ost in the coming
glories of the boy whose faults had already nearly engulfed her in his
own ruin.

And she had another ground for elation, which comforted her much,
though elation from such a cause was altogether absurd. She had
discovered that her son had become a Director of the South Central
Pacific and Mexican Railway Company. She must have known,--she certainly
did know,--that Felix, such as he was, could not lend assistance by his
work to any company or commercial enterprise in the world. She was
aware that there was some reason for such a choice hidden from the
world, and which comprised and conveyed a falsehood. A ruined baronet
of five-and-twenty, every hour of whose life since he had been left to
go alone had been loaded with vice and folly,--whose egregious
misconduct warranted his friends in regarding him as one incapable of
knowing what principle is,--of what service could he be, that he should
be made a Director? But Lady Carbury, though she knew that he could be
of no service, was not at all shocked. She was now able to speak up a
little for her boy, and did not forget to send the news by post to
Roger Carbury. And her son sat at the same Board with Mr Melmotte!
What an indication was this of coming triumphs!

Fisker had started, as the reader will perhaps remember, on the
morning of Saturday 19th April, leaving Sir Felix at the Club at about
seven in the morning. All that day his mother was unable to see him.
She found him asleep in his room at noon and again at two; and when
she sought him again he had flown. But on the Sunday she caught him.
'I hope,' she said, 'you'll stay at home on Tuesday evening.' Hitherto
she had never succeeded in inducing him to grace her evening parties
by his presence.

'All your people are coming! You know, mother, it is such an awful
bore.'

'Madame Melmotte and her daughter will be here.'

'One looks such a fool carrying on that kind of thing in one's own
house. Everybody sees that it has been contrived. And it is such a
pokey, stuffy little place!'

Then Lady Carbury spoke out her mind. 'Felix, I think you must be a
fool. I have given over ever expecting that you would do anything to
please me. I sacrifice everything for you and I do not even hope for a
return. But when I am doing everything to advance your own interests,
when I am working night and day to rescue you from ruin, I think you
might at any rate help a little,--not for me of course, but for
yourself.