y singular sign of the times,' he went on
to say. 'They'll want before long to know where I have my clothes
made, and who measures me for my boots!' Perhaps the most remarkable
circumstance in the career of this remarkable man was the fact that he
came almost to believe in himself.

Father Barham went away certainly disgusted; and yet not altogether
disheartened. The man had not declared that he was not a Roman
Catholic. He had shown himself to be a brute. He had blasphemed and
cursed. He had been outrageously uncivil to a man whom he must have
known to be a minister of God. He had manifested himself to this
priest, who had been born an English gentleman, as being no gentleman.
But, not the less might he be a good Catholic,--or good enough at any
rate to be influential on the right side. To his eyes Melmotte, with
all his insolent vulgarity, was infinitely a more hopeful man than
Roger Carbury. 'He insulted me,' said Father Barham to a brother
religionist that evening within the cloisters of St Fabricius.

'Did he intend to insult you?'

'Certainly he did. But what of that? It is not by the hands of
polished men, nor even of the courteous, that this work has to be
done. He was preparing for some great festival, and his mind was
intent upon that.'

'He entertains the Emperor of China this very day,' said the brother
priest, who, as a resident in London, heard from time to time what was
being done.

'The Emperor of China! Ah, that accounts for it. I do think that he is
on our side, even though he gave me but little encouragement for
saying so. Will they vote for him, here at Westminster?'

'Our people will. They think that he is rich and can help them.'

'There is no doubt of his wealth, I suppose,' said Father Barham.

'Some people do doubt;--but others say he is the richest man in the
world.'

'He looked like it,--and spoke like it,' said Father Barham. 'Think what
such a man might do, if he be really the wealthiest man in the world!
And if he had been against us would he not have said so? Though he was
uncivil, I am glad that I saw him.' Father Barham, with a simplicity
that was singularly mingled with his religious cunning, made himself
believe before he returned to Beccles that Mr Melmotte was certainly a
Roman Catholic.

CHAPTER LVII - LORD NIDDERDALE TRIES HIS HAND AGAIN

Lord Nidderdale had half consented to renew his suit to Marie
Melmotte. He had at any rate half promised to call at Melmott