Chapter 4 - Page 2

my lord, in having so soon dispatched your
business at Court. Your talking landlady informs me you have been but
a fortnight in this city. It is usually months and years ere the Court
and a suitor shake hands and part."

"My business," said Lord Nigel, with a brevity which was intended to
stop further discussion, "was summarily dispatched."

Still Master Heriot remained seated, and there was a cordial good-
humour added to the reverence of his appearance, which rendered it
impossible for Lord Nigel to be more explicit in requesting his
absence.

"Your lordship has not yet had time," said the citizen, still
attempting to sustain the conversation, "to visit the places of
amusement,--the playhouses, and other places to which youth resort.
But I see in your lordship's hand one of the new-invented plots of the
piece, [Footnote: Meaning, probably, playbills.] which they hand about
of late--May I ask what play?"

"Oh! a well-known piece," said Lord Nigel, impatiently throwing down
the Proclamation, which he had hitherto been twisting to and fro in
his hand,--"an excellent and well-approved piece--_A New Way to Pay
Old Debts._"

Master Heriot stooped down, saying, "Ah! my old acquaintance, Philip
Massinger;" but, having opened the paper and seen the purport, he
looked at Lord Nigel with surprise, saying, "I trust your lordship
does not think this prohibition can extend either to _your_ person or
your claims?" "I should scarce have thought so myself," said the young
nobleman; "but so it proves. His Majesty, to close this discourse at
once, has been pleased to send me this Proclamation, in answer to a
respectful Supplication for the repayment of large loans advanced by
my father for the service of the State, in the king's utmost
emergencies."

"It is impossible!" said the citizen--"it is absolutely impossible!--
If the king could forget what was due to your father's memory, still
he would not have wished--would not, I may say, have dared--to be so
flagrantly unjust to the memory of such a man as your father, who,
dead in the body, will long live in the memory of the Scottish
people." "I should have been of your opinion," answered Lord
Nigel, in the same tone as before; "but there is no fighting with
facts."

"What was the tenor of this Supplication?" said Heriot; "or by whom
was it presented? Something strange there must have been in the
contents, or else--"

"You may see my original draught," said the young lord, taking it out
of a small travelling strong-box; "the technical part is by my lawyer