ing at the door, which made even Gammon almost start from his chair, and threw Lady Cecilia into a second swoon. It was providential, perhaps, that it had that effect; for had she gone to the windows, and seen her insensible father, with care and difficulty, lifted out of his carriage-his shirt-collar, and a white neck-handkerchief, thrown round his shoulders, partially crimsoned; and in that way, amid a little crowd which had suddenly gathered round, carried into the house, and borne up-stairs to his bedchamber-it might have had a very serious effect, indeed, upon her ladyship. Gammon stepped for an instant to the window-he saw the poor old peer in the state I have described, and the sight blanched his cheeks. Leaving her ladyship in the hands of Miss Macspleuchan, and her attendants, he followed into the Earl's bedroom; and was a little relieved, some quarter of an hour afterwards, at finding, that, though the Earl was much exhausted with the fatigue of removal, he was in a much more satisfactory state than could have been anticipated. As his lordship's own physician (who had been summoned instantly on the Earl's arrival home) intimated that a little repose was essential to his lordship, and that no one should remain in the room whose services were not indispensable, Gammon took his departure, after an anxious enquiry as to Lady Cecilia―intending to return before night, personally to ascertain the state of the Earl and her ladyship.

A mighty sigh escaped from the oppressed bosom of Gammon, as soon as, having quitted the house, he found himself in the street alone. He walked for some minutes straight on, irresolute as to whether he should direct his steps-to his own chambers, to the office in Hatton Garden, or to Mr Titmouse's residence in Park Lane. At length he determined on returning, in the first instance, to his own chambers, and bent his steps accordingly; his mind so absorbed in thought, that he scarcely saw any one he met or passed. Here was a state of things, thought he, which he had brought about! And what must be his own course now? For a moment or two he was in a state of feeling which we may compare to that of a person who, with ignorant curiosity, has set into motion the machinery of some prodigious engine, which it required but a touch to effect—and then stands suddenly paralysed—bewildered-confounded at the

complicated movements going on all around him, and perhaps the alarming noises accompanying them—not daring to move a hair's-breadth in any direction for fear of destruction. He soon, however, recovered himself, and began very seriously to contemplate the perilous position in which he now found himself placed. Here was Lord Dreddlington, in the first place, involved to a most alarming extent of liability in respect of his connexion with one of the bubble companies, into an alliance with which it was Gammon alone who had seduced him. But he quickly lost sight of that, as a very light matter compared with what had subsequently happened, and the prodigious consequences to which it might possibly lead-and that, too, immediately.

This crisis had been precipitated by an accident—an occurrence which he felt that no man could have foreseen or calculated upon. Certainly it might all be traced to his own oversight in leaving the conveyance of his rent-charge—so all-important a document upon his table, though for only a minute or two's absence; for he had not quitted his chambers more than five minutes before he had re-entered them, finding the Earl of Dreddlington there-of all persons in the world the very last whom Gammon would have wished to be aware of the existence of such an instrument. Who could have imagined—calculated on such an occurrence? Never before had the Earl visited him at his own private residence; and to have come just precisely at the very moment-and yet, thought Gammon, almost starting back a step or two-when one came to think of it-what was more likely than that, on seeing the paragraph in the morning paper, his lordship should have done the very thing he had, and driven down to Mr Gammon for an explanation? Bah! thought Mr Gammon, and stamped his foot on the pavement.

[Ay, Satan, it was a very slippery trick indeed, which you had played this acute friend of yours.]

"But the thing is done; and what am I now to do? What can I do? First of all, there's Titmouse-where is that little miscreant at this moment? Will he follow his wife to Grosvenor Square? Will the Earl have recovered, before I can see Titmouse, sufficiently to recollect what has happened? Will they allow him to be admitted into the sick-chamber? Suppose his

