ed on the Majesty of China and
must have wondered at her own destiny at finding herself with an
Emperor and Princes to look at. From the dining-room she had gone when
she was told to go, up to the drawing-room, and had there performed
her task, longing only for the comfort of her bedroom. She, I think,
had but small sympathy with her husband in all his work, and but
little understanding of the position in which she had been placed.
Money she liked, and comfort, and perhaps diamonds and fine dresses,
but she can hardly have taken pleasure in duchesses or have enjoyed
the company of the Emperor. From the beginning of the Melmotte era it
had been an understood thing that no one spoke to Madame Melmotte.

Marie Melmotte had declined a seat at the dinner-table. This at first
had been cause of quarrel between her and her father, as he desired to
have seen her next to young Lord Nidderdale as being acknowledged to
be betrothed to him. But since the journey to Liverpool he had said
nothing on the subject. He still pressed the engagement, but thought
now that less publicity might be expedient. She was, however, in the
drawing-room standing at first by Madame Melmotte, and afterwards
retreating among the crowd. To some ladies she was a person of
interest as the young woman who had lately run away under such strange
circumstances; but no one spoke to her till she saw a girl whom she
herself knew, and whom she addressed, plucking up all her courage for
the occasion. This was Hetta Carbury who had been brought hither by
her mother.

The tickets for Lady Carbury and Hetta had of course been sent before
the elopement;--and also, as a matter of course, no reference had been
made to them by the Melmotte family after the elopement. Lady Carbury
herself was anxious that that affair should not be considered as
having given cause for any personal quarrel between herself and Mr
Melmotte, and in her difficulty had consulted Mr Broune. Mr Broune was
the staff on which she leant at present in all her difficulties. Mr
Broune was going to the dinner. All this of course took place while
Melmotte's name was as yet unsullied as snow. Mr Broune saw no reason
why Lady Carbury should not take advantage of her tickets. These
invitations were simply tickets to see the Emperor surrounded by the
Princes. The young lady's elopement is 'no affair of yours,' Mr Broune
had said. 'I should go, if it were only for the sake of showing that
you did not consider