He fixed his eyes on him, and then exclaimed, as he shut the door of the apartment,--“Most profligate and damnable villain! And what provokes me most of all, is the knave’s composed insolence. Your Grace will do this--and your Grace will condescend to do that--A pretty puppet I should be, to play the second part, or rather the third, in such a scheme! No, they shall all walk according to my purpose, or I will cross them. I will find this girl out in spite of them, and judge if their scheme is likely to be successful. If so, she shall be mine--mine entirely, before she becomes the King’s; and I will command her who is to guide Charles.--Jerningham” (his gentleman entered), “cause Christian to be dogged where-ever he goes, for the next four-and-twenty hours, and find out where he visits a female newly come to town.--You smile, you knave?” “I did but suspect a fresh rival to Araminta and the little Countess,” said Jerningham. “Away to your business, knave,” said the Duke, “and let me think of mine.--To subdue a Puritan in Esse--a King’s favourite in Posse--the very muster of western beauties--that is point first. The impudence of this Manx mongrel to be corrected--the pride of Madame la Duchesse to be pulled down--and important state intrigue to be farthered, or baffled, as circumstances render most to my own honour and glory--I wished for business but now, and I have got enough of it. But Buckingham will keep his own steerage-way through shoal and through weather.” CHAPTER XXIX ----Mark you this, Bassanio-- The devil can quote Scripture for his purpose. --MERCHANT OF VENICE. After leaving the proud mansion of the Duke of Buckingham, Christian, full of the deep and treacherous schemes which he meditated, hastened to the city, where, in a decent inn, kept by a person of his own persuasion, he had been unexpectedly summoned to meet with Ralph Bridgenorth of Moultrassie. He was not disappointed--the Major had arrived that morning, and anxiously expected him. The usual gloom of his countenance was darkened into a yet deeper shade of anxiety, which was scarcely relieved, even while, in answer to his inquiry after his daughter, Christian gave the most favourable account of her health and spirits, naturally and unaffectedly intermingled with such praises of her beauty and her disposition, as were likely to be most grateful to a father’s ear.