ops set across King Street,
and another at Charing Cross. The remainder of the Council in Town had
been sent for, and as soon as they arrived, about one o'clock a.m., the
King sat at their head in his bedchamber, and Fawkes was brought in and
placed before them.

Nothing quelled the spirit of Guy Fawkes. The councillors were eager,
impatient, vehement: he was calm as a summer eve, cool as the midnight
snow. To their hurried queries he returned straightforward, unabashed,
imperturbable answers, still keeping up his character of an ignorant
rustic.

"Tell us, fellow, why that store of gunpowder was laid in?"

"To blow up the Parliament House," said Fawkes. "When should it have
been executed?"

"To-morrow, when the King had come, and the Upper House was sitting."

"Of whom?"

"Of myself."

"How knew you that the King would come?"

"Only by report, and the making ready his barge."

"And for what cause?"

"For the advancement of the Catholic religion."

"You are a Papist?"

"Ay."

"And wherefore would you be a party to the destruction of so many of
your own religion?"

"We meant principally to have respected our own safety, and would have
prayed for them."

"Your name and calling?"

"John Johnson, and Mr Percy's man."

"Was your master a party to this treason?"

"You can ask him when you see him."

"Who were your accomplices?"

Then the dark eyes shot forth fire.

"You would have me betray my friends!" said Guy Fawkes. "The giving
warning to one hath overthrown us all."

It was found impossible to obtain any further information from Fawkes.
Neither fear nor coaxing would induce him to name his accomplices. He
was sent to the Tower, which he entered by Traitor's Gate.

"Well, to be sure! Whatten a thingcum's [what sort of a thing] this?
Has summat happened sin' we went to bed? Rachel! I say, Rachel, lass!
come here."

Rachel heard the exclamation when Charity opened the front door, and
came running with a wooden spoon in her hand.

"See thou, lass! dost thou see all them soldiers drawn right across th'
street? Look, they're turning folks back 'at goes up, and willn't let
'em pass. There's summat up, for sure! What is it, thinkst thou?"

"Thou'd best ask somebry [somebody] as comes down from 'em," suggested
Rachel: "or send in next door. Eh, Mistress Abbott will be some mad
[greatly vexed], to think hoo's missed th' news by lying abed."

"Ah, hoo will. Here--I say, Master! W