“I will not forget, I will not forget,” replied the King.  “When do you publicly announce your return, my lord?”

“I think it would be better not, sire,” replied the Earl, “till after we have notified the arrangements to the three gentlemen who retire.”

The King smiled.  “That can be done to-morrow, my lord,” he said; “and I cannot but say, that the sooner it is done the better, for my service has already suffered.”

“That disagreeable task will of course fall on my Lord Keeper,” said Lord Sunbury, looking to Somers with a smile.

“I shall do it without ceremony, my lord,” replied Lord Somers.  “It will be a mere matter of form; and if we could have found a position suitable to my Lord Wharton, I should say that we have constructed the most harmonious administration that I have seen since the glorious Revolution.”

The King’s brow grew somewhat dark at the name of Lord Wharton; and the Earl of Sunbury making a sign to the Lord Keeper to avoid that topic, took his leave of the King, saying, “I think I have your majesty’s permission to retire through your private apartments.”

As he was opening a door, a little to the King’s right hand, however, he was met by the Earl of Portland, who greeted him with a well-pleased smile, and then passed on towards the King, of whom Lord Somers was taking leave at the same moment.

“May it please your majesty,” said the Earl of Portland, as soon as the Lords Sunbury and Somers had departed, “the young gentleman whom you were once pleased to see concerning the Duke of Berwick’s coming to England, is now here, together with another gentleman calling himself Green, whom your majesty also, I understand—­”

“Yes, yes,” said the King, “I will see him.  I promised to see him.”

“You told me also, sire,” replied Lord Portland, “if ever this other gentleman applied, you would also see him.  Mr. Wilton Brown, I mean.”

“I will see him too,” said the King.  “I will see them together.  Let them be called, Bentinck.”

Lord Portland went to the door, and gave the necessary orders, and in a moment or two after, Wilton and his companion stood in the presence of the King.

As they entered, Lord Albemarle said a few words to William, in a low tone, to which William replied, “No, no, I will tell you if it be necessary.—­Now, gentlemen,” he said, “I understood, from the note received this morning by my Lord of Albemarle, that you requested an audience together, which as I had promised to each separately, I have given.  Is your business the same or different?”

“It is the same, sire,” replied Green at once.  “But I will beg this young gentleman to urge what he has to say in the first place.”

The King nodded his head to Wilton to proceed; adding, “I have little time this morning, and you may be brief; for if your business be what I think, it has been opened to me by a friend of yours, and you will hear more from me or him on Tuesday.”