He wagged his head.

"They say the Duke has put to sea already." "Folly!" Wilding protested.
"Whitehall thinks otherwise.

What of the troops at Taunton ?" "More folly." "Well-I would you had that letter." "At least," said Wilding, "I have the superscription, and we know from Shenke that no name was mentioned in the letter itself." "There's evidence enough without it," 'Trenchard reminded him, and fell soon after into abstraction, turning over in his mind a notion with which he had suddenly been inspired.

That notion kept Trenchard secretly occupied for a couple of days; but in the end he succeeded in perfecting it.
Now it befell that towards dusk one evening early in the week Richard Westmacott went abroad alone, as was commonly his habit, his goal being the Saracen's Head, where he and Sir Rowland spent many a night over wine and cards--to Sir Rowland's moderate profit, for he had not played the pigeon in town so long without having acquired sufficient knowledge to enable him to play the rook in the country.

As Westmacott was passing up the High Street, a black shadow fell athwart the light that streamed from the door of the Bell Inn, and out through the doorway lurched Mr.
Trenchard a thought unsteadily to hurtle so violently against Richard that he broke the long stem of the white clay pipe he was carrying.