nd
I have law business to settle. That ill-omened Mohun has come, or is
coming, to London again: we are in a lawsuit about my late Lord Gerard's
property; and he hath sent to me to meet him."

CHAPTER V.

MOHUN APPEARS FOR THE LAST TIME IN THIS HISTORY.

Besides my Lord Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, who for family reasons had
kindly promised his protection and patronage to Colonel Esmond, he had
other great friends in power now, both able and willing to assist him,
and he might, with such allies, look forward to as fortunate advancement
in civil life at home as he had got rapid promotion abroad. His Grace
was magnanimous enough to offer to take Mr. Esmond as secretary on
his Paris embassy, but no doubt he intended that proposal should be
rejected; at any rate, Esmond could not bear the thoughts of attending
his mistress farther than the church-door after her marriage, and so
declined that offer which his generous rival made him.

Other gentlemen in power were liberal at least of compliments and
promises to Colonel Esmond. Mr. Harley, now become my Lord Oxford and
Mortimer, and installed Knight of the Garter on the same day as his
Grace of Hamilton had received the same honor, sent to the Colonel to
say that a seat in Parliament should be at his disposal presently,
and Mr. St. John held out many flattering hopes of advancement to
the Colonel when he should enter the House. Esmond's friends were all
successful, and the most successful and triumphant of all was his dear
old commander, General Webb, who was now appointed Lieutenant-General of
the Land Forces, and received with particular honor by the Ministry, by
the Queen, and the people out of doors, who huzza'd the brave chief
when they used to see him in his chariot going to the House or to the
Drawing-room, or hobbling on foot to his coach from St. Stephen's upon
his glorious old crutch and stick, and cheered him as loud as they had
ever done Marlborough.

That great Duke was utterly disgraced; and honest old Webb dated all
his Grace's misfortunes from Wynendael, and vowed that Fate served the
traitor right. Duchess Sarah had also gone to ruin; she had been forced
to give up her keys, and her places, and her pensions:--"Ah, ah!" says
Webb, "she would have locked up three millions of French crowns with her
keys had I but been knocked on the head, but I stopped that convoy at
Wynendael." Our enemy Cardonnel was turned out of the House of Commons
(along with