Such was the state of all parties at the time when Laura rose from the table, and left her father and Wilton alone.  Now the bad custom of men sitting together and drinking immense and detrimental quantities of various kinds of wine, was at that time at its very acme; so much so, indeed, that there is more than one recorded instance, in the years 1695 and 1696, of gentlemen—­yes, reader; actually gentlemen, that is to say, persons who had had every advantage of birth, for time, and education—­killing themselves with intoxication, exactly in the manner which a noble but most unhappy bard of our own days has described, in—­

                   —­“the Irish peer
    Who kill’d himself for love, with wine, last year.”

On this subject, however, we shall not dwell, as we may be fated, perhaps, in the very beginning of the next chapter, to touch upon some of the other peculiar habits of those days.

Now neither Wilton nor the Duke were at all addicted to the vice we have mentioned; and Wilton had certainly much stronger attractions in another room of that house than any that the Duke’s cellar could afford him.  The Duke, too, had small inclination usually to sit long at table; but on the pre sent occasion he had an object in detaining his young friend in the dining-room after Lady Laura had departed.  Wilton’s eyes saw him turn towards him several times, while the servants were busy about the table, and had, indeed, even during dinner, remarked a certain sort of restlessness, which he attributed, and rightly, to an anxiety regarding the plots of the Jacobites, in which the peer had so nearly involved himself.

At length, when the room was cleared and the door closed, the Duke drew round his chair towards the fire, begging his young friend to do the same, and mingling the matter of alarm even with his invitation to the first glass of wine, “My dear Wilton,” he said—­“you must permit me to call you so, for I can now look upon you as little less than a son—­I wish you to give me a fuller account of all this business than poor Laura can, for there is news current about the town to-day which somewhat alarms me, though I do not think there is any need of alarm either.  But surely, Wilton, they could not bring me in as at all accessory to a plot which I would have nothing to do with.”

“Oh no, my lord, I should think not,” replied Wilton, without much consideration.  “I know it is the wish of the government only to punish the chief offenders.”

“Then you think it is really all discovered, as they say?” demanded the Duke.

“I know it is,” replied Wilton.  “Several of the conspirators are already in custody, and warrants are issued, I understand, against the rest.  As far as I can judge, two or three will turn King’s evidence, and the rest will be executed.”

“Good God!” exclaimed the Duke.  “I heard something of the business when I was out, but scarcely gave it credit.  It seemed so suddenly discovered.”