He made an affectation at sitting very hard to business, and even talked of going abroad to look at some of his foreign contracts.

But even Winterbones found that his patron did not work as he had been wont to do; and at last, with some misgivings, he told Lady Scatcherd that he feared that everything was not right.
"He's always at it, my lady, always," said Mr Winterbones.
"Is he ?" said Lady Scatcherd, well understanding what Mr Winterbones's allusion meant.
"Always, my lady.

I never saw nothing like it.

Now, there's me--I can always go my half-hour when I've had my drop; but he, why, he don't go ten minutes, not now." This was not cheerful to Lady Scatcherd; but what was the poor woman to do?
When she spoke to him on any subject he only snarled at her; and now that the heavy fit was on him, she did not dare even to mention the subject of his drinking.

She had never known him so savage in his humour as he was now, so bearish in his habits, so little inclined to humanity, so determined to rush headlong down, with his head between his legs, into the bottomless abyss.
She thought of sending for Dr Thorne; but she did not know under what guise to send for him,--whether as doctor or as friend: under neither would he now be welcome; and she well knew that Sir Roger was not the man to accept in good part either a doctor or a friend who might be unwelcome.