four Popish lords that
had been left in the Tower were released again, which I was very glad to
hear of.

Other matters too had passed; but I think I have said enough to shew how
affairs stood in the month of July when I came back to England--with the
exception of what I shall relate presently as of my own experience.

* * * * *

The evening was as bright and fair as that on which I had come back to
London near two years and a half ago, with so heavy a heart, to find
Dolly at Court; but this time the heaviness was all gone. I had had
letters from her continually, and all those I carried with me. She told
me that her father seemed a little moody, now and again; but I did not
care very greatly about that. He could be as moody as he liked, if he
but let her and me alone. It was less than a year now from my
twenty-eighth birthday, which was the period that had been fixed.

Now a piece of news had reached me at Dover that made me pretty content;
and that was that His Majesty desired me to have lodgings now in
Whitehall. These were very hard to come by, except a man had great
influence; and I was happy to think that such as I had was from the King
himself. So I did not return northwards this time from the Strand, but
held on, and so to the gate of Whitehall. Here I was stopped and asked
my name.

I gave it; and the officer saluted me very civilly.

"Your lodgings are ready, sir," said he. "Mr. Chiffinch was very urgent
about them. And he bade me tell you you would find visitors there, if
you came before eight o'clock."

It was now scarcely gone seven; but I thought very little of my
visitors, supposing they might perhaps be Mr. Chiffinch himself and a
friend: so I inquired very, leisurely where the lodgings were situate.

"They are my Lord Peterborough's old lodgings, sir," said the man. "He
hath moved elsewhere. They look out upon the Privy Garden and the
bowling-green; or, to be more close, on the trees between them."

This was a fine piece of news indeed; for these lodgings were among the
best. I was indeed become a person of importance.

There were two entrances to these lodgings--one from the Stone Gallery,
and the other from the garden; but that into the garden was only a
little door, whose use was not greatly encouraged, because of the
personages that walked there; so I went up the Stone Gallery, between
all the books and the cabinets, and so to my own door; with my James
beh