"My dear, good old friend, do you suppose I thought you could?" answered Mr. Grubb, checking a laugh. "I was going to say that, as you were absent, I signed the cheques on Friday, and the book lay on my desk. It happened that my private cheque-book also lay there. When I left, I put the firm's cheque-book in my pocket by mistake, and locked up the other; meaning, of course, to do just the contrary. But for this carelessness on my part, Charles Cleveland would not have had the opportunity of--Good Heavens! what a blow this will be for his father! We must hush it up!" "Hush it up!" cried out the other and sterner man of business. "Not if I know it. That's just like you, Francis Grubb! Your uncle Francis, my many years' friend, used to accuse you, you know, of having a soft place in your heart." "I am thinking of that good man, with his many cares, the Rector of Netherleigh." "And I am thinking of his son's bold, barefaced iniquity. Be you very sure of one thing, sir--Glyn's won't hush it up; they are the wrong people to do it. Neither must you. A pretty example it would be! No, thank you, no more wine! I have had my quantum." "Well, well, we shall see, Howard. I cannot understand it yet." When Mr. Grubb got upstairs that night, he found his wife gone out, leaving no message for him. She never did leave any. Darvy thought her lady had gone to the opera. Mr. Grubb followed, and found her there. The box was full, and there was little room for him. He said nothing to her of what had occurred: he meant to keep it from her if he could, to save her pain; and from all others, for the Honourable and Reverend Mr. Cleveland's sake. Mr. Grubb sat down to breakfast the next morning alone. Lady Adela had not risen; Charles Cleveland did not make his appearance. "Does Mr. Charles Cleveland know I am at breakfast, Hilson?" he inquired of the butler, who was in attendance. "Mr. Charles Cleveland left word--I beg your pardon, sir, I forgot to mention it--that he has gone out to breakfast with his brother, Captain Cleveland, who sails today for India. He went out between six and seven." "He came home last night, then?" "Yes, sir; about one o'clock." Mr. Grubb glanced over the letters waiting beside his plate, some for himself, some for Lady Adela. Amidst the former was one from his sister, written the previous day. Her mother (who had been seriously ill for some time) was much worse, she said, and she begged her brother to come down, if possible, in the morning. It chanced that Mr. Grubb had made one or two appointments for people to see him that morning at his house; so that it was eleven o'clock when he reached Leadenhall Street. "Well, where is he?" began Mr. Howard, without ceremony of greeting. "Where's who?" asked Mr. Grubb. "Charles Cleveland." "What--is he not come yet?" returned Mr. Grubb, whose thoughts had been elsewhere. "Not yet. I don't think he means to come."