of
Portland on one side, and Lord Albemarle on the other: the latter took
the letters, which were arranged according to their dates, and read them
in a clear, distinct voice.

As the reading went on, his majesty made memorandums and notes with his
pencil on a sheet of paper, but did not interrupt during the whole
progress of the lecture. When the last and most important was finished,
the two noblemen looked at his majesty, with countenances full of
meaning. For a few moments, his majesty drummed with the second and
third finger of his left hand upon the table, and then said--

"Pray, Mr Vanslyperken, how did you obtain possession of these papers
and letters, or make copies of these letters?"

Vanslyperken, who had been standing at the other side of the table
during the time of the reading, had anxiously watched the countenance of
his majesty and the two noblemen, and perceived that the intelligence
which the letters contained had created a strong feeling, as he
expected. With a certain degree of confidence, he commenced his
explanation.

He stated that the crew of the cutter had been accustomed to frequent
the Lust Haus of a certain widow Vandersloosh, and that he had made her
acquaintance, by several times going there to look after his seamen.

That this widow had often hinted to him, and at last proposed to him,
that he should take letters for some friends of hers--at last she had
told him plainly that it was for the Jacobite party, and he pretended,
to consent.

That he had been taken by her to the house of a Jesuit, 169, in the Bur
Street, nearly opposite to her Lust Haus, and that the Jesuit had given
him some letters and fifty guineas for his trouble.

He then stated that he had opened, copied, and re-sealed them: further,
that he had brought over one of the confederates, who was now residing
in the house of the syndic, Van Krause. That he should have made all
this known before, only that he waited till it was more important. That
the last letters appeared of such consequence, that he deemed it his
duty no longer to delay.

"You have done well, Mr Vanslyperken," replied his majesty.

"And played a bold game," observed Lord Albemarle, fixing his eyes upon
Vanslyperken. "Suppose you had been found out co-operating with
traitors, before you made this discovery?"

"I might have forfeited my life in my zeal," replied Mr Vanslyperken,
with adroitness; "but that is the duty of a king's officer."

"Tha