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somewhere in the lowor part of Whitehall, and the four persons in that chamber started, and glanced at each other inquiringly, as the dull echoes of the
sound reverberated tnroughthe building. Then came a rap at the door. They had all forgotten Dick Martin the drummer, and it seemed to bring them quite back to the com mon-place world again when they heard his voice. " Colonel, there's an attack on the place." " An attack?" The Marquis of Charlton flung the door wide open and admitted Dick Martin. " What is it, Dick ? What do you mean ?" " A dismounted party, colonel, of the king's Light Horse has just broken in at one of the old doors, and
are making their way through the palace." " Then we are indeed in danger," said Markham. " Who is with them, Dick ?"
" Mr. Norris, I think, sir, the king's valet." " That worst of villains!" " HuBh !" said the marquis. There was another loud crash, and it was quite evident that the reckless troopers, having received
some sort of carte blanche to make a raid through old Whitehall after something or somebody, were not par ticular as to the mode by which they passed from one room to another.
We must perforce now return for a brief space to St. James's Palace, and to the queen's cabinet, which had been the scene of so much danger and of so much real feeling and heartfelt affection. It will De remembered that her Majesty retired at once to her oratory, closing the door of communication
behind her, after she had felt satisfied that she had done all she could for the safety of those persons who had thrown themselves upon her protection. The terrible scene that had taken place between the king and his son Fritz, as ho was commonly called, had so shaken the spirits of the queen that, although she had kept up for some time afterwards, as we havo seen, now that she was alone sho gave way completely and fell into a swoon. Agnes and Lucy Kerr of course could have no notion of the state of their royal mistress, since the closing of the door was understood to forbid their further attend ance, and they accordingly retired to Agnes's rooms. Mr. Osbom was ushering down the back staircase the little party in whose fortunes we are interested. The queen s cabinet, therefore, is silent and de serted. But it was not so beyond a few moments. From behind a huge old oaken cabinet, which one would scarcely imagine left space enough between it and the wall, there emerged a human figure. A human figure, erect, defiant, and with such a ma levolent expression upon the countenance as could belong to none other than Norris, the king's valet. How he had contrived to secrete himself there was one of the mysteries of St. James's. There may have been some secret entrance in floor
or wall. But there he was. And there could be but little doubt that he had over heard the whole of the latter part of the conference that had taken place between the queen and her new friends. Norris slowly rubbed his hands one over the other, and the noiseless chuckle in which he indulged had something perfectly fiendish about it. " Which will be the best, I wonder," ho muttered.
" To side with her or with him ?" "Her" no doubt meant the queen, and "him" the king. Norris then tapped the corner of his forehead.
" I might frighten her out of a good deal. If she hasn't much money, she has jewels. A-hem ! Then, again, I might get a good price from him. What shall I do P That is the question. Bah ! tash ! as the king says, how can I be such a fool ? Why, where are my wits ? I'll make them both pay. Of course, make them both pay ; and as my time has so nearly come —my time when I'm going to fly far away from England, and enjoy what I have scraped together, and
what I still mean to lay hold of at the last moment—
by ono grand coup I will leave behind me the me mory of a little trick which will make a nice page in the history of England." Norris must have painfully practised the art of laughing without making the least noise. He seemed now to go off into convulsions of chuck ling at some idea that tickled his fancy amazingly. " Yes," ho said. " I'll make her pay to induce me to keep the secret of her complicity with these people, who are the king's enemies. Then I will make the king pay for telling him the secret, and he may mur
der the whole lot of them for all I care. I owe them a grudge. And then—why then—as his Majesty's waistcoat hangs in what is called the ' petty ward
robe,' I will—I will change the lozenges from one pocket to another." Norris fell into silent convulsions of merriment uguin at this bright idea. "Then, he said, " I will make a clean sweep of the King's jewels, and bo off—off and away. Thore's always some Dutch vessel lying about the Medway which fur
a consideration will up anchor and hoist sail. They
I prowl about there in the service of the Jacobites. Yes,
that will do, that will do. And now for the queen." Norris rapped at the door of the oratory. There was no reply. "I'm sure she's there. Perhaps she's praying. I never
pray. I'll rap again." Still there was no reply. Norris tried the door. Yes, it was unfastened. He peepod into the onitory. Tho queen lay upon the floor as if dead. The valet was alarmed for a moment or two. It might not be very pleasant to be caught with a
dead queen. Explanations might be difficult. Perhaps he would have retired there and then but that a slight movement and a long-drawn sigh con vinced him that her Majesty still lived. Then Norris, bending himself double, became assidu ous and cringingly attentive. He assisted the queen to rise, and when, with a be
wildered look, her Majesty said " Where am I P" ho assured her that she was in her own oratory, and that he was one of her humblest subjects. The queen drew back from him with ill -concealed aversion. " Leave us," she said. " We have no occasion for your services." " Ah ! madam," replied Norris, with a candour that was very much at variance with his ordinary disposition, " ah ! madam, I cannot think you would be so nasty in dismissing me if you were aware that I knew all that has passed in the cabinet for the last hour, and havo nothing to do but to go to his Majesty, who will give a
princely reward for the information." The quecu nearly fell to the floor again.
" You most vile and odi—"
"Yes, madam; I am vile and odious,. Pray don't scruple to use bad language. I am used to it. His most gracious Majesty, whom Heaven preserve, sometimes indulges in it slightly." "What—what," gasped tho queen, "do you re quire?" " A thousand thanks, madam. That is what I call business. Your Majesty has a secret, which I am in possession of. I can carry it to the king, and produce rage, confusion, and death !" "Oh! horror! horror!" ejaculated the queen, as she passed her hands over her eyes. "Exactly, madam. Plenty of horror. But I'm not unreasonable. I only want to bo paid, and as I am rile and odious, I charge accordingly." "What?" Norris rapped tho back of bis hand on the table that wns between him and the queen as he said slowly*- " Fivo hundred guineas -tor being vilo, and five hun dred guineas for being odious." " If I refuse ?" " Then I go straight to the king." " You cannot be so base." " I can. Five hundred guineas more for being base. I want fifteen hundred guineas of your Majesty, or their equivalent in any articles of valuo your Majesty
pleases." "Alas! alae!" " Permit mo to remind your Majesty that my time is precious, and that the hour is late." " Fifteen hundred guineas ?" " The precise sum." " If I do not pay them you will tell tho king all ?" " Assuredly. The queen shook her head and sighed despairingly, whilo Norris gave a silent chuckle at his immense success, and bogan mentally to blame himself that ho had not asked more. " No," said the queen, with the most simple air in tho world. " I will give nothing, for I believe you are cjuite capable of going to tho king afterwards, and selling tho information to him likewise." Now as this was precisely what Norris meant to do, it was excessively aggravating that the queen, of whose mental abilities he had a poor idea, should have hit upon it with such extreme happiness. Norris actually stamped with rage, but the queen had touched a hand-bell, and Mr. Osbom had returned and stood noiselessly iu the entrance of the oratory. " Mr. Osborn," said the queen, " do you think you could turn this person out of our private apartments
very quickly, and in a manner that will be a caution to him not to intrude into them ngain ?" Mr. Osborn upon this flew at Norris, and tore off his wig, and buffeted him about tho head, and kicked his shins, and hustled him to the back stairs, down which ho pitched him headlong in so very short a space of time that it was something wonderful to see.
(To be continued in our next.)