第84章 CHAPTER XXII THE HUNTERS(1)

To the amazement of them all, there entered a tall gentleman in a full-bottomed wig, with a long, pale face, a resolute mouth, and a pair of eyes that were keen, yet kindly. Close upon the heels of the second secretary came Mr. Green.

Humphries withdrew, and closed the door.

Mr. Templeton made her ladyship a low bow.

"Madam," said he very gravely, "I offer your ladyship - and you, my lord - my profoundest condolence in the bereavement you have suffered, and my scarcely less profound excuses for this intrusion upon your grief."Mr. Templeton may or may not have reflected that the grief upon which he deplored his intrusion was none so apparent.

"I had not ventured to do so," he continued, "but that your lordship seemed to invite my presence.""Invited it, sir?" questioned Rotherby with deference. "Ishould scarcely have presumed so far as to invite it.""Not directly, perhaps," returned the second secretary. His was a deep, rich voice, and he spoke with great deliberateness, as if considering well each word before allowing it utterance. "Not directly, perhaps; but in view of your message to Lord Carteret, his lordship has desired me to come in person to inquire into this matter for him, before proceeding farther. This fellow," indicating Green, "brought information from you that a Jacobite - an agent of James Stuart - is being detained here, and that your lordship has a communication to make to the secretary of state."Rotherby bowed his assent. "All I desired that Mr. Green should do meanwhile," said he, "was to procure a warrant for this man's arrest. My revelations would have followed that.

Has he the warrant?"

"Your lordship may not be aware," said Mr. Templeton, with an increased precision of diction, "that of late so many plots have been disclosed and have proved in the end to be no plots at all, that his lordship has resolved to proceed now with the extremest caution. For it is not held desirable by his majesty that publicity should be given to such matters until there can be no doubt that they are susceptible to proof.

Talk of them is disturbing to the public quiet, and there is already disturbance enough, as it unfortunately happens.

Therefore, it is deemed expedient that we should make quite sure of our ground before proceeding to arrests.""But this plot is no sham plot," cried Rotherby, with the faintest show of heat, out of patience with the other's deliberateness. "It is a very real danger, as I can prove to his lordship.""It is for the purpose of ascertaining that fact," resumed the second secretary, entirely unruffled, "for the purpose of ascertaining it before taking any steps that would seem to acknowledge it, that my Lord Carteret has desired me to wait upon you - that you may place me in possession of the circumstances that have come to your knowledge."Rotherby's countenance betrayed his growing impatience. "Why, for that matter, it has come to my knowledge that a plot is being hatched by the friends of the Stuart, and that a rising is being prepared, the present moment being considered auspicious, while the people's confidence in the government is shaken by the late South Sea Company disaster."Mr. Templeton wagged his head gently. "That, sir - if you will permit the observation - is the preface of all the disclosures that have lately been made to us. The consolation, sir, for his majesty's friends, has been that in no case did the subsequent matter make that preface good.""It is in that particular, then, that my disclosures shall differ from those others," said Rotherby, in a tone that caused Mr. Templeton afterwards to describe him as "a damned hot fellow.""You have evidence?"

"Documentary evidence. A letter from the Pretender himself amongst it."A becoming gravity overspread Mr. Templeton's clear-cut face.

"That would be indeed regrettable," said he. It was plain that whatever the second secretary might display when the plot was disclosed to him, he would display none of that satisfaction upon which Rotherby had counted. "To whom, sir, let me ask, is this letter indited?""To my late father," answered his lordship.

Mr. Templeton made an exclamation, whose significance was not quite clear.

"I have discovered it since his death," continued Rotherby.

"I was but in time to wrest it from the hands of that spy of the Pretender's, who was in the act of destroying it when Icaught him. My devotion to his majesty made my course clear, sir - and I desired Mr. Green to procure a warrant for this traitor's arrest.""Sir," said Mr. Templeton, regarding him with an eye in which astonishment was blent with admiration, "this is very loyal in you - very loyal under the - ah - peculiar circumstances of the affair. I do not think that his majesty's government, considering to whom this letter was addressed, could have censured you even had you suppressed it. You have conducted yourself, my lord - if I may venture upon a criticism of your lordship's conduct - with a patriotism worthy of the best models of ancient Rome. And I am assured that his majesty's government will not be remiss in signifying appreciation of this very lofty loyalty of yours."Lord Rotherby bowed low, in acknowledgment of the compliment.

Her ladyship concealed a cynical smile under cover of her fan.

Mr. Caryll - standing in the background beside Hortensia's chair - smiled, too, and poor Hortensia, detecting his smile, sought to take comfort in it.