lowances.

"I have at last," cried Vanslyperken, with more confidence, "been able
to discover the plots of the Jacobites, your grace."

"Indeed! Mr Vanslyperken," replied the duke, smiling incredulously, "and
pray what may they be? you must be as expeditious as possible, for his
Majesty is waiting for us."

"These letters will take some time to read," replied Vanslyperken; "but
their contents are most important."

"Indeed, letters--how have you possession of their letters?"

"It will be rather a long story, sir--my lord! I mean," replied
Vanslyperken; "but they will amply repay an hour of your time, if you
can spare it."

At this moment, the door opened and his Majesty entered the room. At the
sight of the king, Vanslyperken's confidence was again taking
French leave.

"My lords, I am waiting for you," said the king, with a little asperity
of manner.

"May it please your Majesty, here is Lieutenant Vanslyperken, commanding
one of your Majesty's vessels, who states that he has important
intelligence, and that he has possession of Jacobite papers."

"Indeed!" replied King William, who was always alive to Jacobite
plotting, from which he had already run so much risk.

"What is it, Mr Vanslyperken? speak boldly what you have to
communicate."

"Your Majesty, I beg your gracious pardon, but here are copies of the
correspondence carried on by the traitors in England and this country.
If your Majesty will deign to have it read, you will then perceive how
important it is--after your Majesty has read it, I will have the honour
to explain to you by what means it came into my possession."

King William was a man of business, and Vanslyperken had done wisely in
making this proposal. His Majesty at once sat down, with the Duke of
Portland on the one side and Lord Albemarle on the other: the latter
took the letters which were arranged according to their dates, and read
them in a clear distinct voice.

As the reading went on, his Majesty made memorandums and notes with his
pencil on a sheet of paper, but did not interrupt during the whole
progress of the lecture. When the last and most important was finished,
the two noblemen looked at his Majesty with countenances full of
meaning. For a few moments his Majesty drummed with the second and third
finger of his left hand upon the table, and then said--

"Pray, Mr Vanslyperken, how did you obtain possession of these papers
and letters, or make copies of these letters?"