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After they had passed by me I stood again to wait; but, almost immediately, across the further end of the lobby I saw Mr. Chiffinch pass swiftly from a door on the left to a door on the right. At that sight I determined to wait no longer: for there was but one thought in my mind, all this while. Chiffinch go. The door was ajar: I pushed it open and went in.
Mistress Chiffinch, more embarrassed than ever, again advanced towards the door of communication, which she had been in the act of opening when his Majesty entered.
After cautiously sounding Christian, and finding that the near prospect of interest to himself effectually prevented his starting at this iniquitous scheme, Chiffinch detailed it to him fully, carefully keeping the final termination out of sight, and talking of the favour to be acquired by the fair Alice as no passing caprice, but the commencement of a reign as long and absolute as that of the Duchess of Portsmouth, of whose avarice and domineering temper Charles was now understood to be much tired, though the force of habit rendered him unequal to free himself of her yoke.
I was still staring after him, wondering what was the matter, when I felt myself touched, and turned to find Mr. Chiffinch at my elbow. He looked very serious. "Come this way, sir," said he. "I must speak with you instantly." I went after him, down the gallery; and he led me into the little empty chamber where I had been talking with the priest half an hour ago.
He thrust his hand into a side pocket of his cloak, and with visible reluctance, produced those papers and despatches with which Julian had been entrusted by the Countess of Derby. "They are five in number," said Julian; "and you have given me only four. Your life depends on full restitution." "It escaped from my hand," said Chiffinch, producing the missing document "There it is.
Chiffinch, to call me to town. So here I sat once more, with the birds singing their vespers, in the Privy Garden, a hundred yards away, and the river flowing without the windows, as if no blood had ever flowed with it. "Well," said Chiffinch, when I was down in a chair, "the first news is that we have found Keeling. You were right, or very nearly. He is a joiner, and lives in the City.
Well, Chiffinch, let them drive on. Vogue la Galère!" he exclaimed, as the carriage went onward; "I have sailed through worse perils than this yet." "It is not for me to judge," said Chiffinch; "your Grace is a bold commander; and Christian hath the cunning of the devil for a pilot; but However, I remain your Grace's poor friend, and will heartily rejoice in your extrication."
"Indeed, Chiffinch," said the lady, "these jaunts to the country do render you excessively vulgar! there is a brutality about your very boots! nay, your muslin ruffles, being somewhat soiled, give to your knuckles a sort of rural rusticity, as I may call it." "It were a good deed," muttered Chiffinch, "to make both boots and knuckles bang the folly and affectation out of thee."
That little Numidian witch, then, was his familiar; and she joined in the plot to tantalise me? But here we reach Whitehall. Now, Chiffinch, be no worse than thy word, and now, Buckingham, be thyself!" But ere we follow Buckingham into the presence, where he had so difficult a part to sustain, it may not be amiss to follow Christian after his brief conversation with him.
I think he saw that he had done little but hinder the business, so far. "Go," he said suddenly. "Go both of you together Stay. Bring a priest with you, if you can find one, to the little room behind the King's bed; but bring him up the stairs the other way. Bid him stay till I send Chiffinch to him." Then we were gone at full speed.
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