ave, and as he sauntered away he
thought that upon the whole he had prospered, considering the extreme
difficulties under which he had laboured in carrying on his
suit. 'She's quite a different sort of girl from what I took her to
be,' he said to himself 'Upon my word, she's awfully jolly.'

Marie, when the interview was over, walked about the room almost in
dismay. It was borne in upon her by degrees that Sir Felix Carbury was
not at all points quite as nice as she had thought him. Of his beauty
there was no doubt; but then she could trust him for no other good
quality. Why did he not come to her? Why did he not show some pluck?
Why did he not tell her the truth? She had quite believed Lord
Nidderdale when he said that he knew the cause that had kept Sir Felix
from going to Liverpool. And she had believed him, too, when he said
that it was not his business to tell her. But the reason, let it be
what it might, must, if known, be prejudicial to her love. Lord
Nidderdale was, she thought, not at all beautiful. He had a
commonplace, rough face, with a turn-up nose, high cheek bones, no
especial complexion, sandy-coloured whiskers, and bright laughing
eyes,--not at all an Adonis such as her imagination had painted. But
if he had only made love at first as he had attempted to do it now, she
thought that she would have submitted herself to be cut in pieces for
him.

CHAPTER LVIII - MR SQUERCUM IS EMPLOYED

While these things were being done in Bruton Street and Grosvenor
Square horrid rumours were prevailing in the City and spreading from
the City westwards to the House of Commons, which was sitting this
Monday afternoon with a prospect of an adjournment at seven o'clock in
consequence of the banquet to be given to the Emperor. It is difficult
to explain the exact nature of this rumour, as it was not thoroughly
understood by those who propagated it. But it is certainly the case
that the word forgery was whispered by more than one pair of lips.

Many of Melmotte's staunchest supporters thought that he was very
wrong not to show himself that day in the City. What good could he do
pottering about among the chairs and benches in the banqueting room?
There were people to manage that kind of thing. In such an affair it
was his business to do simply as he was told, and to pay the bill. It
was not as though he were giving a little dinner to a friend, and had
to see himself that the wine was brought up in good order. His w