eak, as his voice ceased; but the King held up
his hand. Then, as if by an afterthought he dropped it again.

"Well; speak if you like--point by point. But I would recommend you to
hear it all first."

"Sir," I said, "I have no reserves, and nothing to conceal. I will
answer point by point if Your Majesty will give me leave."

He said nothing. I turned back to the other.

"Well, sir," I said, "I had that paper from one Rumbald, in a private
parlour in the _Mitre_ inn, without Aldgate. He gave it me with some
others, and forgot to ask for it again."

No one moved a finger or a feature, except the Colonel, who glanced at
me, and then down again.

"The second point is, Why Mr. Mallock did not hand over the paper to the
proper authorities." Again he paused.

"It was in cypher," said I, "and I could not read it."

"Then why did you preserve it so carefully, sir?" asked the Colonel
angrily, speaking direct to me for the first time.

"I preserved it because it might be of interest, seeing from whom I
received it."

"You preserved it then, because it might be of interest; and you did not
hand it over because it might not," sneered the Colonel.

"Come! come!" said the King sharply. "We must have a better answer than
that, Mr. Mallock."

Then my heart blazed at the injustice.

"Sir," I said, "I am telling the naked truth. If I were a liar and a
knave I could make up a very plausible tale, no doubt. But I am not. The
naked truth is that I preserved the paper for what it might contain; and
then--"

I paused then; for I saw plainly what a very poor defence I had.

"And then--" sneered the Colonel softly.

"If you must have the truth," I said, "I forgot all about it."

Well; it was as I thought. Sir George Jeffreys threw back his head and
laughed aloud--(he was a man of extraordinary freedom with the King)--a
great grin appeared on the Colonel's face; and His Majesty, as I saw in
the shadow beneath his hat, smiled bitterly, showing his white teeth.
Even the magistrates chuckled together.

"Ah, sir," said Jeffreys, "for a clever man that is truly a little dull.
You might have done better than that."

Then desperation seized me; and I flung all prudence to the winds.

"I thought you wanted the truth," said I. "I will lie if you drive me
much further. Go on, sir," I cried to Hoskyns. "Let us have the rest."

The King stared at me, and his face was terrible.

"A word more like that in my presence, sir--"

"Si