, or what not, when the Parliament opens. Pray you, Mr Tresham,
trouble not yourself. I doubt not all shall go well."

Tresham murmured something to the effect that things left to drift as
they would did not invariably drift into the right harbour: but he
dropped the topic for the moment.

Hitherto the secret meetings of the conspirators had been in the house
beyond Clement's Inn: but it was now deemed necessary to have a more
secluded and secure retreat.

In the forest depths of Enfield Chase was an old hunting-lodge, named
White Webbs, never used except occasionally by sportsmen. This was
selected as a non-suspicious place of meeting. The conspirators were
now nearly ready: a few days would make them quite so. Satan was also
ready, and probably required no time for preparation. And God was ready
too.

They met at White Webbs on the 21st of September, just a fortnight
before the day appointed for the meeting of Parliament: Catesby, the
Winters, the Wrights, Digby, Keyes, Grant, and Bates. Tresham was not
there; he had ceased to attend the meetings, and said, if Lord Monteagle
at least might not be saved he would neither find the money he had
promised, nor assist any further with the plot.

They had not sat many minutes, when Percy and Fawkes joined them, the
former impetuous person being in an evident state of suppressed
excitement, while the latter very cool individual showed no trace of
emotion.

"Now, what think you?" cried Percy. "The Parliament is prorogued yet
again."

"Sure, they have never wind of our project?" suggested one of the
brothers Wright.

"Till when?" demanded Catesby, knitting his brows.

"For another month--till the fifth of November."

Catesby pondered for a moment in silence.

"Is there any stir thereabouts?--any search made of the house or the
vault?"

"No--no semblance thereof."

"Then I think they have not got wind of it. But if so--Mr Fawkes, is
all the powder now in the cellar?"

"No, Mr Catesby; there are five or six barrels to come, which I meant
to move thither on Monday night next."

"Wait a little. You had best make sure that all is safe. Tarry for
another fortnight, and move them then. Is this not your minds,
gentlemen?"

The rest of the group, as usual, deferred to their leader.

There was now another point requiring discussion, and it was introduced
by Catesby.

"'Tis time, methinks, gentlemen, that we took thought on a question
whereof we have n