The morning after they arrived at the inn in Germany (of which mention has been made) Lord Level received a letter, which seemed to disturb him. It was forwarded to him by a banker in Paris, to whom at present all his letters were addressed. Telling Blanche that it contained news of some matter of business upon which he must start for London without delay, he departed; declining to listen to her prayer that she might accompany him, but promising to return for her shortly. It was at that inn that Arnold Ravensworth and his wife found Lady Level: and it was with them she journeyed to England. And here we must give a few words to Lord Level himself. He crossed the Channel by the night mail to Dover, and reached London soon after daybreak. In the course of the day he called at his bankers', Messrs. Coutts and Co., to inquire for letters: orders having now been given by him to Paris to forward them to London. One only awaited him, which had only just then come in. As Lord Level read it, he gave utterance to a word of vexation. For it told him that the matter of business upon which he had hurried over was put off for a week: and he found that he might just as well have remained in Germany. The first thought that crossed his mind was--should he return to his wife? But it was hardly worth while doing so. So he took rooms in Holles Street, at a comfortable house where he had lodged before, and looked up friends and acquaintances at his club. But he did not let that first day pass without calling on Charles Strange. The afternoon was drawing to an end in Essex Street, and Charles was in his own private room, all his faculties given to a deed, when Lord Level was shown in. It was for Charles he asked, not for Mr. Brightman. "What an awful business this is!" began his lordship, when greetings had passed. Charles lifted his hands in dismay. No need to ask to whom the remark applied: or to mention poor Tom Heriot by name. "Could _nothing_ be done, Mr. Strange?" demanded the peer in his coldest and haughtiest tones. "Were there _no_ means that could have been taken to avert exposure?" "Yes, I think there might have been, but for Tom's own careless folly: and that's the most galling part of it," returned Charles. "Had he only made a confidant of me beforehand, we should have had a try for it. If I could not have found the money myself, Mr. Brightman would have done so." "You need only have applied to me," said Lord Level. "I should not have cared how much I paid--to prevent exposure." "But in his carelessness, you see, he never applied to anyone; he allowed the blow to fall upon him, and then it was too late----" "Was he a fool?" interjected Lord Level. "There is this excuse for his not speaking: he did not know that things were so bad, or that the people would proceed to extremities." The peer drew in his haughty lips. "Did he tell you that pretty fable?"