nce is to be made; for you cannot, I think,
carry her to Whitehall."

"Aha, my dear lord, you would have the whole secret! but that I cannot
afford--I can spare a friend a peep at my ends, but no one must look on
the means by which they are achieved."--So saying, he shook his drunken
head most wisely.

The villainous design which this discourse implied, and which his heart
told him was designed against Alice Bridgenorth, stirred Julian so
extremely, that he involuntarily shifted his posture, and laid his hand
on his sword hilt.

Chiffinch heard a rustling, and broke off, exclaiming, "Hark!--Zounds,
something moved--I trust I have told the tale to no ears but thine."

"I will cut off any which have drunk in but a syllable of thy words,"
said the nobleman; and raising a candle, he took a hasty survey of the
apartment. Seeing nothing that could incur his menaced resentment, he
replaced the light and continued:--"Well, suppose the Belle Louise de
Querouaille[*] shoots from her high station in the firmament, how will
you rear up the downfallen Plot again--for without that same Plot, think
of it as thou wilt, we have no change of hands--and matters remain
as they were, with a Protestant courtezan instead of a Papist--Little
Anthony can but little speed without that Plot of his--I believe, in my
conscience, he begot it himself."[+]

[*] Charles's principal mistress _en titre_. She was created Duchess
of Portsmouth.

[+] Shaftesbury himself is supposed to have said that he knew not who
was the inventor of the Plot, but that he himself had all the
advantage of the discovery.

"Whoever begot it," said Chiffinch, "he hath adopted it; and a thriving
babe it has been to him. Well, then, though it lies out of my way, I
will play Saint Peter again--up with t'other key, and unlock t'other
mystery."

"Now thou speakest like a good fellow; and I will, with my own hands,
unwire this fresh flask, to begin a brimmer to the success of thy
achievement."

"Well, then," continued the communicative Chiffinch, "thou knowest that
they have long had a nibbling at the old Countess of Derby.--So Ned
was sent down--he owes her an old accompt, thou knowest--with private
instructions to possess himself of the island, if he could, by help of
some of his old friends. He hath ever kept up spies upon her; and happy
man was he, to think his hour of vengeance was come so nigh. But he
missed his blow; and the old girl being placed on he