I was in hopes to persuade Mr.Fairford to have entered into my views; but I found him too much prejudiced to permit me to trust him.

He is a wretched, yet a timid slave of the present government, under which our unhappy country is dishonourably enthralled; and it would have been altogether unfit and unsafe to have entrusted him with the secret either of the right which I possess to direct your actions, or of the manner in which I purpose to exercise it.' I was determined to take advantage of his communicative humour, and obtain, if possible, more light upon his purpose.

He seemed most accessible to being piqued on the point of honour, and I resolved to avail myself, but with caution, of his sensibility upon that topic.

'You say,' I replied, 'that you are not friendly to indirect practices, and disapprove of the means by which your domestic obtained information of my name and quality--Is it honourable to avail yourself of that knowledge which is dishonourably obtained ?' 'It is boldly asked,' he replied; 'but, within certain necessary limits, I dislike not boldness of expostulation.

You have, in this short conference, displayed more character and energy than I was prepared to expect.