"Well, sir--certainly the fact is, I may be mistaken as to _that_ matter. I was not present; but, at all events, my Lord Dreddlington certainly says you told _him_--and he's told Lady Cecilia--and it's killing her--it is, sir!--By heavens, sir, I expect hourly to hear of both of their deaths!--and I beg to ask you, sir, once for all, have you ever made any such statement to my Lord Dreddlington?" "Not a syllable--never a breath of the sort in all my life!" replied Gammon, boldly, and rather sharply, as if indignant at being pressed about anything so absurd. "What!--nothing of the sort? or to that effect?" exclaimed the duke, with mingled amazement and incredulity. "Certainly--certainly not!--But let me ask, in my turn, is the _fact_ so? Does your Grace mean to say that"---- "No, sir," interrupted the duke, but not speaking in his former confident tone--"but my Lord Dreddlington does!" "Oh, impossible! impossible!" cried Gammon, with an incredulous air--"Only consider for one moment--how could the fact possibly be so and I not know it! Why, I am familiar with every step of his pedigree!" The duke drummed vehemently with his finger on the table, and stared at Gammon with the air of a man suddenly and completely nonplussed. "Why, Mr. Gammon, then my Lord Dreddlington must have completely lost his senses! He declares that you told him that such was the fact!--When and where, may I ask, did you first see him to-day?" "About half-past eleven or twelve o'clock, when he called at my chambers in a state of the greatest agitation and excitement, occasioned by the announcement in this morning's paper of the sudden blow-up of the Artificial"---- "Good Heaven! why, is _that_ gone?" interrupted his Grace, eagerly and alarmedly, starting up from his seat--"When? why? how?--By Heaven, it's enough to turn any one's head!" "Indeed it is, your Grace. My Lord Dreddlington was the first from whom I heard anything on the subject." "It's very odd I didn't see the paragraph! Where was it? In the _Morning Growl_?" continued the duke, with much agitation. "It was, your Grace--it stated that Sir Sharper Bubble had suddenly absconded, with all the funds of"---- "Oh, the villain! oh, the villain!--But why do you make such scoundrels chairmen, and treasurers, and so forth? How must the loss be made good? You really don't look sharp enough after people whom you put into such situations! Who the deuce is this fellow--this Sir Bubble Sharper, or whatever he is called--eh?" "He was greatly respected in the City, or would not have been in the position he was. Who could have suspected it?" "And is the thing quite blown up? _All_ gone?" "Yes. I fear it is, indeed!" replied Gammon, shrugging his shoulders and sighing. "Of course no one can be made liable--come the worst to the worst, eh?" inquired the duke, very anxiously, "beyond the amount of his shares? How's that, Mr. Gammon?"