when Mistress Talmash came out of her lady's closet, and told them that
she was fainting. This was the way that doctors disagreed when I was
young, and I fancy that they don't agree much better now.

She lingered on, however, still resolutely refusing to take to her bed,
and seeing me, if only for a moment, every day, for yet another
fortnight. On the Twentieth of January, it was her humour to receive the
visit of a certain great nobleman. Very many of the quality had daily
waited upon her, or had sent their gentlemen to inquire after her; but
for many weeks she had seen none but her own household. The nobleman I
speak of had lately come down from the Bath, where he had been taking
the waters; for he was full of years, and of Glory, and of infirmities.
A message went to his grand house in Pall Mall, and he presently waited
on my Grandmother. He was closeted with her for an hour, when the tap of
my Grandmother's cane against the wainscot summoned Mistress Talmash,
and she, doing her errand, brought me into the presence.

"My Lord," whispered my Grandmother, as she drew me towards her, and
gave me a kiss that was almost of a whisper too, so feebly gentle was
it,--"My Lord Duke, will you be pleased to lay your hand on the boy's
head and give him your blessing, and it will make him Brave."

He smiled sadly at her fancy, but did as she entreated. He laid a hand
that was all covered with jewelled rings, and that shook almost as much
as my Grandmother's, on my locks, and prattled out to me something about
being a good boy and not playing cards. He, too, was almost gone. He had
a mighty wig, and velvet clothes all covered with gold-lace, a diamond
star, and broad blue ribbon; but his poor swollen legs were swathed in
flannel, and he was so feeble that he had to be helped down-stairs by
two lacqueys. I too ran down-stairs unchecked, and saw him helped,
tottering, into his chair, a company of the Foot-guards surrounding it;
for he was much misliked by the mobile at that time, and few cried, God
bless him! Indeed, as the company moved away, I heard a ragged fellow
(who should have been laid by the heels for it) cry, "There goes
Starvation Jack, that fed his soldiers on boiled bricks and baked
mortar."

"He is a Whig now," said my Grandmother to me, when I rejoined her; "but
he was of the bravest among men, and in the old days loved the true King
dearly."

When this man was young and poor, the mobile used to call him "Handsom