st not be precipitate, Temple," said Lord Culduff,
slowly. "It's a case for caution."

These words, and the keen look that accompanied them, were perfect
puzzles to Temple, and he did not dare to speak.

"The thing must be done this wise," said Lord Culduff. "It must be a
'private and confidential' to the office, and a 'sly and ambiguous' to
the public prints. I 'll charge myself with the former; the latter shall
be your care, Temple. You are intimate with Flosser, the correspondent
of the 'Bell-Weather.' Have him to dinner and be indiscreet. This old
Madeira here will explain any amount of expansiveness. Get him to talk
of this escape, and let out the secret that it was we who managed it
all. Mind, however, that you swear him not to reveal anything. It would
be your ruin, you must say, if the affair got wind; but the fact was
Lord Culduff saw the Neapolitans were determined not to surrender him,
and knowing what an insult it would be to the public feeling of England
that an Englishman was held as a prisoner at the galleys, for an act of
heroism and gallantry, the only course was to liberate him at any cost
and in any way. Flosser will swear secrecy, but hints at this solution
as the _on dit_ in certain keen coteries. Such a mode of treating the
matter carries more real weight than a sworn affidavit. Men like the
problem that they fancy they have unravelled by their own acuteness.
And then it muzzles discussion in the House, since even the most blatant
Radical sees that it cannot be debated openly; for all Englishmen, as a
rule, love compensation, and we can only claim indemnification here on
the assumption that we were no parties to the escape. Do you follow me,
Temple?"

"I believe I do. I see the drift of it at last."

"There's no drift, sir. It is a full, palpable, well-delivered blow. We
saved Rogers; but we refuse to explain how."

"And if he turns up one of these days, and refuses to confirm us?"

"Then we denounce him as an impostor; but always, mark you, in the same
shadowy way that we allude to our share in his evasion. It must be
a sketch in water-colors throughout, Temple,--very faint and very
transparent. When I have rough-drafted my despatch you shall see it.
Once the original melody is before you, you will see there is nothing to
do but invent the variations."

"My Lady wishes to know, my Lord, if your Lordship will step upstairs
to speak to her?" said a servant at this conjuncture.

"Go up, Temp