CHAPTER V.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 119, 6 August 1875, Page 6

CHAPTER V.

A TALE OF THE REVOLUTION OF IGBB. |

THE CONSPIRATORS. "Now that we have at last met, my Lord," exclaimed Aslrton, | " let us decide as to -what -will be the best course for us to pursue, j Three -weeks later Christmas will be at hand, and immediately j afterwards we must be out of England; for, at the latest, by that time fair Mistress Florence must again be at her post, and we shall find it well nigh impossible to dare the hazardous stake we have to play." "And what plan would you adopt?" asked Lord Preston.; "how can we best arrange in secrecy and silence to convey to those who languish at St. Germains, expecting our coining, nov/s from friends devoted to their interests. I marvel much, Ashton, if even your ready wit hath yet Been the way by which we can accomplish our object." " Ah, my Lord," replied the gallant and brave Ashton, with a sigh, " trust me, love and loyalty know nought of obstacles. Do not let us think of danger; for as I just now warned my wife, 'twill most effectually impede our progress. I will myself be the bearer of all dangerous papers." As Ashton thus spoke, Florence again noted the sigh which accompanied his words, and observed a scarcely perceptible flush mantle the cheek of Lord Preston, and well she divined that it was the flush of rising vexation of spirit, at the contrast which the bold

enthusiastic daring of the intrepid Ashton presented to Ms own vacillating humour; a shade, too, had passed orer Ashton'scountenance, and a something of fear possessed him as to whether the noble lord was an instrument quite fitting for himself — and those whose interests he had at stake — to deal with ; and it may be, that with that sigh came a sad foreboding of impending evil, for he could not but look with doubt on the noble lord, who, having put his hand to the plough, was yet half-minded to look back and retrace his steps. Ah, could he have seen the sad future which loomed so darkly over and around him — could he have deemed that his head would fall, and the ignoble lord be spared, as the page of history shows ; and spared, not because more innocent than Ashton — for in the sight of the ruling powers each was alike guilty — but merely because, coward like, he screened himself from the punishment he had equally merited, by disclosing all the windings and machinations of a plot -which compromised, not merely persons of V rank and consideration in England, but also in Scotland. He was about to be introduced to a woman whose husband possessed a smack, which would carry over to France his lordship, Ashton himself, Florence, Mr. Elliot, and, if required, also, any other person who might wish to join them. "I shall offer," continued Ashton, "one hundred guineas — for the amount of money to be agreed upon shall not be an object. I shall appoint an evening to see her at The Wonder tavern, on Ludgate-hill, and I hope, my lord," he added, " to be ready to set sail at latest by the end of December. These are my present arrangements, and as your lordship has honoured my poor abode so far as to make it the place of our meeting to-night, 1 shall be glad to know if these, still perhaps, undigested plans meet your approval ; for if they satisfy your lordship, they will also have the kindly favour of those in whose behalf you have come here to-night." " In good truth I do not think you could have arranged better," replied Lord Preslon ; "and, gentle lady," he continued, turning to Florence, " will you let me know at what time you intend to seek the presence of Queen Mary ? Tour worthy uncle," he added, " has so easily fallen into the toils spread for him by the flatteries of William, that the task of introduction will not be a difficult one; but, trust me, you may as soon think of taming the lion's whelps as softening the heart of Mary, if such should be your intention ; indeed, putting aside Mary's own evil inclinations, has not her husband made it his study, since the fatal day on which King Charles decreed that she should become the bride of the Prince of Orange — has it not, I say, been his constant effort to steel her heart against every natural emotion of filial love, to decry in her presence all that she had been brought up to consider holy, for his own vile purpose; to make her utterly forgetful of home and home affections? Ay," continued Lord Preston, now carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment and by his dislike of William 111., so as to forget the minor considerations of love of self and self-presex'vation, by which he was generally distinguished, " have I not myself heard him dare to speak dispr tagingly of her royal father even when in public, and revile all th:.t she was ever taught to love ?" Florence, as Lord Preston spoke thus, remembered also a certain speech which -was said on good authority to have been uttered by Mary ; for when the unfortunate James wrote, after Mary's coronation, reproaching her for having suffered this ceremony to have been performed whilst himself and the Prince of Wales lived, William vindicated himself, declaring that he had done nothing but by her advice ; when this most dutiful of daughters replied, with irritation, "That if her father regained his authority, her husband might thank himself for letting Mm go as he did." Then, to her amazement, names were mentioned of some whom she little deemed were averse to the rule of William and Mary — the Bishop of Ely, Clarendon, the Queen's uncle, and several other persons of consideration and note, were alluded to as being concerned in the meditated conspiracy ; and, after a time, they gradually arranged the line of action to be pursued with regard to the journey to France, whither the most important documents were to be cautiously conveyed. As to Florence, she had resolved to be introduced, through Lord Preston and her uncle to the presence of Mary; and once within the precincts of the Court, to watch and note all that passed around her, to be the medium for conveying letters written in ciphers to and from the disaffected nobles who dwelt around the Court, receiving from them in return missives which would hereafter be conveyed to France as soon as their plans were fully matured. Not till a late hour of the night did the party break up, Florence being escorted to a sleeping apartment prepared for her reception by the worthy Mistress Ashton, who, as soon as they were fairly alone, exclaimed bursting into tears, "My mind is sorely perplexed ; one constant thought torments me, and that is, that this enterprise will fail and my husband become one of the victims which the fury of Mary will surely claim." With many a gentle word Florence strove to allay her apprehensions, but her efforts were for some time vainly exerted, and she ielt no small amount of relief when, after Mistress Ashton had assisted her to discharge the duties of her toilette, weary and dispirited, she laid her head on the pillow, receiving an assurance that she would not fail to arouse her in time to ensure her return to Kensington, ere Sir Charles should be aware that she had absented herself from the house. We must now look back into the events of the last two months, taking up the thread of our narrative from the moment at which Sir Charles de Gray resolved on visiting London in company with his niece. A svenry time indeed must elapse ere Florence could hope to return to France, and the days of her sojourn in London promised little less than vexation of spirit, unless her busy and ever active mind could be in any way engaged by taking part in the conspiracy which was being so diligently hatched against the present possessors of the English crown. In the village of Kensington, in the palace of -which plac~

