Griffenberg signed Stafford to a seat beside him.

"I am sure we can tell Lord Highcliffe that we are glad to see him,
that we are much obliged for his attendance."

Some few said "Hear! hear!" but the rest were silent and watchful. As
Griffenberg spoke the door opened again and Ralph Falconer entered. He
glanced at Stafford and knit his brows, but dropped heavily into a
chair, and sat with stony face and half-lowered lids. He had scarcely
taken his seat when Howard entered in his quiet fashion, and he went
and stood just behind Stafford.

"I was just telling the meeting, Lord Highcliffe, that I was afraid we
were in a bad way." said Griffenberg. "We all relied so completely on
Sir Stephen--I beg pardon, Lord Highcliffe, your father--that we feel
ourselves helpless now--er--left in the lurch. The company is in great
peril; there has already been heavy loss, and we fear that our property
will be swallowed up--"

"Ask him what Sir Stephen did with all his money!" cried an excited
shareholder.

"Order!" said Mr. Griffenberg. "Lord Highcliffe is not here to answer
questions."

"Then what's he here for?" retorted another man whose loss amounted to
a few hundreds, but who was more excited and venomous than those who
had many thousands at stake. "He's all right. He's a lord--a pretty
lord!--and I'm told the gentleman he's next to is his future
father-in-law, and is rolling in money--"