"Poor James!" said the King. "He wants looking after, I think. And what have you come to do in England, Mr. Mallock?" Now I felt that I was cutting a poor figure at present; and that I must say something presently, if I could, to make the King remember me afterwards. It appeared to me that he was trying me, as he tried all newcomers, to see whether they would be witty or amusing; but, for the life of me, I could think of nothing to say. "I am come to put myself wholly at Your Majesty's disposal," I said. "Come! come! That's better," said Charles. "It is usually the other way about. _Servus servorum Dei_, you know. And in what manner do you propose that I should use you?" "I will clean Your Majesty's shoes, if you will. Or I will run errands in my own. Or I will sing psalms, or ditties; or I will row in a boat; or I will play tennis, or fence. I am what is called an accomplished young gentleman, Sir." Now I think I put in a shade too many clauses, for I was a little agitated. But the King's face lightened up very pleasantly. "But I have plenty of folks who can do all that," he said. "In what are you distinguished from the rest?" Then I determined on a bold stroke; for I knew that the King liked such things, if they were not too bold. "I am a Jesuit at heart, Sir;" I said. "I desire to do these things, if Your Majesty wills it so, simply that I may serve His Holiness in serving Your Majesty." "Oho!" said Charles; and he gathered his feet under him and looked at me more closely. I met his eyes fairly and then dropped my own. "Oho! That is frank enough, Mr. Mallock. You know all about me, I suppose. You seem very young for such work. How old are you? Twenty-five?" "I pass as twenty-five, Sir. But I am only twenty-one!" "I would that I were!" said Charles earnestly. "And so you are a Jesuit in disguise--a wolf in sheep's clothing." "No, Sir. I am a Jesuit at heart only, in that I would do anything in God's cause. But I am rather a sheep in wolf's clothing. I was a Benedictine novice till lately." He seemed not to hear me. He had dropped his chin on his hand, and was looking at me as if he were thinking of something else. "So you are come to serve me," he said presently, "in any way that I will; and you will serve me only that you may serve your master better. And what wages do you want?" "None that Your Majesty can give," I said. "Better and better," said Charles. "Nor place, nor position?" "Only at Your Majesty's feet." "And what if I kick you?" "I will look for the halfpence elsewhere, Sir." Then the King laughed outright, in the short harsh way he had; and I knew that I had pleased him. Then he stood up, and I saw that he was taller than I had thought. He was close upon six feet high. "Well, Mr. Mallock," he said, "this seems all very pleasant and satisfactory. You said you would run errands. I suppose you mean to Rome?" "To Rome and back, Sir," I said. "Or to anywhere else, except Hell."