cians had in this year painted royalty, so that there was no
ground for jealousy there. There were three, and only three, specially
insolent and specially disagreeable independent members of Parliament
at that time in the House, and there was no difficulty in selecting
them. The wise men were chosen by their age. Among editors of
newspapers there was some ill-blood. That Mr Alf and Mr Broune should
be selected was almost a matter of course. They were hated accordingly,
but still this was expected. But why was Mr Booker there? Was it
because he had praised the Prime Minister's translation of Catullus?
The African traveller chose himself by living through all his perils
and coming home. A novelist was selected; but as royalty wanted another
ticket at the last moment, the gentleman was only asked to come in
after dinner. His proud heart, however, resented the treatment, and he
joined amicably with his literary brethren in decrying the festival
altogether.

We should be advancing too rapidly into this portion of our story were
we to concern ourselves deeply at the present moment with the feud as
it raged before the evening came round, but it may be right to
indicate that the desire for tickets at last became a burning passion,
and a passion which in the great majority of cases could not be
indulged. The value of the privilege was so great that Madame Melmotte
thought that she was doing almost more than friendship called for when
she informed her guest, Miss Longestaffe, that unfortunately there
would be no seat for her at the dinner-table; but that, as payment
for her loss, she should receive an evening ticket for herself and a
joint ticket for a gentleman and his wife. Georgiana was at first
indignant, but she accepted the compromise. What she did with her
tickets shall be hereafter told.

From all this I trust it will be understood that the Mr Melmotte of
the present hour was a very different man from that Mr Melmotte who
was introduced to the reader in the early chapters of this chronicle.
Royalty was not to be smuggled in and out of his house now without his
being allowed to see it. No manoeuvres now were necessary to catch a
simple duchess. Duchesses were willing enough to come. Lord Alfred
when he was called by his Christian name felt no aristocratic twinges.
He was only too anxious to make himself more and more necessary to the
great man. It is true that all this came as it were by jumps, so that
very often a part