The king has a score of human bloodhounds seeking me. It is
rather odd, isn't it, to hear a man of the house of Hamilton talking
about making money by work, but of all the money I have ever touched,
that which I have made honestly from the _News Letter_ has been the
sweetest. The work has been a delight to me, even aside from the fact
that it gives me an opportunity to abuse the king. Lilly tells me that
the king asked him to consult the stars concerning my threats against the
royal life. The result was favorable to me."
"It is strange that the king should be duped by a palpable humbug," I
remarked, supposing that George would agree with me. But, no! He turned
on me almost fiercely:--
"Lilly is not a humbug! Of course he humbugs the king, but everybody
does. I have known him to do some wonderful things by the help of his
astrological figures, conjunctions, constellations, and calculations."
"Nonsense! All humbug, I tell you!" I asserted, somewhat disgusted.
"No, it is not all nonsense," he insisted. "A poor woman lost a sum of
money ten days ago. Lilly set a figure and told her where to find it."
"And of course she found it?" I inquired incredulously.
"Yes, she found it," returned George. "And Lilly would not accept a
farthing for his service. Two months ago a child was stolen from its home
in Devonshire, and the parents came all the way to London to consult
Lilly."
"And of course they found the child?" I asked.
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