Thus Gammon went on, with great eagerness, hoping to occupy Lord Dreddlington's thoughts exclusively with the matter; but he was mistaken. The earl, after a little pause, reverted to the previous subject, and repeated his inquiry as to the rent-charge, with an air of such serious determination as soon satisfied Gammon that there was no evading the crisis which had so suddenly arisen. With the topic, his Lordship also unconsciously changed his manner, which was now one of offended majesty. "Sir," said he, with stately deliberation, "what you have said to myself personally, cannot be unsaid; but I desire a plain answer, Mr. Gammon, to a plain question. Is the document which I had in my hand, an instrument giving you--gracious Heaven!--a charge of two thousand pounds a-year upon my son-in-law's estate? Sir, once for all, I peremptorily insist on an answer before I leave your chambers; and, if I do not obtain it, I shall instantly cause a rigorous inquiry to be set on foot." ["You drivelling obstinate old fool!" thought Gammon, _looking_, the while with mild anxiety, at the earl, "if you were _to drop down dead at my feet_, now, at this moment, what vexation you would save me! Did it ever before fall to the lot of mortal man to have to deal with two such idiots as you and Titmouse?"] "Well, then, my Lord, since you are so pertinacious on the point--retaining my strong opinion concerning the very unwarrantable means which enable you to put the question to me--I disdain equivocation or further concealment," he continued with forced composure, "and distinctly admit that the document which was lately in your Lordship's hands, _is_ an instrument completely executed with all due form, having the effect which it professes to have. It gives me, my Lord, a rent-charge for the term of my life, of two thousand pounds a-year upon Mr. Titmouse's estate of Yatton." "Good God, sir!" exclaimed the earl, gazing at Gammon, as if thunderstruck with an answer which, nevertheless, he could not but have calculated upon--and which was indeed inevitable. "That is the fact, my Lord, undoubtedly," said Gammon, with the air of a man who has made up his mind to encounter something very serious. "There never was such a thing heard of, sir! Two thousand pounds a-year given to his solicitor by my son-in-law! Why, he is a mere boy"---- "He was old enough to marry the Lady Cecilia, my Lord," interrupted Gammon, calmly, but very bitterly. "That may be, sir," replied the earl, his face faintly flushing--"but he is ignorant of business, sir--of the world--or you must have taken advantage of him when he was intoxicated." "Nothing--nothing of the kind, my Lord. Never was Mr. Titmouse more sober--never in fuller possession of his faculties--never less in liquor--never did he do anything more deliberately, than when he signed that conveyance." "Why, have you purchased it, sir? Given consideration for it?" inquired the earl, with a perplexed air.