"Now then, Sheppard," said my Lord Essex who sat on my right, "tell us the news."
Mr. Sheppard pushed his glass forward and leaned his elbows on the table. I could see that all that he said was directed principally at me.
"Well, my lords," he said, "I have very good news. You remember how I told you that I was beginning to fear for the people down here—that they would be provoked soon into some kind of a rising. They are still not wholly pacified—" (here he shot a look at me, which he should not have done)—"but I am doing my best to tell them that we have very good hopes indeed that His Majesty will be persuaded to call a Parliament; and I think they are beginning to believe me. I think we may say that the danger is past."
"Why; what danger is that, Mr. Sheppard?" said I, very innocently.
"Why—a rising!" he said. "Has not my Lord Essex told you?"
"Ah! yes!" said I, "I had forgot." (This was wholly false. He had told me once or twice at least that there was danger of this. This had been a month ago; and his object had been to persuade me that they had been telling the truth.)
"I saw some fellows as we came in," I said.
"Those are the malcontents," he said. "There are not more than a very few now, who go about and brag."
I assented.
"By the way," said my Lord Essex to Shaftesbury who looked at him heavily, "I spoke with my Lord Russell a week ago. You know my Lord Russell, Mr. Mallock?"