e cabinet which had been the scene of repeated consultations in
the course of the evening. There, leaning with his arms crossed on the
back of an easy-chair, Charles proceeded to interrogate the suspected
nobleman.

"Let us be plain with each other. Speak out, Buckingham. What, in one
word, was to have been the regale intended for us this evening?"

"A petty mask, my lord. I had destined a little dancing-girl to come
out of that instrument, who, I thought, would have performed to your
Majesty's liking--a few Chinese fireworks there were, thinking the
entertainment was to have taken place in the marble hall, might, I
hoped, have been discharged with good effect, and without the slightest
alarm, at the first appearance of my little sorceress, and were designed
to have masked, as it were, her entrance upon the stage. I hope there
have been no perukes singed--no ladies frightened--no hopes of noble
descent interrupted by my ill-fancied jest."

"We have seen no such fireworks, my lord; and your female dancer, of
whom we now hear for the first time, came forth in the form of our old
acquaintance Geoffrey Hudson, whose dancing days are surely ended."

"Your Majesty surprises me! I beseech you, let Christian be sent
for--Edward Christian--he will be found lodging in a large old house
near Sharper the cutler's, in the Strand. As I live by bread, sire,
I trusted him with the arrangement of this matter, as indeed the
dancing-girl was his property. If he has done aught to dishonour my
concert, or disparage my character, he shall die under the baton."

"It is singular," said the King, "and I have often observed it, that
this fellow Christian bears the blame of all men's enormities--he
performs the part which, in a great family, is usually assigned to that
mischief-doing personage, Nobody. When Chiffinch blunders, he always
quotes Christian. When Sheffield writes a lampoon, I am sure to hear of
Christian having corrected, or copied, or dispersed it--he is the _ame
damnee_ of every one about my Court--the scapegoat, who is to carry away
all their iniquities; and he will have a cruel load to bear into the
wilderness. But for Buckingham's sins, in particular, he is the regular
and uniform sponsor; and I am convinced his Grace expects Christian
should suffer every penalty he has incurred, in this world or the next."

"Not so," with the deepest reverence replied the Duke. "I have no hope
of being either hanged or damned by proxy; but