“I know that, and it is precisely on that account that I said it for you. Remember, Gusty, you changed our last fifty pounds in the world yesterday.” “That's true,” said he, sitting down near the table, and covering his face with both hands. “There's a gentleman below stairs, madam, wishes to know if he could see Mr. Bramleigh,” said the landlady, entering the room. “Do you know his name?” said Nelly, seeing that as her brother paid no attention to the announcement, it might be as well not to admit a visitor. “This is his card, madam.” “Mr. Cutbill!” said Nelly, reading aloud. “Gusty,” added she, bending over him, and whispering in his ear, “would you see Mr. Cutbill?” “I don't care to see him,” muttered he, and then rising, he added, “Well, let him come up; but mind, Nelly, we must on no account ask him to stay and dine with us.” She nodded assent, and the landlady retired to introduce the stranger. CHAPTER XXXV. MR. CUTBILL'S VISIT “If you knew the work I had to find you,” said Mr. Cutbill, entering the room, and throwing his hat carelessly on a table. “I had the whole police at work to look you up, and only succeeded at last by the half-hint that you were a great political offender, and Lord Palmerston would never forgive the authorities if they concealed you.” “I declare,” said Augustus, gravely, “I am much flattered by all the trouble you have taken to blacken my character.” “Character! bless your heart, so long as you ain't a Frenchman, these people don't care about your character. An English conspirator is the most harmless of all creatures. Had you been a Pole or an Italian, the préfet told me, he'd have known every act of your daily life.” “And so we shall have to leave this, now?” said Ellen, with some vexation in her tone. “Not a bit of it, if you don't dislike the surveillance they 'll bestow on you; and it 'll be the very best protection against rogues and pickpockets; and I'll go and say that you're not the man I suspected at all.” “'Pray take no further trouble on our behalf, sir,” said Bramleigh, stiffly and haughtily. “Which being interpreted means--make your visit as short as may be, and go your way, Tom Cutbill; don't it?” “I am not prepared to say, sir, that I have yet guessed the object of your coming.” “If you go to that, I suspect I 'll be as much puzzled as yourself. I came to see you because I heard you were in my neighborhood. I don't think I had any other very pressing reason. I had to decamp from England somewhat hurriedly, and I came over here to be, as they call it, 'out of the way,' till this storm blows over.” “What storm? I 've heard nothing of a storm.” “You 've not heard that the Lisconnor scheme has blown up?--the great Culduff Mining Company has exploded, and blown all the shareholders sky-high?” “Not a word of it.” “Why, there 's more writs after the promoters this morning than ever there was scrip for paid-up capital. We 're all in for it--every man of us.”