The dinner went off pleasantly. Mrs. Briscow was a charming old lady, although she was of the "antediluvian" school, and Charlotte was on her best behaviour, and half fascinated Mrs. Briscow. George, like a trespassing child, received several hints from Janet that bed might be desirable for him, but he ingeniously ignored them, and sat on. Charlotte's bonnet and an attendant arrived, and Thomas Godolphin put on his hat to see her to the Folly. "I need not trouble you, Mr. Godolphin. I shall not be run away with." "I think it will be as well that I should see you do not," said he, smiling. It was scarcely dark. The clock had not struck ten, and the night was starlight. Thomas Godolphin gave her his arm, and the maid walked behind them. Arrived at Ashlydyat, he left her. Charlotte stood for a few moments, then turned on her heel and entered the hall. The first thing that caught her notice was a hat; next a travelling coat. They had not been there when she left in the afternoon. "Then Verrall's back!" she mentally exclaimed. Hastening into the dining-room, she saw, seated at a table, drinking brandy and water, not Mr. Verrall, but Rodolf Pain. "Good gracious!" exclaimed Charlotte, with more surprise in her tone than satisfaction, "have _you_ come?" "Come to find an empty house," rejoined Mr. Pain. "Where's Mrs. Verrall? They tell me she is gone to London." "She is," replied Charlotte. "Verrall neither came back nor wrote; she had a restless fit upon her, and started off this morning to him." "Verrall won't thank her," observed Mr. Pain. "He is up to his eyes in business." "Good or bad business?" asked Charlotte. "Both. We have got into a mess, and Verrall's not yet out of it." "Through what? Through whom?" she questioned. Rodolf Pain gave his shoulders a jerk, as if he had been a Frenchman. "It need not trouble you, Charlotte." "Some one came down here from London a week ago; a Mr. Appleby. Is it through him? Verrall seemed strangely put out at his coming." Mr. Pain nodded his head. "They were such idiots in the office as to give Appleby the address here. I have seen Verrall in a tolerable passion once or twice in my life, but I never saw him in such a one as he went into when he came up. They'll not forget it in a hurry. He lays the blame on me, remotely; says I must have left a letter about with the address on it. I know I have done nothing of the sort." "But what is it, Rodolf? Anything very bad?" "Bad enough. But it can be remedied. Let Verrall alone for getting out of pits, however deep they may be. I wish, though, we had never set eyes on that fellow, Appleby!" "Tell me about it, Rodolf." Mr. Rodolf declined. "You could do no good," said he, "and business is not fitted for ladies' ears." "I don't care to know it," said Charlotte. "It's no concern of mine: but, somehow, that man Appleby interested me. As to business not being fitted for my ears, I should make a better hand at business than some of you men make."