embled before the feast,--seemed to
be ill-adapted for conversation. Again nobody talked to anybody, and
the minutes went very heavily till at last the carriages were there to
take them all home. 'They arranged that you should sit next to her,'
said Lady Carbury to her son, as they were in the carriage.

'Oh, I suppose that came naturally;--one young man and one young woman,
you know.'

'Those things are always arranged, and they would not have done it
unless they had thought that it would please Mr Melmotte. Oh, Felix!
if you can bring it about.'

'I shall if I can, mother; you needn't make a fuss about it.'

'No, I won't. You cannot wonder that I should be anxious. You behaved
beautifully to her at dinner; I was so happy to see you together. Good
night, Felix, and God bless you!' she said again, as they were parting
for the night. 'I shall be the happiest and the proudest mother in
England if this comes about.'

CHAPTER XXI - EVERYBODY GOES TO THEM

When the Melmottes went from Caversham the house was very desolate.
The task of entertaining these people was indeed over, and had the
return to London been fixed for a certain near day, there would have
been comfort at any rate among the ladies of the family. But this was
so far from being the case that the Thursday and Friday passed without
anything being settled, and dreadful fears began to fill the minds of
Lady Pomona and Sophia Longestaffe. Georgiana was also impatient, but
she asserted boldly that treachery, such as that which her mother and
sister contemplated, was impossible. Their father, she thought, would
not dare to propose it. On each of these days,--three or four times
daily,--hints were given and questions were asked, but without avail. Mr
Longestaffe would not consent to have a day fixed till he had received
some particular letter, and would not even listen to the suggestion of
a day. 'I suppose we can go at any rate on Tuesday,' Georgiana said on
the Friday evening. 'I don't know why you should suppose anything of
the kind,' the father replied. Poor Lady Pomona was urged by her
daughters to compel him to name a day; but Lady Pomona was less
audacious in urging the request than her younger child, and at the
same time less anxious for its completion. On the Sunday morning
before they went to church there was a great discussion upstairs. The
Bishop of Elmham was going to preach at Caversham church, and the
three ladies were dressed in their be