The Man Who Laughs Part II, Book the First, Chapter VII - Barkilphedro Gnaws His Way

In which the odious Barkilphedro, a man of malignity and cunning, secures a peculiar court appointment involving the secret opening of messages cast adrift by shipwrecks upon the English shore, revealing his insidious nature beneath a veneer of civility. This chapter dwells upon the intricacies of court intrigue and the dark satisfaction found in envy and cruelty, as Barkilphedro insinuates himself into royal favour with a soul full of hate.