quite safely through Didon. I think if you
would call some day and give her something, it would help, as she
is very fond of money. Do write and tell me that you love me. I
love you better than anything in the world, and I will never,--never
give you up. I suppose you can come and call,--unless papa tells the
man in the hall not to let you in. I'll find that out from Didon,
but I can't do it before sending this letter. Papa dined out
yesterday somewhere with that Lord Alfred, so I haven't seen him
since you were here. I never see him before he goes into the city
in the morning. Now I am going downstairs to breakfast with mamma
and that Miss Longestaffe. She is a stuck-up thing. Didn't you
think so at Caversham?

Good-bye. You are my own, own, own darling Felix.

And I am your own, own affectionate ladylove,

MARIE.

Sir Felix when he read this letter at his club in the afternoon of the
Monday, turned up his nose and shook his head. He thought if there
were much of that kind of thing to be done, he could not go on with
it, even though the marriage were certain, and the money secure. 'What
an infernal little ass!' he said to himself as he crumpled the letter
up.

Marie having intrusted her letter to Didon, together with a little
present of gloves and shoes, went down to breakfast. Her mother was
the first there, and Miss Longestaffe soon followed. That lady, when
she found that she was not expected to breakfast with the master of
the house, abandoned the idea of having her meal sent to her in her
own room. Madame Melmotte she must endure. With Madame Melmotte she
had to go out in the carriage every day. Indeed she could only go to
those parties to which Madame Melmotte accompanied her. If the London
season was to be of any use at all, she must accustom herself to the
companionship of Madame Melmotte. The man kept himself very much apart
from her. She met him only at dinner, and that not often. Madame
Melmotte was very bad; but she was silent, and seemed to understand
that her guest was only her guest as a matter of business.

But Miss Longestaffe already perceived that her old acquaintances were
changed in their manner to her. She had written to her dear friend
Lady Monogram, whom she had known intimately as Miss Triplex, and
whose marriage with Sir Damask Monogram had been splendid preferment,
telling how she had been kept down in Suffolk at the time of her
friend's la