nt.; and there was the great line across the
continent to San Francisco, in which enormous fortunes had been made.
It came to be believed that men with their eyes open might do as well
with the Great South Central as had ever been done before with other
speculations, and this belief was no doubt founded on Mr Melmotte's
partiality for the enterprise. Mr Fisker had 'struck 'ile' when he
induced his partner, Montague, to give him a note to the great man.

Paul Montague himself, who cannot be said to have been a man having
his eyes open, in the city sense of the word, could not learn how the
thing was progressing. At the regular meetings of the Board, which
never sat for above half an hour, two or three papers were read by
Miles Grendall. Melmotte himself would speak a few slow words,
intended to be cheery, and always indicative of triumph, and then
everybody would agree to everything, somebody would sign something,
and the 'Board' for that day would be over. To Paul Montague this was
very unsatisfactory. More than once or twice he endeavoured to stay
the proceedings, not as disapproving, but simply as desirous of being
made to understand; but the silent scorn of his chairman put him out
of countenance, and the opposition of his colleagues was a barrier
which he was not strong enough to overcome. Lord Alfred Grendall would
declare that he 'did not think all that was at all necessary.' Lord
Nidderdale, with whom Montague had now become intimate at the
Beargarden, would nudge him in the ribs and bid him hold his tongue.
Mr Cohenlupe would make a little speech in fluent but broken English,
assuring the Committee that everything was being done after the
approved city fashion. Sir Felix, after the first two meetings, was
never there. And thus Paul Montague, with a sorely burdened
conscience, was carried along as one of the Directors of the Great
South Central Pacific and Mexican Railway Company.

I do not know whether the burden was made lighter to him or heavier, by
the fact that the immediate pecuniary result was certainly very
comfortable. The Company had not yet been in existence quite six
weeks,--or at any rate Melmotte had not been connected with it above
that time,--and it had already been suggested to him twice that he
should sell fifty shares at L112 10s. He did not even yet know how many
shares he possessed, but on both occasions he consented to the
proposal, and on the following day received a cheque for L625,--that