Mr. Sheppard’s house was in a little street, that was a cul-de-sac, between the Garden Grounds, which was a great open space, and the Old Stairs on the river.  It was about eight o’clock, and was beginning to be twilight when we came.

As we descended from the coach I noticed at a little distance away a number of fellows, very rough looking, standing together watching us; and I perceived that they saluted my Lord who returned the salute very heartily.  I did not much like that.  Who were these folks, I wondered, who knew my Lord?

The house was very ordinary within; it was flagged with stones that had some kind of matting upon them:  the entrance was all panelled; and, what surprised me was that no servant was to be seen.  Mr. Sheppard himself opened the door to us when we knocked.

We did not speak at all as we came in; and my Lord led me straight through into the parlour on the left that was full of tobacco-smoke.  This was a very good room, hung all round with tapestry, though of a poorish quality, and, though it was not yet dark, the windows were shuttered and barred.  At the table sat half a dozen persons, of whom I knew my Lord Shaftesbury at the head of the table as usual, and Mr. Goodenough that sat with his back to the hearth.  Between these two sat a gentleman whom I knew to be my Lord Howard of Escrick, though I had never spoken with him.  He carried himself with a very high air, and was the only man there dressed as if he were still in Westminster; the rest were subdued, somewhat, in their appearance.  My Lord Howard looked at me with an intolerant kind of disdain, which my Lord Essex made haste to cover by directing me to my place.

I thought that my Lord Shaftesbury seemed very heavy this evening.  He treated me with a silent kind of civility; and so, too, did he treat the rest.  His eyes wandered away sometimes as we talked, as if he were thinking of something else.  We spoke of nothing of any importance for a time, for Mr. Sheppard was bringing in wine with his own hands, though I saw a number of used glasses on the press which shewed me that the company had been here some time already.

It would be not until after ten or twelve minutes that Mr. Sheppard was deputed to open the affair on account of which I had been sent for.

“Now then, Sheppard,” said my Lord Essex who sat on my right, “tell us the news.”

Mr. Sheppard pushed his glass forward and leaned his elbows on the table.  I could see that all that he said was directed principally at me.

“Well, my lords,” he said, “I have very good news.  You remember how I told you that I was beginning to fear for the people down here—­that they would be provoked soon into some kind of a rising.  They are still not wholly pacified—­” (here he shot a look at me, which he should not have done)—­“but I am doing my best to tell them that we have very good hopes indeed that His Majesty will be persuaded to call a Parliament; and I think they are beginning to believe me.  I think we may say that the danger is past.”