not come;--nor Postlethwaite, nor Bunter.
What's the meaning of it?'

Todd looked first at one neighbour and then at another before he
answered. 'I'm here, that's all I can say, Mr Melmotte; and I've had a
very good dinner. They who haven't come, have lost a very good
dinner.'

There was a weight upon Melmotte's mind of which he could not rid
himself. He knew from the old man's manner, and he knew also from Lord
Alfred's manner, that there was something which each of them could
tell him if he would. But he was unable to make the men open their
mouths. And yet it might be so important to him that he should know!
'It's very odd,' he said, 'that gentlemen should promise to come and
then stay away. There were hundreds anxious to be present whom I
should have been glad to welcome, if I had known that there would be
room. I think it is very odd.'

'It is odd,' said Mr Todd, turning his attention to the plate before
him.

Melmotte had lately seen much of Beaucharnp Beauclerk, in reference to
the coming election. Passing back up the table, he found the gentleman
with a vacant seat on one side of him. There were many vacant seats in
this part of the room, as the places for the Conservative gentlemen
had been set apart together. There Mr Melmotte seated himself for a
minute, thinking that he might get the truth from his new ally.
Prudence should have kept him silent. Let the cause of these
desertions have been what it might, it ought to have been clear to him
that he could apply no remedy to it now. But he was bewildered and
dismayed, and his mind within him was changing at every moment. He was
now striving to trust to his arrogance and declaring that nothing
should cow him. And then again he was so cowed that he was ready to
creep to any one for assistance. Personally, Mr Beauclerk had disliked
the man greatly. Among the vulgar, loud upstarts whom he had known,
Melmotte was the vulgarest, the loudest, and the most arrogant. But he
had taken the business of Melmotte's election in hand, and considered
himself bound to stand by Melmotte till that was over; and he was now
the guest of the man in his own house, and was therefore constrained
to courtesy. His wife was sitting by him, and he at once introduced
her to Mr Melmotte. 'You have a wonderful assemblage here, Mr
Melmotte,' said the lady, looking up at the royal table.

'Yes, ma'am, yes. His Majesty the Emperor has been pleased to intimate
that he has been much gratified