"Sir, say no more; your looks are more than sufficient; and I beg that you will do me the honor to accept a seat in my carriage, and tell me whither you will be driven. I'm at your service, Mr. Gammon, for at least an hour; longer than that I cannot say, as I have to be at the House; you remember our two bills have to be forwarded a stage"---- Since his Lordship was as peremptory as politeness would permit him to be, in got Gammon, and named THE GUNPOWDER AND FRESHWATER COMPANY'S Offices, in Lothbury, in the hopes of finding yet some of the gentlemen whom he had so sadly disappointed; and thither, having turned his horses' heads, drove the coachman. "Sir," said the earl, after much inquiry into the nature of Gammon's recent indisposition, "by the way, what can be the meaning of my Lord Tadpole's opposition to the second reading of our bill, No. 2?" "We offered his Lordship no shares, my Lord--that is the secret. I saw him a few days ago, and he sounded me upon the subject; but--I'm sure your Lordship will understand--in a company such as ours, my Lord"---- "Sir, I quite comprehend you, and I applaud your vigilant discrimination. Sir, in affairs of this description, in order to _secure_ the confidence of the public, it is a matter of the last importance that none but men of the highest--by the way, Mr. Gammon, how are the GOLDEN EGG shares? Would you advise me to sell"---- "Hold, my Lord, a little longer. We are going, in a few days' time, to publish some important information concerning the prospects of the undertaking, of the most brilliant character, and which cannot fail to raise the value of the shares, and _then_ will be the time to sell! Has your Lordship signed the deed yet?" "Sir, I signed it last Saturday, in company with my Lord Marmalade. I should not like to part with my interest in the company, you see--Mr. Gammon--hastily; but I am in your hands"---- "My Lord, I am ever watchful of your Lordship's interests." "By the way, will you dine with me to-morrow? We shall be quite alone, and I am very anxious to obtain an accurate account of the present state of Mr. Titmouse's property; for, to tell you the truth, I have heard of one or two little matters that occasion me some uneasiness." "Can anything be more unfortunate, my Lord? I am engaged out to dinner for the next three days--if indeed I shall be well enough to go to any of them," said Gammon, with an agitation which could have escaped the observation of few persons except the Earl of Dreddlington. "Sir--I exceedingly regret to hear it; let me trust that some day next week I shall be more fortunate. There are several matters on which I am desirous of consulting you. When did you last see Mr. Titmouse?" "Let me see, my Lord--I--don't think I've seen him since Monday last, when I casually met him in one of the committee-rooms of the House of Commons, where, by the way, he seems a pretty frequent attendant."