"Now to our business, my dear sir," said his lordship, seating himself at
the table with Mr. Falconer, who immediately produced M. de Tourville's
papers.

It is not at this period of our story necessary to state precisely their
contents; it is sufficient to say, that they opened to Lord Oldborough a
scene of diplomatic treachery abroad, and of ungrateful duplicity at home.
From some of the intercepted letters he discovered that certain of his
colleagues, who appeared to be acting along with him with the utmost
cordiality, were secretly combined against him; and were carrying on an
underplot, to deprive him at once of popularity, favour, place, and power.
The strength, firmness, hardness of mind, which Lord Oldborough exhibited
at the moment of this discovery, perfectly amazed Mr. Falconer. His
lordship gave no sign of astonishment, uttered no indignant exclamation,
nor betrayed any symptoms of alarm; but he listened with motionless
attention, when Mr. Falconer from time to time interrupted his reading, and
put himself to great expense of face and lungs to express his abhorrence
of "such inconceivable treachery." Lord Oldborough maintained an absolute
silence, and waiting till the commissioner had exhausted himself in
invective, would point with his pencil to the line in the paper where he
had left off, and calmly say--"Have the goodness to go on--Let us proceed,
sir, if you please."

The commissioner went on till he came to the most important and interesting
point, and then glancing his eye on his intended patron's profile, which
was towards him, he suddenly stopped. Lord Oldborough, raising his head
from the hand on which it leaned, turned his full front face upon Mr.
Falconer.

"Let me hear the whole, if you please, sir.--To form a judgment upon any