is position from taking any active part, a
circumstance of which I was not backward in taking advantage; for
though the late distressing revelation--I refer to my meeting with
Mistress Routh--prevented my making any personal advances towards
Margaret, common humanity prompted me to my utmost efforts for her
relief.

Finally it was determined that Lady Jane should obtain a private
interview with the Duke of Newcastle, and, accompanied by Margaret,
make a personal appeal, which, from Lady Jane's connections, we
flattered ourselves had some hopes of success.

"Cousin," I said, "I have a proposal. Let me go with you. I am
quite unknown, my accent at least is not that of a Scotchman, so
I shall not in any way imperil your success, and I have had some
small experience with my superiors which may not be without its
use."

"Well, Hughie, I may not have the same admiration as yourself for
your accent, but I have the firmest belief in your confidence: that
will not betray you in any strait. And I am as firm a believer in
having a man about; they are bothersome creatures often, but have
their uses at times. At all events, I feel safer in their company;
they bring out the best in me. Yes, on the whole, I think you had
better come."

The following week, through the services of the Vicomte, we were
enabled to arrange for a meeting with the Duke at his house, and
accordingly one morning we took our way by coach to Lincoln's Inn
Fields.

We were ushered into his presence with marvellously little ceremony,
and found him seated at a desk covered with a litter of papers
before a blazing fire, for it was early in January.

He did not pay the slightest attention to the announcement of our
names, beyond raising his head and saying rapidly, without even
returning our salutation, "Yes, yes, yes; be seated, be seated,"
with such a hurried, stuttering stammer that I felt reassured at
once, though I could see both my companions were somewhat overawed
now they were in the presence of the Great Man.

As he kept shuffling over his papers, now reading a few words from
one, then throwing it down, and mixing a dozen others up in hopeless
confusion, now writing a bit, and then frowning and waving his pen,
I felt still more assured, for it all went to show he was only an
ordinary human creature under all his titles and dignities, and
was no more free from little affectations than any other mortal
might be.

At length he ceased his pretence o