He obeyed the summons and entered the room with a humble cringe.
"Semple," said his lordship, crossing his legs and playing with the tassel of his sword knot, "I have read thy letter——"
"Your lordship will impute——"
"First, what is the meaning of the preamble?"
"I have been your lordship's secretary for six months. I have therefore perused all your lordship's letters. I have also in my zeal for your lordship's interests—looked about me. And I discovered—what I ventured to state in that preamble."
"Well, sir?"
"Namely, that the Fylingdale estates are gone so far as your lordship's life is concerned—but—in a word, all is gone. And that—your lordship will pardon the plain truth—your lordship's credit cannot last long and that—I now touch a most delicate point to a man of your lordship's nice sense of honour—the only resource left is precarious."
"You mean?"
"I mean—a certain lady and a certain bank."
"How, sir? Do you dare? What has put this suspicion into your head?"