“Let me hear the whole, if you please, sir.--To form a judgment upon any business, it is necessary to have the whole before us.--You need not fear to shock my feelings, sir. I wish always to see men and things as they are.” Mr. Falconer still hesitating, and turning over the leaves--“As my friend in this business, Mr. Falconer,” continued his lordship, “you will comprehend that the essential point is to put me as soon as possible in possession of the facts--then I can decide, and act. If it will not fatigue you too much, I wish to go through these papers before I sleep.” “Fatigue! Oh, my lord, I am not in the least--cannot be fatigued! But the fact is, I cannot go on; for the next pages I have not yet deciphered--the cipher changes here.” Lord Oldborough looked much disappointed and provoked; but, after a few minutes’ pause, calmly said, “What time will it take, sir, to decipher the remainder?” The commissioner protested he did not know--could not form an idea--he and his son had spent many hours of intense labour on the first papers before he could make out the first cipher--now this was a new one, probably more difficult, and whether he could make it out at all, or in what time, he was utterly unable to say. Lord Oldborough replied, “Let us understand one another at once, Commissioner Falconer, if you please. My maxim, and the maxim of every man in public life is, or ought to be--Serve me, and I will serve you. I have no pretensions to Mr. Falconer’s friendship on any other grounds, I am sensible; nor on any other terms can he have a claim to whatever power of patronage I possess. But I neither serve nor will be served by halves: my first object is to make myself master, as soon as possible, of the contents of the papers in your hands; my next to secure your inviolable secrecy on the whole transaction.” The commissioner was going to make vows of secrecy and protestations of zeal, but Lord Oldborough cut all that short with “Of course--of course,” pronounced in the driest accent, and went on with, “Now, sir, you know my object; will you do me the honour to state yours?--you will excuse my abruptness--time in some circumstances is every thing--Do me and yourself the justice to say at once what return I can make for the service you have done or may do me and government.” “My only hesitation in speaking, my lord, was--” “Have no hesitation in speaking, I beseech you, sir.” I _beseech_, in tone, was in effect, I _command_ you, sir;--and Mr. Falconer, under the influence of an imperious and superior mind, came at once to that point, which he had not intended to come to for a month, or to approach till after infinite precaution and circumlocution. “My object is to push my son Cunningham in the diplomatic line, my lord--and I wish to make him one of your secretaries.”