"William and Mary at that time held their Court, the baronet had hired a somewhat handsome residence j and flattered in his old age by the idea of notice from royalty, whilst he had never cared to receive or court its favour in the days of his youth .nd strength, Sir Charles really appeared as if he were meditating undoing the work of his whole fife, during which, as we have already said, ho had managed to maintain a' strict neutrality as to politics. But now the case was altered, and there fluttered about the old baronet a coterie of persons favoured at the Court of William, anxious to make a proselyte and entangle in their meshes the hitherto inflexible old Papist. Amongst these hangers-on at the Court was a favourite page of the King, named Arnold Von Keppel. As to his personal appearance, few men of his time could compete ■with him ; his soubriquet was that of the " handsome page," and none stood higher in the favour of William than did this youth, who was also well known to Eeginald St. John. It was with feelings of alarm and indignation that Florence beheld the foolish old baronet fall unresistingly and readily into the hands of the Court parasites, who were none of them without a koen eye to the influence he possessed, as well as to the broad acres in the respective counties of Cumberland and Gloucestershire, of which he was the master ; and she witnessed the time approach for his presentation at Kensington with absolute horror. Meanwhile, her mind was harassed at the thought of the distress which the Court of St. G-ermains would experience — and, at the lapse of time which must pass beyond that originally intended for her return; for had not Ashton promised the Queen, that ere the festival of Christmas should be celebrated, he would bring her back to France ? However, there was nothing to be done but to take patience for her guide, and thus resolving she endeavoured to watch calmly the demeanour of her fickle old uncle and his future behaviour, and also to endeavour through his means to procure admission to the English Court.