hour to
deliver a message; and the priest's business would take full half an
hour?"

"No! no!" cried James. "They would suspect something. Let Her Majesty
come again to take her leave of the King; and then I will go in after
for the same thing. While we are there, let the priest come, as Mr.
Mallock has said--"

"Sir," said the Ambassador, "we must not have too many folks in this
business--"

All this bargaining drove me near mad. Once more I broke in; and this
time with more effect.

"Sir," I said to the Duke, "I entreat you to hear me. There is the
little room at the back of His Majesty's bed, all ready, and empty too.
We do not need all these devices. If you, Sir, will go to the King and
prepare him for it, I will find a priest and bring him up the other way.
I do not believe that even if there were folks in the bedchamber they
would hear what passed."

"Which way would the priest come?" asked the Duke.

"There is a little stair in the corner of the room--"

"God! There is," cried the Duke. "I had forgotten it."

We stared on one another in silence. My mind raced like a mill. Then
once more the Duke near ruined the whole design by his diplomacy.

"Gentlemen," he said, "we are too precipitate. His Majesty hath not yet
told me that he wishes for a priest--"

"Sir--" I began in desperation.

He looked at me so fiercely that I stopped.

"Listen to me," said he very imperiously. "I will have it my own way. M.
Barillon, do you come with me now to His Majesty. I will bid the company
withdraw into the antechamber--Bishops and all--on the pretext that I
wish to consult with my brother privately. M. Barillon shall be in the
doorway that none may come through. Mr. Mallock shall be with the
company and hear what they say. Then, if the King wishes for a priest,
we will consult again here, and see if Mr. Mallock's plan is a possible
one."

He strode towards the door. There was no more to be said. It was a
dreadful risk that we ran in so long delaying; but there was no
gainsaying James when he had made up his mind.

* * * * *

The great antechamber was near full of folks of all kinds when we three
came to it again. They fell back as they saw the Duke; and he passed
straight through, as was arranged, with M. Barillon, leaving me behind,
near the door. The King's bedchamber was pretty dark, and I could see no
more of the bed at the far distant end than its curtains.

Presently I he