of the world did not know on what ledge in the world
the great man was perched at that moment. Miss Longestaffe who was
staying in the house did not at all know how great a man her host was.
Lady Monogram when she refused to go to Grosvenor Square, or even to
allow any one to come out of the house in Grosvenor Square to her
parties, was groping in outer darkness. Madame Melmotte did not know.
Marie Melmotte did not know. The great man did not quite know himself
where, from time to time, he was standing. But the world at large
knew. The world knew that Mr Melmotte was to be Member for
Westminster, that Mr Melmotte was to entertain the Emperor of China,
that Mr Melmotte carried the South Central Pacific and Mexican Railway
in his pocket;--and the world worshipped Mr Melmotte.

In the meantime Mr Melmotte was much troubled about his private
affairs. He had promised his daughter to Lord Nidderdale, and as he
rose in the world had lowered the price which he offered for this
marriage,--not so much in the absolute amount of fortune to be
ultimately given, as in the manner of giving it. Fifteen thousand a
year was to be settled on Marie and on her eldest son, and twenty
thousand pounds were to be paid into Nidderdale's hands six months
after the marriage. Melmotte gave his reasons for not paying this sum
at once. Nidderdale would be more likely to be quiet, if he were kept
waiting for that short time. Melmotte was to purchase and furnish for
them a house in town. It was, too, almost understood that the young
people were to have Pickering Park for themselves, except for a week
or so at the end of July. It was absolutely given out in the papers
that Pickering was to be theirs. It was said on all sides that
Nidderdale was doing very well for himself. The absolute money was not
perhaps so great as had been at first asked; but then, at that time,
Melmotte was not the strong rock, the impregnable tower of commerce,
the very navel of the commercial enterprise of the world,--as all men
now regarded him. Nidderdale's father, and Nidderdale himself, were,
in the present condition of things, content with a very much less
stringent bargain than that which they had endeavoured at first to
exact.

But, in the midst of all this, Marie, who had at one time consented at
her father's instance to accept the young lord, and who in some
speechless fashion had accepted him, told both the young lord and her
father, very roundly, that she had change