presence should remind the Earl of what he has this day heard? Suppose he should recover his senses-what course will he take? Will he acquaint his daughter that she is married to a vulgar bastard-oh, frightful!-she and he the two proudest persons, perhaps, living! Will they spurn him from them with loathing and horror?—expose the little impostor to the world?—and take God knows what steps against me, for the share I have had in the matter?—Oh, impossible!—inconceivable! They can never blazon their own degradation to the world! Or will Lord Dreddlington have discretion and self-command sufficient to keep the blighting secret to himself? Will he rest satisfied with my statement, or insist on conclusive proof and corroboration? Will he call for vouchers-ah!” here he ground his teeth together, for he recollected the trick which Titmouse had played him in destroying the precious documents already spoken of. “If the little wretch do not hear of what has happened from any one else, shall I tell him that I have communicated his secret to Lord Dreddlington? Fancy him and his wife meeting after they know all !—or him and the Earl! Suppose the Earl should die -and without having disclosed this secret to any one? Oh, oh! what a godsend would that be! All straight then, to the end of the chapter!-How near it was this morning!—If I had but suffered those two boobies to wrangle together till it was too late!"-A little colour came into Mr Gammon's cheek at this point—as if he felt that perhaps he was then going a trifle too far in entertaining such very-decisive-wishes and regrets still he could not dismiss the reflection; nay, what was more probable than that so desperate a shock, suffered by a man of his advanced years, might be only the precursor of a second and fatal fit of apoplexy?-Doctor Bailey had expressed some fears of that sort to-day, recollected Gammon !

If Mr Gammon had seen the watchful eyes at that moment settled upon him, by two persons who were approaching him, and who passed him unobserved; and could have dreamed of the errand which had brought those two persons into that part of the town—it might have set his busy brain upon quite a new track of harassing conjecture and apprehension. But he was far too intently occupied with his thoughts to notice any one, as

he walked slowly down Holborn; and some five minutes afterwards, having got to within a hundred yards of Saffron Hill, he was startled out of his meditations by hearing a voice calling out his name and looking towards the middle of the street, whence the sound came, beheld Mr Titmouse, beckoning to him eagerly, out of a hackney-coach, which was slowly driving up Holborn, and at Titmouse's bidding drew up to the kerb-stone. "Oh-I say! Mr Gammon !-'pon my life-here's a precious mess!-Such a devil of a row!"-commenced Titmouse alarmedly, speaking in a low voice through the coach window.

"I have heard of it, sir,” replied Gammon gloomily—" and I have, in my turn, something of far greater consequence to tell you. Let the coachman turn back and drive you to my chambers, where I will meet you in a quarter of an hour's time." "Oh Lord! Won't you get in and tell me now?—Do, Mr Gam”.

"No sir!" replied Gammon, almost fiercely, and walked away, leaving Titmouse in a pretty fright.

66

Now, shall I tell him, or not?" thought Gammon: and after some minutes' anxious consideration, determined upon doing so —and on threatening him, that if he did not change his courses, so far as money went, he-Gammon-would instantly blast him, by exposure of his real character and circumstances to the whole world. What might be the actual extent of his embarrassments, Gammon knew not, nor was he aware of the fact, that Titmouse was at that moment getting into the hands of swindling moneylenders. In point of dress and manners, he was the same that he had ever been, since fortune had given him the means of dressing according to his fancy, and the fashion ; but any one looking at his face, could see in the slightly bloodshot eye, its jaded expression, and the puffy appearance of his face, the results of systematic excess and debauchery. When Gammon joined him at his chambers, and told him the events of the day, Titmouse exhibited affright, that to any other beholder than one so troubled as Gammon, would have appeared ludicrous; but as that gentleman's object was to subdue and terrify his companion into an

implicit submission to his will, he dismissed him for the day, simply enjoining him to keep away from Grosvenor Square and Park Lane till an early hour in the ensuing morning—by which time events, which might have happened in the interval, might determine the course which Gammon should dictate to Titmouse. At that time Gammon was strongly inclined to insist on Titmouse's going to the Continent for a little while, to be out of harm's way; but, in fact, he felt dreadfully embarrassed to know how to dispose of Titmouse-regarding him with feelings somewhat, perhaps, akin to those with which Frankenstein beheld his monster.

CHAPTER VIII.

BUT to return to Lord Dreddlington. The remedies resorted to so speedily after his seizure at Mr Gammon's chambers, had most materially counteracted the effects of the terrible shock which he had sustained, and which, but for such interference, would in all probability have proved fatal in its consequences. Shortly after his removal to his own house, he sank into tranquil and safe sleep, which continued, with a few interruptions, for several hours during which his brain recovered itself, in a considerable measure, from the sudden and temporary pressure which it had experienced. Towards seven o'clock in the evening, there were sitting, on one side of the bed Miss Macspleuchan, and on the other the Lady Cecilia-who also had rallied from the shock which she had sustained, and now, occasionally shedding tears, sat gazing in melancholy silence at the countenance of her father. She was certainly a miserable young woman, -was Lady Cecilia-ignorant though she might be of the real extent of disaster consequent upon her alliance with Titmouse, whom she had long hated and despised, on all occasions avoiding his company. Their almost total estrangement was quite notorious in society!

His lordship's physician had quitted the chamber for a few