him, the resemblance / presented
was so remarkable that none of the lords
at the table could be blind to it. One or
two, in sheer wonder, exclaimed on it; while
Sir John. who. poor gentleman was more
concerned than any, fairly gasped with
diSmay.
1t was left to the Duke of Devonshire to
break the spell. what is this? Who is
this?' he said, in the utmost establishment.
wv hat does 1t mean?'
The king. who had noted an occasion
that very likeness which all now saw, and
was the first to read the riddle, laughed
dryly. Two very common things my
lord he said. "A rogue and fool. Speak,
man." he continued, addressing me. You
were in the dukes household awhile ago?
n'est-ce pas ca? / saw you here"'
Yes, your majesty" I said, hardly keep
ing my fears within bounds
And you have been playing his part, I
suppose? Eh?a At-how do you call the
place-Ashford?''
Yes, your majesty--under compulsion." I
said, trembling.
Ah! Compulsion of that good gentleman
at the foot of the table. 1 suppose?'
Tie words of assent were on my lips,
when cry. and an exceeding bitter cry,
stayed their utterance. 1t came from Sir
John. Dumfounded for time, between
establishment and suspicion, between WON
Ger what this travesty was and wonder
why II was assumed, he had at length dis
cerned its full scope and meaning and
where it touched him With a cry of rage
he threw up his hands in protest against
| the fraud; thensin a flash he turned on the
he cried. You have destroyed me! You
have murdered mel f,....-- --t. g.. - ....t
Before he could be held off his fingers
were in Smiths neckcloth and clutchng
that Admiral Russell and Sir William
Trumball had to rise and drag him away
by force. Easy, easy, Sir John, said the
admiral, with rough sympathy. ''Be salts
fed. He will get his deserts. Please God,
if / had him on my ship an hour his back
should be worse than Oates ever WASP
Sir Johns rage and disappointment were
painful to witness and trying even to men
OF the world But what shall l say of the
fury of the man at bay, who, denounced
ard convicted in his moment of triumph
saw. white-faced. his long-spun web swept
easily aside? Doubtless he knew as soon
as he saw me, that the game was lost, and
could have slain me with look. And most
men would without more ado have been on
their knees. But he possessed. God knows
courage as rare and perfect as the cause
in which he displayed ii was vile and
abominable; ard in twinkling he recover
ed himself and was Matthew Smith once
more While the room rang with congratu-
lations. questions, answers and exclama-
lions, ard | had much ado to answer one
half of the noble lords who would examine
me, his voice, raised and strident, was
heard above the tumult
Your majesty is easily deceivcdr he
cried. his very tone, fouting the presence
in which he stood: vet partly out of Gu
riosity, partly in sheer astonishment of
IFS duQdclty, lHey turned TO listen, do
you think it is for nothing his grace keeps
double in his house? Or that it boots
much whether he or his secretary went
to meet st. John? But enough! I have
here. here he continued, tapping his
breast and throwing back his head that
that shall OUTAGE him. be he never so
clever. Does his double write his hand.
too? Read that, sir. Read that. nv
lords, and say what you think of your
WING leader?"
And with a reckless gesture he flung a
letter on the table. But the action and
words were so lacking in respect for royal
chamber that for moment no one took If
up, the English lords who sat within reach
disdaining to touch 1t. Then Lord Port
land made a long arm, and taking the
PAPER with Dutch phlegm and deiiberation
opened it.
Have 1 your majesty's leave?" he said
and the king nodded peevishiy This Is
not his grace's handwriting" continued
the Dutch lord. pursuing up his lips and
looking obviously at the script before him
mo, but it is his signaturev' Smith re-
torted fiercely. And so set was he on
this last card he was playing that his ewes
stsrted from his head, and the veins rose
trick on his hands, where they clutched
the table before him. 1T is his hand at
the foot That swear!"
Truly, my man. think 1t is" Lord
Portland an Suyered ooojlv