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Royalty Restored by J. Fitzgerald (Joseph Fitzgerald) Molloy
page 75 of 417 (17%)
young duke saw the gallant colonel was still true at heart to the
Royalist cause, and therefore trusted him at this critical
juncture.

Now for a fortnight previous to the night on which he designed to
escape, James made it his habit to play at hide-and-seek every
evening after supper with his brother and sister, and the
children of the officers then located in the palace; and in such
secure places did he secrete himself that his companions
frequently searched for over half an hour without discovering
him. This of course accustomed the household to miss him, and
was cunningly practised for the purpose of gaining time on his
pursuers when he came to be sought for in good earnest.

At last the eventful night fixed for his escape arrived; and
after supper a pleasant group of merry children prepared to
divert themselves in the long dark halls and narrow winding
passages of the grim old palace. James, as usual, proposed
concealing himself, and leaving his companions for the purpose,
disappeared behind some arras; but, instead of hiding, he
hastened to his sister's chamber, where he locked up a favourite
dog that was in the habit of following his footsteps wherever he
went, and then noiselessly slipped down a back stairs which led
to an inner garden. Having taken care to provide himself with a
key fitting the garden door, he quickly slipped into the park.
Here he found Colonel Bamfield waiting, who, giving him a cloak
and a wig for his better disguise, hurried him into a hackney
coach, which drove them as far as Salisbury House in the Strand.
From thence they went through Spring Garden, and down Ivy Lane,
when, taking boat, they landed close by London Bridge. Here
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