“And your politics with them?” he asked.

“My politics are what they ever were,” I said; and that was true enough.

“You were at Temple Bar?” he asked.

“Why I only came from France the day before; but you may depend upon it I was there.  It warmed my heart.”

“You know who was behind it all?” asked the gentleman at the head of the table, suddenly.

I knew well enough that such men as these despise ignorance above all things, and that a shrewd fellow—­or a man that they think to be one is worth a thousand simpletons in their eyes; so I made no pretence of not knowing what he meant.

“Why of course I do!” I said contemptuously.  “It was my Lord Shaftesbury.”

Now the truth of this was not known to everyone in London at this time, though it was known a little while later:  and I should not have known it myself if Mr. Chiffinch had not told me.  But these men knew it, it seemed, well enough; and my knowledge of it blew me sky-high in their view.

“My Lord Shaftesbury, God bless him!” said the lean squinting man, suddenly; and drained his mug.

“God bless him!” I said too, and put my lips to mine.  My hand was immediately grasped by Mr. Rumbald; and so cordial relations were confirmed.

* * * * *

Well; we settled down then to talk treason.  I must not deny that these persons skewed still some glimmerings of sense; they did not, that is to say, as yet commit themselves irrevocably to my mercy:  they appeared to me to talk generally, with a view to trying me:  but I acquitted myself to their satisfaction.

We deposed Charles, we excluded James, we legitimized Monmouth; we armed the loyal citizens and took away the arms of all others.  We appointed even days of humiliation and thanksgiving; and we grew more enthusiastic and reckless with every mug.  The lean man confided to me with infinite pride, that he had been one of the cardinals in the procession to Temple Bar; and I grasped his hand in tearful congratulation.  We were near weeping with loyalty at the end, not to Charles but to Monmouth.  The only man who preserved his self-control completely was the gentleman at the head of the table, though he too adventured a good deal, throwing it before me as a bait before a trout; and each time I gulped it down and asked for more.  He was a finely featured man, with a nose set well out in his face, and had altogether the look and bearing of a gentleman.

It must have been full half-past nine before we broke up; and that was at the going of our president.  We too rose and saw him to the door; and the lean man said he would see him downstairs, so Mr. Rumbald and I were left, he swaying a little and smiling, holding on to the door-post, and I endeavouring to preserve my dignity.

I was about to say good-night too and begone, when he plucked me suddenly by the sleeve.

“Come back again, Mr. Mallock,” he said.  “I have something to say to you.”