buy a bandage for them from some other chemist. But already the pain seemed less intense, dulled as it was by the contemplation of something he would never have expected to be able to inflict on the likes of Sir Theodore Janssen and his very good friend, Ysbrand de Vries: revenge.
Spandrel assumed — as why would he not? — that Sir Theodore was still comfortably installed at his house in Hanover Square, perhaps at that moment perusing his morning newspaper over a cup of chocolate, smug in his certainty that the courier he had chosen to carry the despatch-box and its so very important contents to Amsterdam was dead, his lips sealed for good and all.
Sir Theodore's situation was, in truth, rather different. Robert Knight's failure to appear before the Committee of Inquiry at South Sea House on Monday had led to a convulsion of righteous indignation in the House of Commons and the forced attendance there of those directors of the South Sea Company who were also Members of Parliament, followed shortly afterwards by their committal to the Tower pending further investigations by the committee, now vested with full executive powers. By the following day, the net had been widened to include all directors and officials of the company.
That morning, therefore, found Sir Theodore confined in an admittedly commodious but scarcely elegant chamber in the Tower of London. He had a view from his window of the traffic on the Thames and the wharves of Bermondsey, but the smell of the river at low tide was a heavy price to pay for such a prospect. The furnishings of the chamber might have been described as generous by someone not as accustomed as Sir Theodore was to the best. Happily, he had always possessed a pragmatical disposition and age had taught him patience if nothing else. Chocolate tasted the same wherever it was drunk, even if the Governor did exploit his monopoly on prisoners' supplies to charge scandalous amounts for portage. And though Brodrick and his fellow inquisitors might think they had him at their mercy, Sir Theodore was confident that they would eventually find it was quite the other way about.
There had been no objection to his valet waiting upon him in his altered place of residence and it was certainly a relief to Sir Theodore that he could begin each day with an expert shave. But Jupe's tonsorial talents, though considerable, were not those his employer valued most highly. Jupe's grasp of events was what Sir Theodore wished to call upon, every bit as much as his steady hand with a razor.
'Who is still at liberty, Jupe?' Sir Theodore accordingly enquired as his barber-cum-newsmonger slid the blade over the crown of his head. 'I'm told there are a dozen of us here.'
'That would be correct, sir. And more are sought. I believe there is not yet a warrant out for Deputy Governor Joye, however. The committee must expect to find him particularly helpful.'
'When does he go before them?'
'Today. Along with Sir John Blunt.'
'Blunt will tell them whatever he thinks will serve him best. And that, I suppose, will be nearly everything.'
'But not quite everything, sir?'
'They would need to speak to Knight for that.'
'As they would assuredly like to.'
'Do they know where he is?'
'Brussels has been mentioned.'
'An obvious choice. The Austrian authorities are unlikely to bestir themselves to do the committee's bidding.'
'But the King's bidding, sir?'
'A different matter — should it arise.'
'Rumour has it that the Duke of Wharton means to hire a hearse and drive it through the streets today in a mock funeral procession for the company.'
'The Duke of Wharton is a fool. He and his fellow Jacobites no doubt see this crisis as a gift from the gods. Well, well. Let them stage their funeral. Let them have their fun. What of the Government?'
'Lying low, I rather think, sir. Aislabie is said to be finished and Walpole to be certain of succeeding him as Chancellor.'
'Ah, Walpole. There is a man we must watch.'
'There is
Spandrel assumed — as why would he not? — that Sir Theodore was still comfortably installed at his house in Hanover Square, perhaps at that moment perusing his morning newspaper over a cup of chocolate, smug in his certainty that the courier he had chosen to carry the despatch-box and its so very important contents to Amsterdam was dead, his lips sealed for good and all.
Sir Theodore's situation was, in truth, rather different. Robert Knight's failure to appear before the Committee of Inquiry at South Sea House on Monday had led to a convulsion of righteous indignation in the House of Commons and the forced attendance there of those directors of the South Sea Company who were also Members of Parliament, followed shortly afterwards by their committal to the Tower pending further investigations by the committee, now vested with full executive powers. By the following day, the net had been widened to include all directors and officials of the company.
That morning, therefore, found Sir Theodore confined in an admittedly commodious but scarcely elegant chamber in the Tower of London. He had a view from his window of the traffic on the Thames and the wharves of Bermondsey, but the smell of the river at low tide was a heavy price to pay for such a prospect. The furnishings of the chamber might have been described as generous by someone not as accustomed as Sir Theodore was to the best. Happily, he had always possessed a pragmatical disposition and age had taught him patience if nothing else. Chocolate tasted the same wherever it was drunk, even if the Governor did exploit his monopoly on prisoners' supplies to charge scandalous amounts for portage. And though Brodrick and his fellow inquisitors might think they had him at their mercy, Sir Theodore was confident that they would eventually find it was quite the other way about.
There had been no objection to his valet waiting upon him in his altered place of residence and it was certainly a relief to Sir Theodore that he could begin each day with an expert shave. But Jupe's tonsorial talents, though considerable, were not those his employer valued most highly. Jupe's grasp of events was what Sir Theodore wished to call upon, every bit as much as his steady hand with a razor.
'Who is still at liberty, Jupe?' Sir Theodore accordingly enquired as his barber-cum-newsmonger slid the blade over the crown of his head. 'I'm told there are a dozen of us here.'
'That would be correct, sir. And more are sought. I believe there is not yet a warrant out for Deputy Governor Joye, however. The committee must expect to find him particularly helpful.'
'When does he go before them?'
'Today. Along with Sir John Blunt.'
'Blunt will tell them whatever he thinks will serve him best. And that, I suppose, will be nearly everything.'
'But not quite everything, sir?'
'They would need to speak to Knight for that.'
'As they would assuredly like to.'
'Do they know where he is?'
'Brussels has been mentioned.'
'An obvious choice. The Austrian authorities are unlikely to bestir themselves to do the committee's bidding.'
'But the King's bidding, sir?'
'A different matter — should it arise.'
'Rumour has it that the Duke of Wharton means to hire a hearse and drive it through the streets today in a mock funeral procession for the company.'
'The Duke of Wharton is a fool. He and his fellow Jacobites no doubt see this crisis as a gift from the gods. Well, well. Let them stage their funeral. Let them have their fun. What of the Government?'
'Lying low, I rather think, sir. Aislabie is said to be finished and Walpole to be certain of succeeding him as Chancellor.'
'Ah, Walpole. There is a man we must watch.'
'There is
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