My Lord Essex smiled as he turned to me.

“Mr. Mallock,” he said, “I see you know some of these gentlemen by sight.”

“I know my Lord Shaftesbury, and my Lord Grey by sight,” I said, bowing to each.  They each inclined a little in return.

“And this is Mr. West,” said my Lord.

This was a very busy-looking active little fellow, with bright dark eyes. (He had the name of being an atheist, I learned afterwards.)

“Sit down, Mr. Mallock,” said my Lord, pointing to a chair on my Lord Shaftesbury’s right.  I did so.  There was no servant in the room.  The two other men were presently made known to me as a Mr. Sheppard and a Mr. Goodenough.  I knew nothing of either of these two at this time.

Now it may seem that it was extraordinary bold of all these persons to admit me, believing as they did, that I was on His Majesty’s side, and would reveal all to him; and it was, in one way, bold of them; yet it was the more clever.  For, as will appear, they said nothing to me at present that could be taken hold of in any way; and yet they sent, or rather thought they sent, to the King, false news that would help their cause.

When he had discoursed for a little while on general matters, yet drawing nearer ever to the point, my Lord Essex opened the engagement.

“That Mr. Rumbald,” he said.  “Do you know who he is, Mr. Mallock?”

“Why, he is a maltster, is he not?” I said.

“Well:  he married a maltster’s widow, who is dead now.  But he is an honest old Cromwellian—­loyal enough to His Majesty—­” (the gentlemen all solemnly put hands to their hats)—­“yet very greatly distressed at the course things are taking.”

“An old soldier?” I asked.

“Yes:  he was a Colonel under Oliver.”

Such was the opening; and after that we talked more freely, though not so freely as, I doubt not, they had talked for an hour before I came.  My Lord Shaftesbury did not say a great deal; he had a quick discontented look; but I think I satisfied him.  He was in a very low condition at this time—­all but desperate—­so strongly had the tide set against him since my Lord Stafford’s death and the reaction that followed it; and I think he would have grasped at anything to further his fortunes:  for that was what he chiefly cared about.  My Lord Essex did most of the talking, and Mr. West; and I could see that they were shewing me off, as a new capture, and one on whose treachery to them their hopes might turn.

Now there were three or four matters on which they were very emphatic.  First, that no injury was intended to the King or the Duke of York; but this they did not disclaim for themselves so much as for the disaffected persons generally; as regards themselves they said little or nothing:  and from this I deduced that the King’s life would certainly be aimed at; and the more so, as they said what a pity it was that His Majesty’s guards were still doubled.