ssenger from Court, "NOW OR NEVER IS THE TIME."

Now or never was the time indeed. In spite of the Whig Dukes, our side
had still the majority in the Council, and Esmond, to whom the message
had been brought, (the personage at Court not being aware that the
Prince had quitted his lodging in Kensington Square,) and Esmond's
gallant young aide-de-camp, Frank Castlewood, putting on sword and
uniform, took a brief leave of their dear lady, who embraced and blessed
them both, and went to her chamber to pray for the issue of the great
event which was then pending.

Castlewood sped to the barrack to give warning to the captain of the
Guard there; and then went to the "King's Arms" tavern at Kensington,
where our friends were assembled, having come by parties of twos
and threes, riding or in coaches, and were got together in the upper
chamber, fifty-three of them; their servants, who had been instructed to
bring arms likewise, being below in the garden of the tavern, where they
were served with drink. Out of this garden is a little door that leads
into the road of the Palace, and through this it was arranged that
masters and servants were to march; when that signal was given, and that
Personage appeared, for whom all were waiting. There was in our company
the famous officer next in command to the Captain-General of the Forces,
his Grace the Duke of Ormonde, who was within at the Council. There
were with him two more lieutenant-generals, nine major-generals and
brigadiers, seven colonels, eleven Peers of Parliament, and twenty-one
members of the House of Commons. The Guard was with us within and
without the Palace: the Queen was with us; the Council (save the two
Whig Dukes, that must have succumbed); the day was our own, and with a
beating heart Esmond walked rapidly to the Mall of Kensington, where
he had parted with the Prince on the night before. For three nights
the Colonel had not been to bed: the last had been passed summoning the
Prince's friends together, of whom the great majority had no sort of
inkling of the transaction pending until they were told that he was
actually on the spot, and were summoned to strike the blow. The night
before and after the altercation with the Prince, my gentleman, having
suspicions of his Royal Highness, and fearing lest he should be minded
to give us the slip, and fly off after his fugitive beauty, had spent,
if the truth must be told, at the "Greyhound" tavern, over against my
Lady Cast