Yellow-cap felt not at all in the mood to lead a conspiracy; but still he tried to put a good face upon the matter. 'Lead on!' said he; and Silvia opened the door and went before him across a small enclosed yard to another door, on which she tapped; and Yellow-cap, passing in, found himself once more in the presence of his six friends. They were eating devilled bones, and were dressed in long white dominoes. Each had a playbook beside his plate, and they were apparently studying their parts for the morning performance. 'Good morning! Fine day for the deposition,' said Gyp, acting as spokesman for the rest. 'Have a bone?' 'I have no appetite,' replied Yellow-cap. 'Why are you all dressed in white?' 'So that we may be the blacker inside,' said Ruba, looking up from his book. 'It is the court-dress of conspirators,' added Dubb. 'We are clothed in the unwritten pages of history,' continued Dubsix. 'We shall be red hereafter,' said Menin, archly. 'Because we rose against the tyrant,' concluded Atub, with a sigh. 'They are apt to be rather stupid at this hour in the morning,' remarked Gyp, turning to Yellow-cap, 'but they will get warmed to it presently. May I ask whether you are perfect in your part?' 'I have not thought of any rhyme to "Ormund,"' said Yellow-cap. 'Any rhyme will do,' Gyp went on; 'and perhaps the Home or the Foreign Doggerel will be able to help you to one when the time comes.' 'Brethren,' said Yellow-cap, clearing his throat, 'I propose we put off this affair until to-morrow. I don't feel at all well this morning; and besides, a thing like this ought to be done after dark, not in broad daylight.' Hereupon the six Brethren looked at one another and gave a low whistle; and after a pause Gyp said-- 'This day is the only day in the year on which conspiracies are allowed to take place, and they are not permitted later than ten o'clock in the forenoon. But I may mention that the theatre is always darkened, and is lighted by artificial means.' 'I do not understand,' said Yellow-cap, 'how a conspiracy can succeed, if the people who are conspired against fix the time when it is to come off.' 'What sort of an audience should we get,' replied Gyp, 'if the date of the performance was not advertised beforehand? We should find ourselves playing to empty boxes. Besides, conspiracies are costly; and if----' 'If you please,' said Silvia, opening the door, 'it is just upon nine o'clock, and the donkey waits.' 'We come!' said all the Brethren together, They rose up, put their play-books in their pockets, and joining hands so as to form a circle, with Gyp and Yellow-cap in the middle of it, they rapidly repeated five times over the following mystic chant, Gyp beating time for them with the forefinger of his right hand on the five fingers of his left:-- Ruba--Dubb--Dubsix--Menin--Atub--Chorus--Gyp!