"My own handwriting, and private seal, I perceive."

The duke sighed--and whilst Lord Oldborough drew out, opened, and read the
first letter in the parcel, his grace went on--"This affair has thrown us
all into the greatest consternation. It is to be brought before parliament
immediately--unless a resignation should take place--which we should all
deplore. The impudence, the inveteracy of that fellow, is astonishing--no
silencing him. We might hush up the affair if his majesty had not been
apprised; but where the interest of the service is concerned, his majesty
is warm."

"His majesty!" cried Lord Oldborough: "His majesty could not, I trust, for
a moment imagine these letters to be I mine?"

"But for the hand and seal which I understood your lordship to acknowledge,
I am persuaded his majesty could not have believed it."

"Believed! My king! did he believe it?" cried Lord Oldborough. His
agitation was for a moment excessive, uncontrollable. "No! that I will
never credit, till I have it from his own lips." Then commanding himself,
"Your grace will have the goodness to leave these letters with me till
to-morrow."

His grace, with infinite politeness and regret, was under the necessity
of refusing this request. His orders were only to show the letters to his
lordship, and then to restore them to the hands of the member of opposition
who had laid them before his majesty.

Lord Oldborough took off the cover of one of the letters, on which was