“Oh no! oh no!” said Keppel with a smile—­“names are but names, my good sir; and in this boisterous land of England we are accustomed to see things stripped of all ornaments.  The difficulty you mention is easily obviated, by calling him of whom you just have spoken, ’The High Personage.’”

“Names, indeed, are nothing,” said the other with a smile.  “What I have got to say, sir, is this, that I have undoubted reason to know that the life of the High Personage we refer to is in hourly danger; that there are persons in this realm who have not only designed to kill him, but have laid with skill and accuracy their schemes for effecting that purpose.  I have heard that he is very apt—­for I have never seen the royal hunt—­to go out to the chase nearly alone, or rather, I should say, very slightly attended; and I came to tell Lord Portland that if this were continued, that High Personage’s life could not be counted upon from day to day.  Let him be well guarded; let there be always some one near him as he rides; and, as far as possible, let some of his guards be ready to escort him home on his return.”

“Your information,” said Keppel, “is certainly very important, and the precaution you recommend wise and judicious; but yet I fear you must give us some more information to render it at all efficient—­I say this, not at all from doubting you, but because we have had, especially of late, so many false reports of plots which never existed, that the King has become careless and somewhat rash.  Nor would it be possible for either Lord Portland or myself to persuade him to take any precautions unless we had some more definite information.  If you know that such a plot really exists, you must also know the names of those who laid it.”

“But those names I will never give up,” replied the other:  “it is quite sufficient for me, sir, to satisfy my own heart and my own conscience, that I have given a full and timely warning of what is likely to ensue.  It matters not to me whether that warning be taken or not; I have done what is right; I will tell no more.  Lord Portland knows that I am neither a, coward, nor a low born man.  I expect not—­I ask not for favour, immunity, reward, or even thanks.  All I do ask is, in the words of the poet, ’that Caesar would be a friend to Caesar.’”

“But you are doubtless aware,” answered Keppel, after a pause, “that by concealing the names, and in any degree the purposes of persons guilty of high treason, you bring yourself under the same condemnation.”

“I both know the fact, sir,” replied the other, “and I knew before I came that it might be urged against me here; but I did not think that Lord Portland would urge it.  However that may be, I came fully prepared to do what I think right, and as nothing, not even the cause to which I am most attached, would induce me to become an assassin or to wink at cold-blooded murder, so, sir, nothing on earth will induce me to betray others to the death which I do not fear myself.  At all events, the truth of what I have told may be positively relied upon; and that I ask no reward or recompence of any kind, may well be received to show that the warning I have given is not vain.”