strength of mind to prevent its over- | moment to your lordship; but one powering you", thing does mightily concern your "Gracious God, sir, what do you lordship to know, and me to be bemean? What do you mean, Mr Gam-lieved by your lordship in telling you mon? Go on, sir!" said the Earl, turning very pale.

"I would even now, my lord, shrink from the precipice which I have approached, and leave your lordship in ignorance of that which-alas, alas!no earthly power can remedy; but your lordship's singular discovery of the rent-charge, which we have just talked about so warmly, and your determination to become fully acquainted with the circumstances out of which it has arisen, leave me no option."

that, so help me, Heaven! at the time that I discovered Mr Titmouse behind the counter of Mr Tag-rag, in Oxford Street, and up till within a couple of months ago, I had no more doubt about his being entitled, as really the heir-at-law". The Earl gave a sudden start. "My lord, I would even now beg your lordship to let me take some other opportunity, when we are both calmer, of explaining

"Go on, sir," said the Earl, with a "Sir, I desire that, without so much great effort, but in a much lower tone circumlocution, you will come to the of voice than that in which he had point. I cannot divine what you are before spoken, and sitting with his talking about what you meditate eyes riveted on those of Mr Gammon; telling me; but I beg of you, sir, to who, notwithstanding his lordship's communicate to me what you know, observation, was compelled by his own and leave me to bear it as best I can.' sickening agitation, again to pause, "Then your lordship shall be obey- for a moment or two. Then he reed.—I said, some little time ago, that sumed. "I was saying, my lord, that, the instrument granting me the rent- till about two months ago, I had no charge upon the Yatton property, re- more doubt than I have of your lordcited, as a part of the consideration, ship's now sitting before me, that my arduous, long-continued, and suc- Mr Titmouse was the legitimate decessful exertions to place Mr Titmouse scendant of the person entitled to in possession of that fine estate. It enjoy the Yatton estates in preferwas I, my lord, who searched for him ence to Mr Aubrey. His pedigree till I found him—the rightful heir to was subjected to the severest scrutiny the Yatton property-him, your son- which the law of England can devise, in-law-the possible successor to your and was pronounced complete lordship in your ancient barony. Night Gammon beheld Lord Dreddlington and day I have toiled for him-have quivering all over; "but to my horror overcome all obstacles, and at length-only I know it, except Mr Titmouse, placed him in the splendid position to whom I told it—I have recently which he now occupies. He is not, discovered, by an extraordinary accimy lord, naturally of a generous or dent, that we were, and are, all misgrateful disposition, as perhaps your taken.-And-I may as well tell your lordship may be aware; and had I not lordship at once the worst-this young insisted on an adequate return for my man, Titmouse, proves to be only a services, he would have given me natural son, and what is worse, of a none. Therefore, I required him, nay, woman who had a former husband I extorted from him the instrument in living question." Mr Gammon paused for a

moment.

"Well, sir. Proceed! I hear you," said the Earl very gravely; on which Gammon resumed.

"How I first acquired a knowledge that Mr Aubrey was wrongfully enjoying the Yatton estates, is of no

Lord Dreddlington, whose eyes had for some time been directed towards Gammon with a glassy stare, started up from his chair, and staggered away from it, his arms moving to and frohis face the picture of horror. It had gone of a ghastly whiteness. His lips moved, but he uttered no sound.

Oh, my lord! For God's sake behe. "Is this apoplexy? paralysis? calm!" cried out Gammon, dreadfully epilepsy? or what? Will he recover? shocked, rushing towards the Earl, Will it affect his reason?— Will he rewho kept staggering back, his hands cover? If so how deal with the stretched out as if to keep off some damning discovery he has made? approaching object of terror. "My Will he have sense enough to keep his lord! Lord Dreddlington! Hear me! own counsel? If he survive, and preHear me! For Heaven's sake, let me serve his reason-all is right-everybring you back to your seat. It's only thing succeeds. I am his master to a little faintness!"He put his arm the end of his days!-What a horrid round the Earl, endeavouring to draw while they are!-Curse those doctors! him back towards the easy-chair; but The wretches! never to be found felt him slipping down on the floor, when they are wanted. He's dying his legs yielding under him; then his before my very eyes!-How shall I head suddenly sank on one side, and say this happened? A fit, brought on the next moment he lay, as it were by agitation occasioned-ay, that will collapsed, upon the floor, partly sup-do-by the failure of the Company. ported by Gammon, who, in a fearful state of agitation, shouted out for the laundress.

"Untie his neck-handkerchief, sir; loose his shirt-collar!" cried the woman; and stooping down, while Gammon supported his head, she removed the pressure from his neck. He was breathing heavily. "For God's sake, run off for a doctor-any the nearest you can find," gasped Gammon. "The carriage standing before the inn is his lordship's; you'll see his footman-tell him his lordship's in a fit, and send him off also for a doctor!"

one

Ah-there's the newspaper he brought with him, and put into my hands," he thought, as his eye glanced at the newspaper lying on the table in the adjoining room - "This will give colour to my version of the affair!" With this, he hastily seized the paper in question, and thrust it into one of the coat-pockets of Lord Dreddlington: and the moment after, in came the laundress, followed by the medical man whom she had gone in quest of; the door hardly having been closed, before a thundering knock announced the arrival of the footman with another; to both of whom Gammon, with The laundress, nearly as much agi- haste and agitation, gave the account tated as her master, instantly started of his lordship's seizure which he had off as she had been directed. Gam- previously determined upon giving to mon finding no signs of returning all inquiries. -"A decided case of consciousness, with a great effort ma- apoplexy," said the fat bald-headed naged to get his lordship into the bed-old gentleman brought in by the launroom; and had just laid him down on the bed when the footman burst into the chamber in a terrible fright. He almost jumped off the floor on catching sight of the prostrate and inanimate figure of his lord-and was for a few moments so stupified that he could not hear Gammon ordering him to start off in quest of a doctor, which at length, however, he did,-leaving Gammon alone with his victim. For a few frightful moments, he felt as if he had murdered Lord Dreddlington, and must fly for it. He pressed his hands to his forehead, as if to recall his scattered faculties.

"What is to be done?" thought

dress, and who had been forty years in practice; and he proceeded hastily to raise the Earl into a nearly sitting posture, directing the windows to be thrown open as widely as possible. "Clearly paralysis," said the spectacled young gentleman who had been fetched by the footman, and who had been established in practice only a fortnight; was hot from the hospitals; and had opened a little surgery nearly opposite to that of the old gentleman. 'It isn't, sir-it's apoplexy."

Sir, it's nearer epilepsy "Listen to his breathing, sir," said the old gentleman scornfully.

"For God's sake, gentlemen, Do

something!" interposed Gammon furiously-Good God! would you have his lordship die before your eyes?

|One verily believed his lordship was dying; the other declared he was dead already, through his mode of treat"Put his feet into hot water in- ment not having been adopted. Each stantly-get mustard plasters ready," would have given twenty guineas to commenced the old gentleman in a have been the only one called in. All mighty bustle, turning up his coat- this horrid foolery occupied far less sleeves, and getting out his lancets; time than is requisite to describe itwhile the young gentleman, with an scarcely a minute indeed-and almost indignant air, still resolved to give drove Gammon into a frenzy. Rushthe distinguished patient the advan- ing to the window, he called to a tage of the newest improvements in porter in the inn to start off for medical science, whipped out a ste- any other medical man who could be thoscope, and was screwing it to- found!"-which brought the two to gether, when the old gentleman in a their senses, such as they were. rage, cried Pish!" and knocked it out of his hand: whereupon the young gentleman seemed disposed to strike him!

"Oh my God!" cried Gammonand added, addressing the footman"set off for Doctor Bailey instantlythese fools will let him die before their eyes!" Off sprang the man, and was out of sight in a twinkling. "Twas very natural, though, I must own, somewhat inconvenient and unseemly, for these worthy rivals to behave in this way, seeing it was the first time in his life that either had been called in to a nobleman, and probably it would be the last at least it ought to have been; and each wished to cure, or kill, the distinguished patient, in his own way. "Twas also the conflict between the old and the new systems of medical science; between old Practice, and young Speculation-and between these two stools was his lordship indeed falling to the ground. One felt the pulse, while the other insisted on applying the stethoscope to his heart; one remarked on the coldness of the extremities—the other said the pupils were fixed and dilated. One was for bleeding at the arm, the other for opening the jugular vein: one for cupping at the nape of the neck-the other on the temple; one spoke of electricity 'twould stimulate the nervous system to throw off the blood from the brain;-the other said 'stimulate the whole surface-wrap him in a mustard plaster from head to foot, and shave and blister the head.'

-

Suffice it to say, that the jugular vein was opened in a trice; mustard plasters and hot water applied as quickly as they could be procured; and a cupping-case having been sent for, blood was taken pretty freely from the nape of the neck-and these two blood-lettings saved Lord Dreddlington's life-whether to Gammon's delight, or disappointment, I shall not take upon me to decide. By the time that the great man- the experienced and skilful king's physician, Dr Bailey - had arrived, the Earl was beginning to exhibit slight symptoms of returning consciousness, and was recovering from an attack of partial apoplexy. Dr Bailey remained with his lordship for nearly half an hour; and, on leaving, gave it as his opinion that, provided no fresh seizure occurred during the ensuing two hours, it would be practicable-as it was, of course, very desirable-to remove his lordship to his own house. The period named having passed without his lordship's having experienced any relapse, it was determined to remove him. He was to be accompanied by one of the medical men- both would fain have gone, had the chariot admitted of it; but Gammon soon settled the matter by naming the elder practitioner, and dismissing the younger with a couple of guineas. Then Gammon himself set off in a hackney-coach, about an hour before the carriage started, in order to prepare the household of the Earl, and secure a safe communication of the alarming event to the Lady Cecilia.

been before sufficiently shaken. On recovering, she requested Mr Gammon to be sent for, and with considerable agitation inquired into the occasion and manner of the Earl's illness. As soon as he had mentioned that it was a paragraph in the day's paper that first occasioned in the Earl the agitation which had induced such serious consequences

"What! in the papers already? Is it about that wretch Mr Titmouse?" she inquired, with a languid air of disgust.

On reaching the Earl's mansion, to | falling into a swoon-for it will be Gammon's surprise a hackney-coach borne in mind that her nerves had was driving off from before the door; and, on entering the house, guess his amazement at hearing, from the agitated porter, that Lady Cecilia had just gone up to the drawing-room, in terrible trouble. Gammon darted upstairs, unable to imagine by what means Lady Cecilia could have been apprised of the event. He found her in out-door costume, sitting sobbing on the sofa, attended anxiously by Miss Macspleuchan. The plain fact was, that she had just been driven out of her own house by a couple of executions, put in that morning by "No indeed, Lady Cecilia, Mr Tittwo creditors of Titmouse, by whom mouse has nothing to do with it," rethey had been treated, the evening plied Gammon, with a slight inward before, very insolently! Mr Gam- spasm; and, just as he had succeeded mon's agitated appearance alarmed in giving her to understand the cause Miss Macspleuchan, but was not no- to which he chose to refer the Earl's ticed by her more distressed com- illness, carriage-wheels were heard, panion; and, as soon as Mr Gammon followed in a second or two by a trefound the means of doing it unob-mendous thundering at the door, served, he made a sign to Miss Macspleuchan that he had something of great importance to communicate to her. Leaving the Lady Cecilia, a short time afterwards, in the care of her maid, Miss Macspleuchan followed Mr Gammon down stairs into the library, and was in a few hurried words apprised of the illness of the Earl of the cause of it-the sudden failure of an important speculation in which the Earl was interested, and that his lordship would be brought home in about an hour's time or so, in company with a medical man. Miss Macspleuchan was for a moment quite overcome; but, being a woman of superior strength of character, she-he saw the poor old peer in the soon rallied, and immediately addressed herself to the necessity of warding off any sudden and violent shock from Lady Cecilia, especially with reference to her delicate state of health. It was absolutely necessary, however, that her ladyship should be promptly apprised of the painful occurrence, lest an infinitely greater shock should be inflicted on her by the Earl's arrival. Gently and gradually as Miss Macspleuchan broke the intelligence to Lady Cecilia, it occasioned her

