r arrived.

But a reverse worse than this took place;--a defalcation more
injurious to the Melmotte interests generally even than that which was
caused either by the prudence or by the cowardice of the City Magnates.
The House of Commons, at its meeting, had heard the tidings in an
exaggerated form. It was whispered about that Melmotte had been
detected in forging the deed of conveyance of a large property, and
that he had already been visited by policemen. By some it was believed
that the Great Financier would lie in the hands of the Philistines
while the Emperor of China was being fed at his house. In the third
edition of the 'Evening Pulpit' came out a mysterious paragraph which
nobody could understand but they who had known all about it before. 'A
rumour is prevalent that frauds to an enormous extent have been
committed by a gentleman whose name we are particularly unwilling to
mention. If it be so it is indeed remarkable that they should have
come to light at the present moment. We cannot trust ourselves to say
more than this.' No one wishes to dine with a swindler. No one likes
even to have dined with a swindler,--especially to have dined with him
at a time when his swindling was known or suspected. The Emperor of
China no doubt was going to dine with this man. The motions of
Emperors are managed with such ponderous care that it was held to be
impossible now to save the country from what would doubtless be felt
to be a disgrace if it should hereafter turn out that a forger had
been solicited to entertain the imperial guest of the country. Nor was
the thing as yet so far certain as to justify such a charge, were it
possible. But many men were unhappy in their minds. How would the
story be told hereafter if Melmotte should be allowed to play out his
game of host to the Emperor, and be arrested for forgery as soon as
the Eastern Monarch should have left his house? How would the brother
of the Sun like the remembrance of the banquet which he had been
instructed to honour with his presence? How would it tell in all the
foreign newspapers, in New York, in Paris, and Vienna, that this man
who had been cast forth from the United States, from France, and from
Austria had been selected as the great and honourable type of British
Commerce? There were those in the House who thought that the absolute
consummation of the disgrace might yet be avoided, and who were of
opinion that the dinner should be 'postponed.' The leader of