sion on
which he had been despatched was an important one, and would not brook
delay; he must therefore return at once to report progress. As he could
not stay with me, the most advisable thing seemed to be that I should go
back with him. Returning, therefore, to my rooms, I set Freddy to
work on some bread and cheese and ale, whilst I hastened to cram a
portmanteau and carpet-bag with various indispensables. I then ran to
the Hoop, and took an affectionate farewell of Mr. Frampton, making him
promise to pay me a visit at Heathfield Cottage; and, in less than
two hours from the time Coleman had first made his appearance, we were
seated together on the roof of a stage-coach, and bowling along merrily
towards Hillingford.

During our drive Coleman recounted to me his adventures in search of
Cumberland on the day preceding the duel, and gave me a more minute
description than I had yet heard of the disreputable nature of that
individual's pursuits. From what Coleman could learn, Cumberland, after
having lost at the gaming-table large sums of ~253~~ money, of which he
had by some means contrived to obtain possession, had become connected
with a gambling-house not far from St. James's Street, and was supposed
to be one of its proprietors. Just before Coleman left town, there had
been an _expose_ of certain shameful proceedings which had taken place
at this house--windows had been broken, and the police obliged to make a
forcible entrance; but Cumberland had as yet contrived to keep his
name from appearing, although it was known that he was concerned in
the affair, and would be obliged to keep out of the way at present. "We
shall take the old lady by surprise, I've a notion," said Freddy, as
the coach set us down within ten minutes' walk of Elm Lodge. "I did not
think I should have got the Bury St. Edmund's job over till to-morrow,
and wrote her word not to expect me till she saw me; but she'll be glad
enough to have somebody to enliven her, for the governor's in town, and
Lucy Markham is gone to stay with one of her married sisters."

"I hope I shall not cause any inconvenience, or annoy your mother."

"Annoy my grandmother! and she was dead before I was born!" exclaimed
Freddy disdainfully. "Why, bless your sensitive heart, nothing that I
can do annoys my mother: if I chose to bring home a mad bull in fits,
or half a dozen young elephants with the hooping-cough, she would not be
annoyed." Thus assured, nothing remained for