o the ante-chamber, which looked into the street,
and placed himself at the window to view the people as they passed.

He was one of the best meaning men in the world on such occasions; but
was so subject to forgetfulness, and absence of mind, that he once
forgot, and left behind him at London, a complimentary letter which the
duke had given him for the Infanta of Portugal, and never recollected it
till he was going to his audience.

He stood sentry, as we have before said, very attentive to his
instructions, when he saw a coach stop at the door, without being in the
least concerned at it, and still less, at a man whom he saw get out of
it, and whom he immediately heard coming upstairs.

The devil, who ought to be civil upon such occasions, forgot himself in
the present instance, and brought up Lord Southesk 'in propria persona':
his Royal Highness's equipage had been sent home, because my lady had
assured him that her husband was gone to see a bear and a bull baiting,
an entertainment in which he took great delight, and from whence he
seldom returned until it was very late; so that Southesk, not seeing any
equipage at the door, little 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, tha