lucked me from a pit?'

'True. No--No. I--I didn't mean it,' replied the other, shaking him by
the hand, rising from his seat, and pacing restlessly about the room.
'It's a proud thing to lead the people, Gashford,' he added as he made a
sudden halt.

'By force of reason too,' returned the pliant secretary.

'Ay, to be sure. They may cough and jeer, and groan in Parliament, and
call me fool and madman, but which of them can raise this human sea and
make it swell and roar at pleasure? Not one.'

'Not one,' repeated Gashford.

'Which of them can say for his honesty, what I can say for mine; which
of them has refused a minister's bribe of one thousand pounds a year, to
resign his seat in favour of another? Not one.'

'Not one,' repeated Gashford again--taking the lion's share of the
mulled wine between whiles.

'And as we are honest, true, and in a sacred cause, Gashford,' said Lord
George with a heightened colour and in a louder voice, as he laid his
fevered hand upon his shoulder, 'and are the only men who regard the
mass of people out of doors, or are regarded by them, we will uphold
them to the last; and will raise a cry against these un-English Papists
which shall re-echo through the country, and roll with a noise like
thunder. I will be worthy of the motto on my coat of arms, "Called and
chosen and faithful."

'Called,' said the secretary, 'by Heaven.'

'I am.'

'Chosen by the people.'

'Yes.'

'Faithful to both.'

'To the block!'

It would be difficult to convey an adequate idea of the excited manner
in which he gave these answers to the secretary's promptings; of the
rapidity of his utterance, or the violence of his tone and gesture; in
which, struggling through his Puritan's demeanour, was something wild
and ungovernable which broke through all restraint. For some minutes he
walked rapidly up and down the room, then stopping suddenly, exclaimed,

'Gashford--YOU moved them yesterday too. Oh yes! You did.'

'I shone with a reflected light, my lord,' replied the humble secretary,
laying his hand upon his heart. 'I did my best.'

'You did well,' said his master, 'and are a great and worthy instrument.
If you will ring for John Grueby to carry the portmanteau into my room,
and will wait here while I undress, we will dispose of business as
usual, if you're not too tired.'

'Too tired, my lord!--But this is his consideration! Christian from head
to foot.' With which soliloquy, the secretary tilted