f the
hard things that were being said about her father. And yet he knew
that he must be careful. If 'he came a cropper' in this matter, it
would be such an awful cropper! 'How do you like the party?' he said
to Marie.

'I don't like it at all, my lord. How do you like it?'

'Very much, indeed. I think the Emperor is the greatest fun I ever
saw. Prince Frederic,'--one of the German princes who was staying at
the time among his English cousins,--'Prince Frederic says that he's
stuffed with hay, and that he's made up fresh every morning at a shop
in the Haymarket.'

'I've seen him talk.'

'He opens his mouth, of course. There is machinery as well as hay. I
think he's the grandest old buffer out, and I'm awfully glad that I've
dined with him. I couldn't make out whether he really put anything to
eat into his jolly old mouth.'

'Of course he did.'

'Have you been thinking about what we were talking about the other
day?'

'No, my lord,--I haven't thought about it since. Why should I?'

'Well;--it's a sort of thing that people do think about, you know.'

'You don't think about it.'

'Don't I? I've been thinking about nothing else the last three
months.'

'You've been thinking whether you'd get married or not.'

'That's what I mean,' said Lord Nidderdale.

'It isn't what I mean, then.'

'I'll be shot if I can understand you.'

'Perhaps not. And you never will understand me. Oh, goodness they're
all going, and we must get out of the way. Is that Prince Frederic,
who told you about the hay? He is handsome; isn't he? And who is that
in the violet dress with all the pearls?'

'That's the Princess Dwarza.'

'Dear me;--isn't it odd, having a lot of people in one's own house,
and not being able to speak a word to them? I don't think it's at
all nice. Good night, my lord. I'm glad you like the Emperor.'

And then the people went, and when they had all gone Melmotte put his
wife and daughter into his own carriage, telling them that he would
follow them on foot to Bruton Street when he had given some last
directions to the people who were putting out the lights, and
extinguishing generally the embers of the entertainment. He had looked
round for Lord Alfred, taking care to avoid the appearance of
searching; but Lord Alfred had gone. Lord Alfred was one of those who
knew when to leave a falling house. Melmotte at the moment thought of
all that he had done for Lord Alfred, and it was something of the real
venom o