and suddenly inspired
Sir Rowland with a scheme by which at a blow he might snuff out the
rebellion.

This scheme involved the capture of the Duke, and the reward of success
should mean far more to Blake than the five thousand pounds at which the
value of the Duke's head had already been fixed by Parliament. He needed
a tool for this, and he even thought of Westmacott and Lupton House, but
afterwards preferred a Mr. Newlington, who was in better case to assist
him. This Newlington, an exceedingly prosperous merchant and one of the
richest men perhaps in the whole West of England, looked with extreme
disfavour upon Monmouth, whose advent had paralyzed his industries to an
extent that was costing him a fine round sum of money weekly.

He was now in alarm lest the town of Bridgwater should be made to
pay dearly for having harboured the Protestant Duke--he had no faith
whatever in the Protestant Duke's ultimate prevailing--and that he,
as one of the town's most prominent and prosperous citizens, might
be amongst the heaviest sufferers in spite of his neutrality. This
neutrality he observed because it was hardly safe in that disaffected
town for a man to proclaim himself a loyalist.

To him Sir Rowland expounded his audacious plan... He sought out the
merchant in his handsome mansion on the night of that Friday which had
witnessed Monmouth's return, and the merchant, honoured by the visit of
this gallant--ignorant as he was of the gentleman's fame in town--placed
himself entirely and instantly at his disposal, though the hour was
late. Sounding him carefully, and finding the fellow most amenable
to any scheme that should achieve the salvation of his purse and
industries, Blake boldly laid his plan before him. Startled at first,
Mr. Newlington upon considering it became so enthusiastic that he hailed
Sir Rowland as his deliverer, and heartily promised his cooperation.
Indeed, it was Mr. Newlington who was, himself, to take the first step.

Well pleased with his evening's work, Sir Rowland went home to Lupton
House and to bed. In the morning he broached the matter to Richard. He
had all the vanity of the inferior not only to lessen the appearance of
his inferiority, but to clothe himself in a mantle of importance; and it
was this vanity urged him to acquaint Richard with his plans in the very
presence of Ruth.

They had broken their fast, and they still lingered in the dining-room,
the largest and most important room in