Page 306 - A Jacobite Exile

Charlie had said at his first interview with him. They thought it would be
better, now, to make him more fully acquainted with the facts, for they had

found him shrewd, and eager to assist them to the best of his power. They
therefore sent a boy with a note to him, at the court, and at seven o'clock he

came to their lodgings.

"We have found our man," Charlie said as he entered.

"I am very glad to hear it, gentlemen. I had quite given up all hopes that

you would be able to do so, and thought he must have left town altogether
for a time."

"Sit down and take a glass of wine. We want your advice in this matter, and
unless you know how much there is at stake, you will not be able to enter

fully into the affair.

"Some four years ago, this fellow was concerned in a plot by which six

gentlemen, among whom were our friends, were brought to ruin. They were
in the habit of meeting together, being all of similar political opinions, and

advantage was taken of this by a man, who hoped to profit largely by their
ruin, especially by that of my father. In order to bring this about, he
recommended this fellow we are in search of to my father, who happened,

at the time, to be in want of a servant.

"The fellow undoubtedly acted as a spy, for I once caught him at it. But
spying alone would have been of no use, for there was nothing at any time
said that would have brought harm upon them. They simply discussed what

thousands of other people have discussed, the measures that should be
taken on behalf of the Stuarts, if one of them came over from France

supported by a French force. The fellow, however, swore that the object of
these meetings was to arrange for an assassination of William. He gave full
details of the supposed plot, and in order to give substance to his

statements, he hid, in a cabinet of my father's, a number of compromising
papers, professing to be letters from abroad.