Mr. Gammon was taken quite by surprise by this calmness and resolution on the part of the earl; and while his Lordship spoke, and for some moments afterwards, gazed at him sternly, yet irresolutely, his faculties strained to their utmost, to determine upon the course he should take, in so totally unexpected an emergency. He was not long, however, in deciding. "Since your Lordship desires information from me, let me request you to be seated," said he, in a tone and with an air of profound courtesy, such as, in its turn, took his noble companion by surprise; and he slowly resumed his seat, Gammon also sitting down nearly opposite to him. "May I, in the first place, venture to inquire to what circumstance I am indebted, my Lord, for the honor of this visit?" he inquired. "Oh, sir--sir--by the way--indeed you may well ask--you must have heard"--suddenly and vehemently interrupted the earl, whose mind could hold but one important matter at a time. "To what does your Lordship allude?" inquired Gammon, who knew perfectly well all the while. Having had a hint that matters were going wrong with the Artificial Rain Company, he had contrived to creep out of it, by selling such shares as he held, at a little loss certainly--and he would have done the same for the earl had it been practicable; but his Lordship's sudden journey into Hertfordshire had prevented his communicating with his Lordship, till the time for acting had passed. Now, therefore, he resolved to be taken by surprise. "To what do I allude, sir!" echoed the earl, with much agitation, taking the newspaper from his pocket--"The Artificial Rain Company, sir"---- "Well, my Lord!"--exclaimed Gammon, impatiently. "Sir, it is gone! Blown up! Entirely disappeared, sir!" "Gone! Blown up! The Artificial Rain Company? Oh, my Lord, it's impossible!" cried Gammon, with well-feigned amazement. "Sir--it is clean gone. Sir Sharper Bubble has absconded!" His Lordship handed the paper to Mr. Gammon, who read the paragraph (which he had perused some hour or two before in bed, where his own copy of the _Morning Growl_ was at that moment lying) with every appearance of horror, and the newspaper quite shook in his trembling hands! "It cannot--it _cannot_ be true, my Lord!" said he, his eyes glued to the paper. "Sir, it _is_. I have been myself to the Company's office--it is quite closed--shut up; there is only an old woman there, sir! And, at the bankers', the only answer is--'Account closed!'" "Then I am nearly a couple of thousand pounds poorer--my God! what shall I do? Do, my Lord, let us drive off instantly to Sir Sharper Bubble's house, and see if he be really gone. It may be a villainous fabrication altogether--I never will believe that such a man--How miserable that both your Lordship and I should have been out of town yesterday!"