way into the
city,--in the belief that he would thus put himself in the way of making
a continual and unfailing income. He understood that as a director he
would be always entitled to buy shares at par, and, as a matter of
course, always able to sell them at the market price. This he
understood to range from ten to fifteen and twenty per cent. profit.
He would have nothing to do but to buy and sell daily. He was told
that Lord Alfred was allowed to do it to a small extent; and that
Melmotte was doing it to an enormous extent. But before he could do it
he must get something,--he hardly knew what,--out of Melmotte's hands.
Melmotte certainly did not seem to shun him, and therefore there could
be no difficulty about the shares. As to danger,--who could think of
danger in reference to money intrusted to the hands of Augustus
Melmotte?

'I am delighted to see you here,' said Melmotte, shaking him cordially
by the hand. 'You come regularly, and you'll find that it will be
worth your while. There's nothing like attending to business. You
should be here every Friday.'

'I will,' said the baronet.

'And let me see you sometimes up at my place in Abchurch Lane. I can
put you more in the way of understanding things there than I can here.
This is all a mere formal sort of thing. You can see that.'

'Oh yes, I see that.'

'We are obliged to have this kind of thing for men like that fellow
Montague. By-the-bye, is he a friend of yours?'

'Not particularly. He is a friend of a cousin of mine; and the women
know him at home. He isn't a pal of mine if you mean that.'

'If he makes himself disagreeable, he'll have to go to the wall;--that's
all. But never mind him at present. Was your mother speaking to you of
what I said to her?'

'No, Mr Melmotte,' said Sir Felix, staring with all his eyes.

'I was talking to her about you, and I thought that perhaps she might
have told you. This is all nonsense, you know, about you and Marie.'
Sir Felix looked into the man's face. It was not savage, as he had
seen it. But there had suddenly come upon his brow that heavy look of
a determined purpose which all who knew the man were wont to mark. Sir
Felix had observed it a few minutes since in the Board-room, when the
chairman was putting down the rebellious director. 'You understand
that; don't you?' Sir Felix still looked at him, but made no reply.
'It's all d---- nonsense. You haven't got a brass farthing, you know.
You've no income at a