338 A JACOBITE EXILE

Nicholson was at once removed in custody. The two
young officers retired, an usher bringing them a whispered
message from Marlborough that they had better not wait to
see him as the council might sit for some time longer, but
that if they would call at his house at five o’clock, after
his official reception, he would see them.

“This is more than we could have hoped for,” Harry said
as they left St. James’s. “A fortnight ago, although I had
no intention of giving up the search, I began to think that
our chances of ever setting eyes on that rascal were of the
slightest; and now everything has come right. The man
has been found, he has been made to confess the whole
matter, the case has been heard by the council, our fathers
are free to return to England, and their estates are restored
to them; at least, the council recommends the queen, and
we know the queen is ready to sign. So that it is as good
as done.”

“Tt seems too good to be true.”

“Tt does, indeed, Charlie. They will be delighted
across the water. I don’t think my father counted at all
upon our finding Nicholson, or of our getting him to con-
fess; but I think he had hoped that the duke would interest
himself to get an order that no further proceedings should
be taken in the matter of the alleged plot. ‘That would
have permitted them to return to England. He spoke to
me several times of his knowledge of the duke when he was
a young man; but Churchill he said, was a time-server,
and has certainly changed his politics several times; and
if a man is fickle in politics he may be so in his friendships.
It was a great many years since they had met, and Marl-
borough might not have been inclined to acknowledge one
charged with so serious a crime; but, as he said to me be-
fore I started, matters have changed since the death of
William. Marlborough stands far higher with Anne than
he did with William. His leanings have certainly been