test right to find any fault,--she seemed to me to confine herself
almost exclusively to that reason.'

'Why mention this now, Mr Brehgert; why mention this now? The subject
is painful.'

'Just because it is not painful to me, Mr Longestaffe; and because I
wish that all they who have heard of the matter should know that it is
not painful. I think that throughout I behaved like a gentleman.' Mr
Longestaffe, in an agony, first shook his head twice, and then bowed
it three times, leaving the Jew to take what answer he could from so
dubious an oracle. 'I am sure.' continued Brehgert, 'that I behaved
like an honest man; and I didn't quite like that the matter should be
passed over as if I was in any way ashamed of myself.'

'Perhaps on so delicate a subject the less said the soonest mended.'

'I've nothing more to say, and I've nothing at all to mend.' Finishing
the conversation with this little speech Brehgert arose to take his
leave, making some promise at the time that he would use all the
expedition in his power to complete the arrangement of the Melmotte
affairs.

As soon as he was gone Mr Longestaffe opened the door and walked about
the room and blew out long puffs of breath, as though to cleanse
himself from the impurities of his late contact. He told himself that
he could not touch pitch and not be defiled! How vulgar had the man
been, how indelicate, how regardless of all feeling, how little
grateful for the honour which Mr Longestaffe had conferred upon him by
asking him to dinner! Yes;--yes! A horrid Jew! Were not all Jews
necessarily an abomination? Yet Mr Longestaffe was aware that in the
present crisis of his fortunes he could not afford to quarrel with Mr
Brehgert.

CHAPTER LXXXIX - 'THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE'

It was a long time now since Lady Carbury's great historical work on
the Criminal Queens of the World had been completed and given to the
world. Any reader careful as to dates will remember that it was as far
back as in February that she had solicited the assistance of certain
of her literary friends who were connected with the daily and weekly
press. These gentlemen had responded to her call with more or less
zealous aid, so that the 'Criminal Queens' had been regarded in the
trade as one of the successful books of the season. Messrs. Leadham
and Loiter had published a second, and then, very quickly, a fourth
and fifth edition; and had been able in their advertisements to give
testimony fro