e imagined that he had such good company in
his house; but if he was surprised to see Talbot carelessly lolling in
his wife's ante-chamber, his surprise was soon over. Talbot, who had not
seen him since they were in Flanders, and never supposing that he had
changed his name: "Welcome, Carnegy, welcome, my good fellow," said he,
giving him his hand, "where the devil have you been, that I have never
been able to set eyes on you since we were at Brussels? What business
brought you here? Do you likewise wish to see Lady Southesk? If this is
your intention, my poor friend, you may go away again; for I must
inform you, the Duke of York is in love with her, and I will tell you in
confidence, that, at this very time, he is in her chamber."

Southesk, confounded as one may suppose, had no time to answer all
these fine questions: Talbot, therefore, attended him downstairs as his
friend; and, as his humble servant, advised him to seek for a mistress
elsewhere. Southesk, not knowing what else to do at that time, returned
to his coach; and Talbot, overjoyed at the adventure, impatiently waited
for the duke's return, that he might acquaint him with it; but he was
very much surprised to find that the story afforded no pleasure to those
who had the principal share in it; and his greatest concern was,
that Carnegy had changed his name, as if only to draw him into such a
confidence.

This accident broke off a commerce which the Duke of York did not much
regret; and indeed it was happy for him that he became indifferent; for
the traitor Southesk meditated a revenge, whereby, without using either
assassination or poison, he would have obtained some satisfaction upon
those who had injured him, if the connection had continued any longer.

He went to the most infamous places, to seek for the most infamous
disease, which he met with; but his revenge was only half completed; for
after he had gone through every remedy to get quit of his disease, his
lady did but return him his present, having no more connection with the
person for whom it was so industriously prepared.

[Bishop Burnet, taking notice of the Duke of York's amours, says,
"a story was set about, and generally believed, that the Earl of
Southesk, that had married a daughter of the Duke of Hamilton's,
suspecting some familiarities between the duke and his wife, had
taken a sure method to procure a disease to himself, which he
communicated to his wife, and was, by