312 A JACOBITE EXILE

“Well, we shall have plenty of time to think this over,
Charlie. I suppose we shall carry out our plan to-morrow,
as we arranged.”

“Certainly. It is as important to find out where he
lives in London as it was before, for if he gets away we
can then look him up there. We may as well go to bed
at once, for I shall start at four, so as to get to town before
him however early he may be off. But as we know now
he is going up on pleasure and not on business, I don’t
suppose he will be in any hurry in the morning.”

Charlie arrived in town about eight o’clock, and having
breakfasted at the first tavern he came to, walked along
for some distance to decide upon the spot where he should
take up his position. As Nicholson was going up, as he
said, to enjoy himself, it was not likely that he would put
up at Islington, but would take up his quarters in the cen-
tre of the town. He therefore decided to walk on until he
came to some junction of important roads, and there wait,
as the man might make either for the city or Westminster,
though the latter appeared the more probable direction.
Here he walked up and down for an hour, and then enter-
ing a tavern took his place at the window, where he could
see up the street, called for a stoup of wine, and prepared
for a long wait. It was not indeed until three o’clock
that he saw Nicholson coming along. He was more gaily
dressed than he had been on the previous day. He had
on a green cloth coat with gold braid round the cuffs, an
embroidered waistcoat, yellow breeches, top-boots, and
three-cornered hat. He was riding at foot-pace.

Charlie went to the door as soon as he passed, and saw
that, as he expected, he took the road to Westminster.
Looking round he saw Harry riding about a hundred yards
behind. Charlie had no difficulty in keeping up with
Nicholson, and traced him to a house in a quiet street
lying behind the Abbey. A boy came out and held the