“Sloper, do you know any thing of that young man that we lost our money to last night? I am of opinion that he is not quite so young and inexperienced as you imagined him to be. How came you acquainted with him?”
His lordship watched Sloper’s countenance very narrowly, while he replied:
“He was introduced to me by that Tippetson, who is paying court to Mr. Martindale’s foreign grand-daughter. I was as much deceived in him as you were. Tippetson told me that he was quite young, and had just stepped into a very pretty fortune, and that he seemed very well disposed to enter into gaiety.”
There was very little hesitation in the manner in which Sloper made this reply, and no inference could be drawn from it. But Lord Trimmerstone saw that there was an unusual awkwardness of manner about his friend, so that his suspicions continued unabated though unconfirmed. With a view therefore of probing him, his lordship said, with more significance of expression than he had adopted before:--
“Have you no suspicion that this very young gentleman has a partner rather older than himself?”
No immediate answer was given to this inquiry; and Lord Trimmerstone, after proposing the question, kept his eyes firmly fixed on his friend with a most searching and almost threatening expression. Sloper looked pale, and was angry, and rose from his seat with great indignation, replying:
“Do you mean to insinuate, by that question, any thing dishonorable against me, my lord? I really do not understand your question. What am I to know about his partners?”
This was quite enough to satisfy his lordship that there was some ground for his suspicions; and feeling therefore indignant at the treachery of his pretended friend, he returned with considerable warmth, almost with violence:
“I do mean to insinuate something dishonorable against you; I mean to say that you have now in your possession damning proofs of your guilt and your meanness. Clear yourself if you can.”
With a contemptuous sneer, Mr. Singleton Sloper replied: “Upon my word, I shall not take the trouble to argue with a madman. I must leave you, my lord, for the present; we shall meet again shortly, and then I will give you or you shall give me satisfaction.”