hat he had got money wherewith to buy shares in the railway.
What he did with himself during the remainder of the evening the
reader need not know, but on his return home at some comparatively
early hour, he found this note from Marie.

Wednesday Afternoon.

DEAREST FELIX,

Why don't we see you? Mamma would say nothing if you came. Papa is
never in the drawing-room. Miss Longestaffe is here of course, and
people always come in in the evening. We are just going to dine out
at the Duchess of Stevenage's. Papa, and mamma and I. Mamma told me
that Lord Nidderdale is to be there, but you need not be a bit
afraid. I don't like Lord Nidderdale, and I will never take any one
but the man I love. You know who that is. Miss Longestaffe is so
angry because she can't go with us. What do you think of her
telling me that she did not understand being left alone? We are to
go afterwards to a musical party at Lady Gamut's. Miss Longestaffe
is going with us, but she says she hates music. She is such a set-up
thing! I wonder why papa has her here. We don't go anywhere
to-morrow evening, so pray come.

And why haven't you written me something and sent it to Didon? She
won't betray us. And if she did, what matters? I mean to be true.
If papa were to beat me into a mummy I would stick to you. He told
me once to take Lord Nidderdale, and then he told me to refuse him.
And now he wants me to take him again. But I won't. I'll take no
one but my own darling.

Yours for ever and ever,

MARIE

Now that the young lady had begun to have an interest of her own in
life, she was determined to make the most of it. All this was
delightful to her, but to Sir Felix it was simply 'a bother.' Sir
Felix was quite willing to marry the girl to-morrow,--on condition of
course that the money was properly arranged; but he was not willing to
go through much work in the way of love-making with Marie Melmotte. In
such business he preferred Ruby Ruggles as a companion.

On the following day Felix was with his friend at the appointed time,
and was only kept an hour waiting while Dolly ate his breakfast and
struggled into his coat and boots. On their way to the city Felix told
his dreadful story about Miles Grendall. 'By George!' said Dolly. 'And
you think you saw him do it!'

'It's not thinking at all. I'm sure I saw him do it three times. I
believe he always had an ace somewhere about