Barkilphedro’s smile disappeared, and he said,—­“Impossible!”

There is an impressive inflection of voice which, as it were, underlines the words.  Barkilphedro’s tone was thus emphasized; he paused, so as to put a full stop after the word he had just uttered.  Then he continued, with the peculiar and respectful tone of a servant who feels that he is master,—­

“My lord, you are twenty-three miles from London, at Corleone Lodge, your court residence, contiguous to the Royal Castle of Windsor.  You are here unknown to any one.  You were brought here in a close carriage, which was awaiting you at the gate of the jail at Southwark.  The servants who introduced you into this palace are ignorant who you are; but they know me, and that is sufficient.  You may possibly have been brought to these apartments by means of a private key which is in my possession.  There are people in the house asleep, and it is not an hour to awaken them.  Hence we have time for an explanation, which, nevertheless, will be short.  I have been commissioned by her Majesty—­”

As he spoke, Barkilphedro began to turn over the leaves of some bundles of papers which were lying near the casket.

“My lord, here is your patent of peerage.  Here is that of your Sicilian marquisate.  These are the parchments and title-deeds of your eight baronies, with the seals of eleven kings, from Baldret, King of Kent, to James the Sixth of Scotland, and first of England and Scotland united.  Here are your letters of precedence.  Here are your rent-rolls, and titles and descriptions of your fiefs, freeholds, dependencies, lands, and domains.  That which you see above your head in the emblazonment on the ceiling are your two coronets:  the circlet with pearls for the baron, and the circlet with strawberry leaves for the marquis.

“Here, in the wardrobe, is your peer’s robe of red velvet, bordered with ermine.  To-day, only a few hours since, the Lord Chancellor and the Deputy Earl Marshal of England, informed of the result of your confrontation with the Comprachico Hardquanonne, have taken her Majesty’s commands.  Her Majesty has signed them, according to her royal will, which is the same as the law.  All formalities have been complied with.  To-morrow, and no later than to-morrow, you will take your seat in the House of Lords, where they have for some days been deliberating on a bill, presented by the crown, having for its object the augmentation, by a hundred thousand pounds sterling yearly, of the annual allowance to the Duke of Cumberland, husband of the queen.  You will be able to take part in the debate.”

Barkilphedro paused, breathed slowly, and resumed.