Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-04

|
Pas de toutr my lord answered, and,
smiling, shrugged his shoulders. "Rienr
Chapter XXI.
With the least inclination toward merri-
ment I must have laughed at the face of
horror with which Mr.. Martin, when he
| went a few minutes later to expel the last
! stragglers, came on me where 1 stood. try
ing to efrace myself behind the door. He
| dared not speak. for the duke was standing
| at the table a few PAGES from him; and
| bered that a still tongue was all he need
wish, and 1 laid my finger ON my lips and
nodded to him. This a little encouraged
! him, but not much, and in his fear Of what
| l might, in spite of my promise let out, if
/ were left alone with his master, he was
still in two minds whether he should eject
| me or not, when the duke spoke
| rs Price there?' he said, With his face
averted and his hands still busy with the
papers. THE man sent for?'
| Yes, your grace" Martin answered,
making hideouS faces at me-
! Then leave us. Shut the door,
IT my lord had spoken the moment that
| was done and we We're alone. 1 think 1t
| would have relieved me. But he continued
| to search among the papers on the table
ard left me to sink Under the weight OF
| the stately room with it's ordered rows of
DOCKS. Its ticking dial, and the mute busts
| OF the great dead. The dukes cloak lay
| across chair, his embroidered star gilt
tering on the breast: his sword and dis
| patch box were on another CHAIR and
thing that took to be the Signet cleaned
| among the papers on the table From the
| lofty mantelpiece of veiued marble that
Supported by huge rampant dogs lowered
high above me (the work, as / learned af.
terWard. of the. famous lingo Jones) the
portrait of q man in armor, with a warden
in his mailed hand, frowned down on me
ana the stiffness continued unbroken and
al the things l saw speaking to me- grave
~ ana weightily, of a worl1 hitherto ur-
Known to me-a world wherein the foot ey-
changed the thick pile of carpets for the
sounding tread of Pariau, and orders We're
obeyed unspoken. and sabIe-vested SER
wants went to and fro ut a sigma world of
Old traditions, old observances. and old
customs revolving round this man stili
young, L telt my spirits sink-the distance
was so great from the sphere I had known
hitherto Every moment the silence grew
mere oppressive, the ticking Of the clock
more monotonous: it was an immense relief
men the duke suddenly spoke and Cd
dressing me in his ordinary tone You can
Wrlte?' said he. ~
eS, your grace"
Then sit here he replied, Indicating a
seat at the end of the table and It
what l shall tell YOU
~, ana before could marvel at the ease of
the transition, l was seated uuie1lv writ
lhG; what. L can no longer remember for II
was the iirst only of many hundred naners
", prInate and public Importance which
was privileged to write for his sirnat,,ra
MY hand shook, and it is unlikcIx th.t
e mi much of the natural capacitv for
scch work. which it aas been nv LOT it 70
afaer 81. since; nevertheless. his grace,
al,er Sianclng over it, was pleased to ev'
press his satisfaction. You learned to %
this with Brome?" said he. e' ~ oo
Yes, your srf ce.''
en- now" he continued. seating him
sell had risen respectfully. ."Te,l me
"Eat happened to you yesterday. i's
had no choice but to obey, but before
ao lo1d my story, seeing that he was in a
soou humor aid SO faVorably incInad RI
NE. l spoke out what was in INV n,i,d
ana IN the most moving terms n0ssibIa
ccnoufed him to promise me that T shou,d
t tam pe forced to be an evidence. 1 would
tel MN all, l would be faithful and true
a. rim, and ask nothing better than to he
ms serVant-but be an informer in court
l dared not.
You dare not?" he said. with IN odd
i'oh at me. Ard why not MANI
But all 1 could answer was, Il dare mott,
are you afraid of these villains?" he
continued, impatieEtiy. Il tell you, we
have them; it is they who have to fearl'
But l still chung TO my point I would
tell, but would give no evidence; dared
i am afraid. Mr.. Price. he said at that
and with an air of some contempt that
you are something of cowardI'
answered groveling before him, that it
might bit might be; but
But-who of us is notE' he answered
with a sudden gesture between scorn and
sel-reproof DO you mean that man?'
and he fixed his eyes on me. well, it is
true. Who of us is not?. he repeated
Slowly; and turning from me he began to
pace the room, his hands clasped behind
nm; SO that before he had made a single
turn 1t was easy to that he had for
gotten my presence. who of us is not
a1rald-lf not of these scoundrels still of
the future, of the return. of Jacobus ira
cundus ct ingens of another 18th of May?
10 he safe now and to he safe then--who is
not thinking Of that and living for that,
and planning for that?"
He was silent moment. then with some
thing of anger in his voice, MY lord
Marlborough dipped to the lips in 'SS who
shall say that for all that he has not made
his peace? And has good reason to urge |
us to let sleeping dogs lie? And Godophin,
is it only at Newmarket he has hedged- |
that he says the less we go into this the |
better? And Sunderland, who trusts no |
and whom no one trusts? And Leeds
all things for power? And Clarendon, |
once pardoned? And Russell, all temper? |
Who knows what pladges they have given |
or may give? Observation-Disclosures only |
has to lose, and stands to lose with me. |
With met
AS he spoke thus he seemed to be so
human, and through the robe of state and |
statelness in which he lived the beating |
of the poor human heart was so plainly |
visible that my heart went out to him, and |
with an eagerness and boldness that now |
grace" I said, while the king lives all |
goes well, and were anything to happen |
to him"
''Yes?" said he, staring at me, in no little |
establishment at the interruption.
There is the Princess Anne! She Is |
here she would succeed, and
And my Lord Marlborough n, said he he,
smiling. ''Well, it may be- But who
taught you politics, Mr.. Price?'
mir. Bronze said 1, abashed. what
know, your grace"
.'Fa! l keep forgetting" he answered |
gayIy that I am talking to one or the |
makers of opinion-the formers OF taste. |!
But there you shall be no evidence, give |
you my word. So tell me all you know,
and what befell you yesterday"
had no desire but to do soon those
terms and one small matter excepted; and
not only to do that. but all things that |
could serve him. Nevertheless. and though |
l had high hopes of what l might get by |
his grace and favor, l was far from under
standing that that was the beginning of |
twenty years of faithful labor at his side:
of a matter Of $1,000 papers written under |
his eye, Of whole ledgers made up. of es-
tate accounts balanced and tallies collected, |
Of n any winters and summers spent among |
his books, either in the placid shades of |
Eyfcrd or in the dignified quiet of St. |
James square. But. as have said. though |
/ did not foresee all this. l hoped much. !
md