Sloper had very little suspicion that his lordship entertained any ideas unfavorable to his integrity. But though he had little suspicion, he was not altogether free from such unpleasant thoughts. As the two worthies therefore walked together, there was much constraint in their manners, and every effort to get rid of it only made the matter worse. His lordship felt more and more convinced that all was not right; but he had some difficulty in making his decision how to act, so as to ensure conviction if he was right, and to avoid an awkward quarrel if he was wrong. CHAPTER III. “He said, and stalk’d away.” DODSLEY. When the Earl of Trimmerstone and his good friend, Mr. Singleton Sloper, arrived at the house of the former, his lordship ushered his friend into his own apartment, and requested him to be seated. Sloper thought that the Earl had locked the door; but in that suspicion he was wrong: the thought, however, staggered and perplexed him. With as much indifference as he could assume, his lordship said:-- “Sloper, do you know any thing of that young man that we lost our money to last night? I am of opinion that he is not quite so young and inexperienced as you imagined him to be. How came you acquainted with him?” His lordship watched Sloper’s countenance very narrowly, while he replied: “He was introduced to me by that Tippetson, who is paying court to Mr. Martindale’s foreign grand-daughter. I was as much deceived in him as you were. Tippetson told me that he was quite young, and had just stepped into a very pretty fortune, and that he seemed very well disposed to enter into gaiety.” There was very little hesitation in the manner in which Sloper made this reply, and no inference could be drawn from it. But Lord Trimmerstone saw that there was an unusual awkwardness of manner about his friend, so that his suspicions continued unabated though unconfirmed. With a view therefore of probing him, his lordship said, with more significance of expression than he had adopted before:-- “Have you no suspicion that this very young gentleman has a partner rather older than himself?” No immediate answer was given to this inquiry; and Lord Trimmerstone, after proposing the question, kept his eyes firmly fixed on his friend with a most searching and almost threatening expression. Sloper looked pale, and was angry, and rose from his seat with great indignation, replying: “Do you mean to insinuate, by that question, any thing dishonorable against me, my lord? I really do not understand your question. What am I to know about his partners?” This was quite enough to satisfy his lordship that there was some ground for his suspicions; and feeling therefore indignant at the treachery of his pretended friend, he returned with considerable warmth, almost with violence: