"Oh!" exclaimed Gammon, with a slight shrug of his shoulders and a sigh—"I understand that your Lordship is referring to some conversation which you supposed has passed between your Lordship and me concerning Mr. Titmouse!"
"Sir—sir—yes! yes!" gasped the earl, gazing at him intently.
"Well, my Lord, I have heard with inexpressible astonishment that you suppose I told your Lordship that he was illegitimate."
"Ay," said the earl, with tremulous eagerness.
"Oh, my Lord, you are really laboring under as complete a delusion as ever man"—commenced Gammon, with a melancholy smile.
"Sir—Mr. Gammon—do you believe that there is no God?—that He does not know the—the"—interrupted the earl, but ceased, apparently overpowered by his emotions. Gammon looked in appealing silence at the duke.
"What makes you imagine, sir, that I am bereft of reason and memory?" presently inquired the earl, with a strength of voice and manner which alarmed Gammon.
"I cannot account, my Lord, for the extraordinary hallucination which seems"——
"And I suppose, sir, I am equally dreaming about the rent-charge for two thousand a-year, which you have got on the Yatton pro"——
"Oh, pardon—pardon me, my Lord! All pure—absolute delusion and fiction!" interrupted Gammon, with a confident smile, a look, and a tone of voice, which would have staggered the most incredulous.