Colonel Montague walked to Burton's, at the corner of King Street in St. James's. The coffeehouse buzzed with the news of Mr. Kelly's arrest, and Colonel Montague saw many curious faces look up from their news-sheets and whisper together as he entered. In a corner of the room sat Lord Sidney Beauclerk, with a man whom Montague had remarked at Lady Oxford's rout the night before. Lord Sidney arose as Montague approached and bowed stiffly. 'I come on behalf of a gentleman, whom, perhaps, we need not name,' said Montague. 'Indeed?' said Lord Sidney, with a start of surprise. 'I can understand that your lordship did not expect me, but I am his friend.' 'To be frank, I expected no one.' 'Your lordship, then, hardly knows the gentleman?' 'On the contrary,' said Lord Sidney, and he took up from the table the _Flying Post_ of that morning. He handed the paper to Montague, and pointed to a sentence which came at the end of a description of Mr. Kelly's arrest. 'It is said that Mr. Nicholas Wogan is also in London, hiding under the _incognito_ of Hilton, and that he will be taken to-day.' 'You see, my lord,' said Montague, 'that there are certain difficulties which threaten to interfere with our arrangements.' 'My friend is aware of them,' said Lord Sidney, and presented his friend. 'Before making any arrangements I should be glad if your lordship would favour me with a hearing in some private place. It is I who ask, not my friend, Mr. Hilton.' Lord Sidney reluctantly consented, and the two men walked out of the coffee-house. 'There are to be no apologies, I trust,' said Lord Sidney. Montague laughed. 'Your lordship need have no fears. What I propose is entirely unknown to Mr. Wogan. But it seems to me that the conditions of the duel have changed. If Mr. Wogan shows his face in London he will be taken. If he fights you, it matters not whether you pink him or no, for if he escapes your sword he will be taken by the Messengers. On the other hand, he will not go from London until he has met you; unless--' 'Unless--?' 'Unless your lordship insists upon deferring the meeting until it can take place in France.' 'Yes, I will consent to that,' said Lord Sidney, after a moment's pause. 'It is common fairness.' 'Again I take the liberty to observe that your lordship does not know the gentleman. You must insist.' Lord Sidney was brought without great difficulty to understand the justice of Colonel Montague's argument. 'Very well; I will insist,' he said; and, coming back to Burton's coffee-house, he wrote a polite letter, which the Colonel put in his pocket.