The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-16


 the name of Smith" But now Julian heard him addressed as Chiffinch. He looked at the fellow with feeling of dis gust for having sat at the same table with him and having drunk with him, for Chiffinch was the notorious pa1der and minister to the absolute pleasures of Charles II.
 The young Lord and the pander were drinking prodigiously and their voices grew louder as their condolences grew more and mre free Presently as Chiffinch got drunk, he fell to boasting, and Julian was startled at hearing the name of Alice Bridgenorth. He fell to listening then with all his might, with the result of learning that the man Gan Jesse was none other than Edward Chris tian, and that he had induced Major | Bridgenorth to intrust his daughter to | him.
 | The rest of the conversation made his blood rush to his head with rage so great that he could hardly refrain from running on the scoundrel with his sword; for Chif- finch described the beauty of Alice in l glowing terms to the young gallant, and
 
 1 of Edward Christian was to have her brought to the attention of Charles H., i confident that her charms would capture | the fickle monarch and overthrow the French woman whom the loving rnon- arch had made Duchess of Portsmouth and who was highly unpopular because of her Catholicism as well as other rea- sons.
 The young lord, eager to learn more. l pushed Chiffinch hard with wine, till the drunken fellow exposed the plots in de- tail; how Christian, through the surren- der of his niece to the King, calculated to gain more power at court, and thus to be helped incidentally in his revengeful schemes against the Countess of Derby, while the downfall of the French woman ! would leave all the anti-Papists a free hand with the King.
 Pursuing the subject of the Countess of Derby. Chiffinch recounted his meeting through Christian with Peveril, and told ! with hiccoughs how they had relieved him of his letters after he had retired. l filling his sealskin wrapper with blank l paper Boastfully he taped his pocket, meaning that he had them there.
 Julian snatched his package and opened | it, to find that the drunkard had spoken the truth. Well" said he to himself. when you take the road tomorrow, shall take them from you again. 1 When Chiffinch, his head aching, rode | away with his two servants, Julian and i Lance were close at his heels. In a lone | ly road they closed in. At fife first burst 1 they rode down the two servants Pew eril threw the pander to the ground and held pistol to his head. The argument was sufficient Before the servants could l make up their minds to act, Peveril and his companion we're spurring away.
 Julian arrived in London without fur 1 ther adventure and at once set about de- l livering the letters. Among them was | one addressed to priest in an ancient | building called the Savoy. Peveril was 1 aware of the danger he incurred in seek | ing him, but went there none the less. He was just about to knock at the mans door in the dark passage where he i, dwelled, when his cloak was pulled He turned and to his unspeakable aston !! ishment Deheld the face of girl whom the Countess Of Derby had brought up-- little Fenella, a girl of striking beauty, but deaf and dumb The Countess had bought her liberty from a strollng per- | former and had kept her about her per son for years.
 'Fenella!' cried Peveril, forgetting that she could not hear.
 The mute put her finger to her lips and 1 beckoned to him to follow Imagining that she had been sent by the Countess, he did so. The girl led him away from the building and into the Mall. There, as if of set purpose, she approached a group of richly dressed men. One was playing a flute. Another. whom Peveril at once recognized as the King, was tapping time with his foot.
 Fenela began to dance, swaying rhyth- mically with the music, and Charles, ale ways keen for new entertainment, looked on with delight, as the graceful little beauty whirled and turned. When the dance was done he commanded one of his people to give some gold to her and to her companion.
 Peveril blushsd and stammered out that he was an envoy from the Countess of Derby
 "Hold." said the King. ''rhat is not q