which made even Gammon almost
start from his chair, and threw Lady
Cecilia into a second swoon.
It was
providential, perhaps, that it had that
effect; for had she gone to the win-
dows, and seen her insensible father,
with care and difficulty, lifted out
of his carriage-his shirt-collar, and
a white neck-handkerchief, thrown
round his shoulders, partially crim-
soned; and in that way, amid a little
crowd which had suddenly gathered
round, carried into the house, and
borne up-stairs to his bedchamber—it
might have had a very serious effect,
indeed, upon her ladyship. Gammon
stepped for an instant to the window

state I have described, and the sight
blanched his cheeks. Leaving her
ladyship in the hands of Miss Mac-
spleuchan, and her attendants, he fol-
lowed into the Earl's bedroom; and
was a little relieved, some quarter of
an hour afterwards, at finding, that,
though the Earl was much exhausted
with the fatigue of removal, he was in
a more satisfactory state than could
have been anticipated. As his lord-
ship's own physician, who had been
summoned instantly on the Earl's

arrival home, intimated that a little ture, after an anxious inquiry as to repose was essential to his lordship, Lady Cecilia intending to return and that no one should remain in the before night, personally to ascertain room whose services were not indis- the state of the Earl and her lady. pensable, Gammon took his depar- ship.

CHAPTER III.

THE EARL OF DREDDLINGTON'S BED-SIDE; AND GAMMON'S INTERVIEW WITH THE DUKE OF TANTALLAN.

first place, involved to a most alarming extent, in respect of his connection with one of the bubble companies, into an alliance with which it was Gammon alone who had seduced him. But he quickly lost sight of that, as a light matter compared with what had subsequently happened, and the prodigious consequences to which it might possibly lead-and that, too, immediately.

A MIGHTY sigh escaped from the oppressed bosom of Gammon, as soon as, having quitted the house of the Earl of Dreddlington, he found himself in the street, alone. He walked for some minutes straight on, irresolute as to whither he should direct his steps to his own chambers, to the office in Hatton Garden, or to Mr Titmouse's residence in Park Lane. At length he determined on returning, in the first instance, to his own cham- This crisis had been precipitated bers, and bent his steps accordingly; by an accident-an occurrence which his mind so absorbed in thought, that he felt-and that, too, with a sort of he scarcely saw any one whom he consolation-that no man could have met or passed. Here was a state of foreseen or calculated upon. Certainthings, thought he, which he had ly it might all be traced to his own brought about! And what must be oversight in leaving the conveyance his own course now? For a moment of his rent-charge, so all-important a or two he was in a state of feeling document, upon his table, though for which we may compare to that of a only a minute or two's absence; for person who, with ignorant curiosity, he had not quitted his chambers more has set in motion the machinery of than five minutes before he had resome prodigious engine, which it re-entered them, finding the Earl of quired but a touch to effect-and then Dreddlington there-of all persons in stands suddenly paralysed-bewilder- the world the last whom he would ed- confounded at the complicated movements going on all around him, and perhaps the alarming noises accompanying them not daring to move a hair's-breadth in any direction for fear of destruction. He soon, however, recovered himself, and be gan seriously to contemplate the perilous position in which he was undoubtedly placed.

Here was Lord Dreddlington, in the

have wished to be aware of the existence of such an instrument. Who could have imagined-calculated on such an occurrence? Never before had the Earl visited him at his own private residence; and to have come just precisely at the moment-And yet, thought Gammon, almost starting back a step or two-when one came to think of it-what was more likely than that, on seeing the para